frightfiction Chapter 1284 Walking your dog in the park isn't safe.
Chapter 1284 Walking your dog in the park isn't safe.
Beside Zhang Jianjun's black Volkswagen Lavida sedan, he pointed to the trunk: "I put the sleeve of the hoodie that strangled him and the blood-stained gloves here. I was planning to throw them away when I had a chance, but I didn't expect to be caught by you before I could." The police opened the trunk and found a small amount of dark red bloodstains and black fibers in the location Zhang Jianjun pointed out. The bloodstains matched Zhao Baotian's DNA, and the fibers were the same as the fiber composition of Zhou Hao's hoodie, which completely matched the evidence extracted from the trunk earlier.
Finally, Zhang Jianjun walked to the parking lot exit and pointed to the surveillance camera in the distance: "When I drove away, I deliberately avoided the exit surveillance cameras, afraid of being photographed on my license plate. I didn't expect you to still find my car." The "route to avoid surveillance" he pointed out was completely consistent with the parking lot exit surveillance footage retrieved earlier. In the surveillance footage, the black Volkswagen Lavida sedan did indeed deliberately drive close to the guardrail, trying to cover the license plate, but some of the vehicle's features were still captured, providing crucial clues for subsequently identifying the vehicle.
Part Three: Summary of Identification Results - A Perfect Closed Loop of Evidence
The entire identification process lasted for more than three hours. The details identified by Zhou Hao and Zhang Jianjun were highly consistent with the results of the previous on-site investigation, forensic autopsy, and physical evidence testing: Zhou Hao's identification of details such as "hoodie strangling the neck," "drag route," and "discarded documents" corresponded to evidence such as on-site fibers, drag marks, and fingerprints; Zhang Jianjun's identification of details such as "vehicle location," "source of drugs," and "faked scene" corresponded to evidence such as tire tracks, sedative drugs, and bloodstains.
After the identification process, Xiao Yang summarized all the identification records with the previous evidence: "The identifications by Zhou Hao and Zhang Jianjun are completely consistent, with no contradictions, and every detail of the identification is supported by corresponding physical evidence. From 'luring Zhao Baotian to the parking lot', 'using sedative drugs', 'strangling him to death', 'dragging the body', 'faking the scene' to 'driving away,' the evidence chain for the entire crime process is complete and closed, which is sufficient to establish the criminal facts of the two."
Xiao Wang reported the identification results to Li Ming: "Captain Li, the on-site identification of Zhou Hao and Zhang Jianjun has been completed. All details match the previous evidence. The facts of the case are clear, the evidence is conclusive, and it can be formally transferred to the procuratorate for review and prosecution." Li Ming's voice on the other end of the phone was filled with relief: "Good! Thank you all for your hard work. The solving of this case is inseparable from the meticulous work of every link. Now we can finally give Zhao Baotian's family an explanation."
The rain gradually stopped, and sunlight streamed in through the parking lot's ventilation vents, illuminating the marks on the ground. Zhou Hao and Zhang Jianjun were escorted into a police car by officers; their previous resistance was gone, replaced by despair. The investigators present knew that the investigation surrounding Zhao Baotian's murder, from crime scene investigation, autopsy, and identity verification to the arrest, interrogation, and identification of suspects, was meticulously planned and executed. Every piece of evidence was solid and compelling, ultimately leading to justice and bringing solace to the deceased.
Back at the Criminal Investigation Division, Xiao Wang compiled the photos and videos from the crime scene identification, along with previous evidence, into a booklet and submitted it to the procuratorate. Standing by the office window, looking at the sunlight outside, he knew that solving this case was not the end, but rather the best interpretation of "justice will never be absent." As long as we stay true to our original aspirations and handle cases meticulously, there is no case that cannot be solved, no murderer that cannot be caught, and we can safeguard everyone's safety through our actions.
Less than a week after the Zhou Hao case was closed, the criminal investigation team received another report.
At 9 a.m. on Sunday, the morning light filtered through the branches of the camphor trees in Beishan Park, casting dappled shadows on the stone path. Deng Guojun, a retired man, strolled leisurely along the hillside path on the north side of the park, leading his golden retriever "Dahuang." This has been his unwavering habit for the past two years since his retirement: every morning he takes Dahuang for a walk on the mountain and plays chess with his old friends in the pavilion at the top of the hill.
Suddenly, Da Huang stopped, sniffing the ground with its nose pressed against it, its tail wagging rapidly, and a low growl coming from its throat. "What's wrong, Da Huang? What fun thing have you found this time?" Deng Guojun chuckled and patted Da Huang's head, looking in the direction it was sniffing. He saw a patch of freshly turned soil near the bushes not far away, its color much lighter than the surrounding dark brown soil, and it still smelled damp.
Dahuang broke free from Deng Guojun's leash and ran quickly to the patch of fresh soil, its front paws digging incessantly. "Hey! Stop digging, you'll get your paws dirty!" Deng Guojun hurriedly chased after it, just about to pull Dahuang away, when he suddenly smelled a faint stench, like the smell of rotting meat mixed with the stench of mud, particularly pungent in the morning breeze.
His steps faltered, a sudden sense of foreboding rising within him. Big Yellow continued digging, and as the soil was gradually removed, a piece of dark cloth was revealed, covered in a sticky, decaying substance, with several flies buzzing around it. "This is…" Deng Guojun's heart clenched. He crouched down and gently brushed away the surface soil with a twig, revealing more cloth, even the faint outline of a human figure protruding beneath it.
"Someone's dead!" Deng Guojun's tree branch clattered to the ground, his voice trembling. He scrambled back a few steps, grabbed Da Huang's leash, and turned to run downhill, nearly tripping on the stone steps in his panic. By the time he reached the security booth at the park entrance, his face was deathly pale, and he gripped the guard's arm tightly: "Quick... call the police! There's a body on the back hill of Beishan Park, near the bushes! It's rotting!"
The security guard was also startled and quickly took out his phone to dial 110. Deng Guojun slumped on the bench in Bao'an Pavilion, panting heavily, his heart still pounding. In his more than sixty years of life, this was the first time he had encountered such a terrifying thing.
Forty minutes later, Li Ming's police car arrived along the winding mountain road of the park and stopped at the back entrance of Beishan Park. "Seal off the scene immediately!" Li Ming opened the car door, his black leather shoes stepping on the wet stone pavement, and gave instructions to his team members behind him, "Use warning tape to cordon off a 20-meter area around the bushes, prohibiting unauthorized personnel from entering, especially the soil and vegetation around the body, and do not damage any traces; Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun are responsible for the preliminary on-site investigation, focusing on the location of the body, the surrounding footprints, tire tracks, whether there are any left behind, and signs of fresh soil being dug up, to determine if this is the primary crime scene; Xiao Wang and I will go and question the person who reported the case, and the rest of you will stand guard at the various entrances and exits of the park, registering the information of people and vehicles that entered the park this morning, and checking if any suspicious persons have left in advance."