eurekapd Chapter 1224 We must find out Liu's identity.
Chapter 1224 We must find out Liu's identity.
After the report, a brief silence fell over the meeting room as everyone sorted through the clues. Li Ming broke the silence first: "Now all the clues point to one core point—the man in the black coat is the direct perpetrator, driving the van to kill Zhang Dianquan and dumping the body. Liu is likely connected to the case, either as an accomplice or someone with inside information, and his current disappearance is suspicious. The preliminary assessment of the motive is related to debt collection. Zhang Dianquan helped Liu collect debts, which may have touched on the interests of the debtor, leading to the murder. Liu fled out of fear of being implicated."
“I agree with Captain Li’s assessment,” Xiao Yang continued. “The key now is to find the murderer in the black coat and the missing Liu. Judging from the traces at the scene, the murderer had a fierce struggle with Zhang Dianquan and was likely injured in the fight. If we can extract complete DNA from the skin tissue under his fingernails and the samples on the rivets, we can identify him by comparing it with the database. In addition, the van driven by the murderer has distinctive features: engine failure and scratches on the body. These can all be used as evidence for investigation, especially in auto repair shops in the suburban mountainous areas. Perhaps someone has seen or repaired this vehicle.”
Xiao Wang offered additional suggestions: "We can expand the search scope of the van, and work with the transportation department and police in surrounding cities to search for possible hiding places such as mountain roads, abandoned factories, and garbage dumps. At the same time, we should issue a notice for assistance, publicize the vehicle's characteristics, and appeal to the public to provide clues. In addition, we need to thoroughly investigate Liu's social relationships, especially his creditors, coworkers, and relatives, to see if we can find his hiding place or learn more about the 'man in the black coat'."
"Judging from the autopsy results, the perpetrator's methods were rather brutal, and he did not deliberately clean up the scene, indicating that he may not be a repeat offender and his counter-surveillance awareness is relatively weak," Zhang Lin added. "He was injured in the struggle and will likely have gone to a hospital or clinic to treat his wounds. We can check the trauma records of hospitals and clinics throughout the city from the evening of the 22nd to the early morning of the 23rd, focusing on patients who are 'male, 170-175cm tall, with scratches or abrasions on their hands or arms,' which might yield some results."
Xiao Zhou suggested: "We can review Zhang Dianquan's call records and social media chat logs to see who he contacted on the evening of the 22nd, especially the information of the 'debt collectors'; at the same time, we can investigate Liu's bank statements and financial transactions to see if he has made any large transfers recently, or had any financial dealings with suspicious persons. These could expose his whereabouts or the identity of the murderer."
After listening to everyone's analysis, Li Ming drew four core investigative directions on the whiteboard, circling the keywords "man in black jacket" and "Liu" in red: "Group 1, led by Xiao Wang, is responsible for expanding the search area for the black van, cooperating with police in surrounding cities to search mountainous and abandoned areas, issuing a notice for assistance, and simultaneously searching auto repair shops and gas stations throughout the city to find vehicle traces; Group 2, led by Xiao Zhou, is responsible for in-depth investigation of Liu's social relationships and financial transactions, focusing on his creditors, coworkers, and relatives, finding his hiding place, and reviewing Zhang Dianquan's communication records to identify debt collectors; Group 3, led by Xiao Yang, is responsible for continuing to follow up on the technical department's DNA testing and fiber and engine oil analysis. Once a complete DNA profile is extracted, it will be immediately compared with the database. At the same time, three investigations will be conducted around the sewers to look for any potentially overlooked tools used in the crime (such as a strangulation belt or nylon rope); Group 4, contact the health department to retrieve data from the evening of the 22nd to the 23rd..." Early that morning, medical records of injuries from hospitals and clinics throughout the city were reviewed to identify patients matching the perpetrator's characteristics. Zhang Lin assisted by providing professional injury descriptions.
He paused, then emphasized, "Liu's disappearance is crucial. He may know the killer's identity, or even be involved. Finding him will allow us to quickly break through the case. The black van is important physical evidence. Finding the vehicle will allow us to extract more evidence and identify the killer. All teams must cooperate closely and share information. Report any leads immediately and strive to apprehend the killer as quickly as possible to give Zhang Dianquan's family an explanation."
Sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting long, thin patches of light on the conference table. Xiao Zhou pasted composite sketches of Liu and the "man in the black coat" onto the whiteboard. The expressions of the two men in the sketches were blurry, yet they represented key targets in the case. "We will definitely find clues as soon as possible and bring justice to Zhang Dianquan," Xiao Zhou said firmly, and everyone present nodded in agreement.
As the meeting adjourned, Li Ming watched the busy figures of everyone, knowing in his heart that the case had reached a crucial stage. As long as they followed the three clues—"the killer's DNA," "the black van," and "Liu's whereabouts"—the truth behind Zhang Dianquan's murder would eventually be revealed, and the hidden killer would be brought to justice. In the corridor of the Criminal Investigation Division, footsteps echoed, each person carrying a clear goal, moving towards the truth—the moment when this tragedy in the sewers would be exposed was approaching.
In the information analysis room of the Criminal Investigation Detachment, Xiao Wang stared at the blurry information about "Liu" on the computer screen, his brow furrowed. According to the deployment of the case analysis meeting, he needed to work with Xiao Zhou's team to uncover the true identity of the "coworker Liu who helped collect debts" mentioned by Zhang Dianquan—the previously investigated "Liu" either didn't match the description or had no connection to the case; the identity of this key figure had become a bottleneck in breaking through the case.
“Xiao Zhou, is there anyone with the surname Liu on Zhang Dianquan’s list of coworkers whose registered residence is near Jiefang West Road and who has recently gone missing?” Xiao Wang dialed Xiao Zhou’s number, his fingers rapidly swiping across the keyboard to retrieve Zhang Dianquan’s work file. Xiao Zhou paused for a moment on the other end of the line: “We’ve checked his coworkers from the past five years. There are 12 people with the surname Liu, 3 of whom are registered residence in the vicinity of Jiefang West Road, but all have clear alibis and have not gone missing. Could it be that this ‘Liu’ isn’t a coworker, but someone else? Like a neighbor or friend?”
This statement gave Xiao Wang a wake-up call. He immediately changed his approach, retrieving the household registration records of Zhang Dianquan's residential community and filtering for residents with the surname Liu. "Found it!" A name popped up on the screen—Liu Baijun, male, 35 years old, whose registered residence was in the same "Heping Community" on Jiefang West Road as Zhang Dianquan's, and who lived downstairs from Zhang Dianquan's apartment. His occupation was listed as "excavator driver." More importantly, Liu Baijun's rental records showed that he vacated his apartment on August 22 (the day Zhang Dianquan was murdered) and was currently out of contact, which perfectly matched the information Xiao Zhou had previously gathered about "Liu's disappearance."
At this point in the meeting, guidance has been provided for the next steps.