The crackdown on organized crime began with the arrest of the mother-in-law.

Chapter 872 Clues Discovered During the On-Site Investigation

Zhang Lin replied, "The lab is expediting the testing, and the results are expected tomorrow. At that time, we may be able to determine the location of the deceased's last meal, providing new clues for solving the case."

After a moment's thought, Li Ming said, "Forensic Doctor Zhang, this autopsy has provided us with important clues. Once the results of the stomach contents analysis are in, we will be able to more accurately pinpoint the deceased's movements before death. Thank you for your hard work!"

Zhang Lin smiled and said, "This is what I should do. I hope these clues can help you catch the murderer as soon as possible and give the deceased an explanation."

While Zhang Lin completed the autopsy and reported the results to Li Ming and Qin Chuan, the laboratory of the technical department was brightly lit, and the technicians were working intensively to process and analyze the evidence collected from the crime scene.

Senior technician Lao Chen carefully removed the rope from the evidence bag and placed it on the worktable. Young technician Xiao Li had already prepared the DNA extraction equipment. "Xiao Li, follow the standard procedure and sample the bloodstains on the rope first. Be gentle to avoid contaminating the sample," Lao Chen instructed as he donned his professional protective gear.

Xiao Li nodded, picked up the sampling tools, and skillfully took a sample from the blood-stained area on the rope. He then placed the collected sample into the DNA extractor. After a series of complex operations, the sample was successfully extracted and sent to the DNA matching system.

While waiting for the comparison results, Lao Chen and Xiao Li didn't sit idle; they began to analyze the rope itself in detail. "Lao Chen, the material of this rope looks quite ordinary, like the nylon rope commonly found on the market," Xiao Li said while examining the rope with a magnifying glass.

Old Chen carefully examined the texture and material of the rope and nodded in response: "That's right, but we still need to conduct a precise analysis of the rope's composition to see if we can find any special additives or production markings that might allow us to trace the rope's origin."

As he spoke, Old Chen cut off a small section of the rope and placed it into the component analyzer. The instrument started operating, and various data kept flashing on the screen. At the same time, Xiao Wang, the technician responsible for analyzing the shoe prints, was also busy. He placed the shoe print model extracted from the scene under a 3D scanner for precise scanning.

"Xiao Wang, how's the shoe print analysis going?" Old Chen asked when he had a moment.

Xiao Wang stared at the computer screen and replied, "After 3D scanning and comparison, some of the shoe prints at the scene belong to the person who reported the crime. Due to the complex environment at the scene, some features of the other shoe prints are blurred, and we cannot determine their specific information at the moment. I am trying to use computer simulation to restore the complete features of the shoe prints."

Just then, the DNA comparison results came back. Xiao Li excitedly shouted, "Old Chen, the DNA from the bloodstains on the rope matches the deceased's!"

Old Chen nodded slightly, his face showing little surprise: "This further confirms that the rope was the murder weapon. But we still need to find more clues pointing to the murderer."

Next, Lao Chen and Xiao Li began analyzing the cigarette butts found at the scene. They first extracted DNA from the saliva on the cigarette butts, and then entered the extracted DNA information into a database for comparison. However, the comparison results were disappointing; there was no matching record in the database.

"It seems the murderer has no prior criminal record, at least no DNA record was left," Old Chen said, frowning.

Xiao Li was somewhat discouraged: "Then what should we do? Are these cigarette butts useless?"

Old Chen pondered for a moment and said, "Not necessarily. We can analyze the brand and origin of the cigarette butts to see if we can narrow down the scope of our investigation. At the same time, analyzing the tobacco residue on the cigarette butts might yield some useful information."

So, Lao Chen and Xiao Li resumed their work analyzing the cigarette butts. Meanwhile, Xiao Zhao, the technician responsible for analyzing the gloves, also encountered a problem. The dark red stains on the gloves were confirmed to be blood, but due to the special material of the gloves, fingerprint extraction was extremely difficult.

"Xiao Zhao, how's it going? Can we extract fingerprints from the gloves?" Old Chen asked as he walked over.

Xiao Zhao shook his head helplessly: "The gloves have a special coating that severely affects fingerprint extraction. I've tried many methods, but none of them worked. However, I found some fibrous material in the gaps of the gloves, and I'm currently analyzing it."

Old Chen patted Xiao Zhao on the shoulder: "Don't be discouraged, keep trying. These fibrous materials might be the key clues."

After several hours of analysis, the analysis of most of the clues collected at the scene was basically completed. Old Chen put together the analysis report and went to Li Ming's office to report the situation.

Li Ming and Qin Chuan were discussing the next steps of the investigation in their office when they stopped talking when Old Chen entered. "Old Chen, have the evidence analysis results come out yet?" Li Ming asked.

Old Chen nodded and placed the analysis report on the table: "Team Leader Li, Director Qin, after analysis, the blood DNA on the rope belongs to the deceased, further confirming that the rope is the murder weapon. The shoe prints at the scene partially belong to the complainant, but the other shoe prints are blurry and cannot be identified at this time. The saliva DNA on the cigarette butt has no matching record in the database. Fingerprint extraction from the gloves failed due to the material, but some fibrous material was found in the glove seams, which is still being analyzed. Overall, these clues currently lack clear direction and cannot identify a suspect."

Li Ming and Qin Chuan carefully reviewed the analysis report, their expressions gradually becoming serious. "Have we reached another impasse?" Li Ming said, frowning.

Qin Chuan pondered for a moment and said, "Not necessarily. Although the clues don't directly point to the murderer yet, we can start our investigation by examining the source of evidence such as ropes and cigarette butts. At the same time, we should continue to review the scene to see if we've missed any important clues."

Old Chen added, "I suggest a more in-depth analysis of the fibrous material found at the scene; it might lead to clues related to the murderer. Furthermore, the investigation into the victim's social relationships should not be neglected; the murderer may very well have some connection to the victim."

Li Ming nodded in agreement: "Old Chen, you're right. The technical department should continue analyzing the fibrous material and strive for a breakthrough as soon as possible. We will also intensify our investigation into the deceased's social relationships. With everyone working together, we will definitely find the murderer."

After Lao Chen left the office, Li Ming and Qin Chuan reviewed the case leads again. "Chief Qin, I plan to have officers visit nearby shops to investigate the sale of ropes and cigarettes; maybe we can find some clues," Li Ming said.

Qin Chuan agreed, "Okay. At the same time, have the forensic team follow up on the test results of the stomach contents to try to determine the location of the deceased's last meal. This is crucial for tracking the deceased's movements."