Chapter 345: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Chapter 345: Chapter 345: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

The three, whose thoughts had been wandering, snapped back to attention and looked at the officer. "How is that possible?"

"Sudden Infant Death Syndrome," the officer said. "The doctor said it’s also called ’crib death.’ It’s when an infant under one year of age dies suddenly in their sleep.

There are no external injuries, and the baby was healthy before sleeping. It usually happens to children under six months old. While it’s rare for a one-month-old, it’s not impossible.

The only way to confirm it is to perform an autopsy and rule out all other possibilities. But the family is refusing to cooperate, so he can’t make a definitive judgment."

After briefly relaying the doctor’s speculation, the officer looked at the three of them. "So, what’s our next move?"

’We can’t just let this family of three raise a ruckus here at the station, can we?’

’It’s bad for the department’s image.’

"The child’s cause of death is undetermined, and now they’re slandering the police. This complicates things," Evan Keller said, pointing toward the courtyard through the window. "The Public Security Bureau has the authority here; we can order a mandatory autopsy. Go down and make it clear to them. If they keep causing trouble, we’ll proceed with a mandatory autopsy on the child."

Sometimes, being too lenient just encourages people like this to push their luck.

Evan Keller felt it was necessary to give the troublemaking family downstairs a little education on the law.

Soon, the courtyard fell silent.

Just as Zoe Sawyer and the others thought the family had gotten scared and would rein in their behavior, a more piercing cry erupted from below, more rhythmic and louder than before.

"Looks like this is your first time dealing with a situation like this. Don’t worry." Evan Keller noticed Zoe Sawyer’s stunned expression and realized this was new for her. He softened his voice to comfort her. "Since they want to make a scene, we’ll give them what they want. An autopsy will give us the most impartial result."

He had dealt with plenty of troublemakers like this before. As long as you took a firm stance, they would usually back down.

So Evan Keller wasn’t too worried.

"What’s the situation with Faye Rowan? Is she conscious yet?" Heath Hale asked, thinking of the human trafficker Zoe Sawyer had taken down with the tranquilizer gun.

’We need to interrogate her, too. See if we can get anything out of her.’

’And why was she trying to snatch this particular family’s baby? It seems like a personal grudge, not for profit.’

Evan Keller shook his head. "Haven’t heard anything. She’s probably still out.

Those tranquilizer guns are custom-made. The drug doesn’t wear off that quickly."

As the three were discussing, the sound of a dispute erupted from the courtyard, interspersed with a woman’s terrified screams.

The three of them hurried to the window and saw Sean Hughes already holding the infant’s body, directing a nearby officer to call and report to the chief.

"If the cause of death is questionable, the family refuses an autopsy, and they’re slandering the police, then the department has the right to order a mandatory autopsy. It doesn’t matter if they refuse to sign." Evan Keller quietly explained the procedure to Zoe Sawyer, who was standing beside him.

After requesting and receiving approval from the chief, the police would issue a notice to the family. It didn’t matter if they refused to sign.

To ensure judicial fairness and impartiality, they would also request that the procuratorate dispatch personnel to supervise. The entire process would be transparent, recorded on audio and video, and they would invite an uninvolved third party from a nearby community to witness it.

Therefore, the family’s attempt to use this situation to slander the police was doomed to fail from the start.

"No autopsy! No autopsy! You can’t cut open my precious grandson! We won’t press charges, okay?" the old woman cried out hastily, her eyes fixed on the small body in Sean Hughes’s arms.

At the same time, she reached out, trying to snatch the body back.

But the agile Sean Hughes easily dodged her.

The baby’s parents, standing to the side, nodded frantically in agreement with the grandmother. "Yes, yes! We won’t pursue it! No autopsy! Anything is fine, just let us take our baby back."

As they spoke, they stared intently at Sean Hughes, unconsciously inching forward, preparing to help the old woman get their son back.

But before they could get close, other officers blocked their path.

Sean Hughes carefully protected the child in his arms, his expression cold as he stared at the couple. "That might have been an option before, but you just insisted that the police colluded with a human trafficker, resulting in your child’s death.

For the sake of this department’s reputation, I have already requested a mandatory autopsy. But don’t worry, the entire process will be transparent. People from the community and the procuratorate will be present.

We will guarantee it is fair, impartial, and open!"

Sean Hughes practically spat out the last few words through gritted teeth.

A wave of panic washed over the family of three. Of course, they knew the police had nothing to do with their child’s death.

But they had thought that since the child was gone, they might be able to use the situation to get some benefit out of it.

Ideally, they’d get some money to cover their recent expenses.

After all, people sympathize with the underdog, especially a family that has just lost a child.

But now, the firm stance from Sean Hughes and the others made the family feel that things were taking a bad turn. They just wanted to take the baby back and put an end to their extortion attempt.

However, things didn’t go as they had planned. The police department’s request for a mandatory autopsy had shattered their scheme.

Another half an hour passed. The people from the procuratorate and the third-party witnesses Sean Hughes had arranged had all arrived. Now, there was no way for the family to back out.

"Captain Keller, Faye Rowan is awake. Should we take her to the interrogation room?" Not long after Sean Hughes had left with his group, another officer knocked on the office door to report the latest development.

"Take her there. I’m on my way," Evan Keller replied. He didn’t hesitate; they needed to get to the bottom of this quickly.

Grabbing the file Officer Lee had prepared, Zoe Sawyer and the other two hurried to the interrogation room.

"Faye Rowan, why did you snatch the child? Did you find a buyer? This is your chance. Confess and you’ll be treated with leniency; resist and you’ll face the full force of the law." Evan Keller sat across from Faye Rowan, who stared down at the table wordlessly, and his tone was severe.

With the child taken back and herself captured, Faye Rowan seemed to have accepted her fate.

She gave Evan Keller an indifferent glance, her voice calm and flat. "What do you think? Charge me with whatever you want. I’m not in the mood to chat with you."

Evan Keller frowned. ’This type is even harder to handle than the ones who violently resist interrogation.’

’Especially that line about ’charge me with whatever you want’.’

She was making it clear she wouldn’t cooperate. Even if they accused her of being some vicious serial killer right now, Faye Rowan would probably agree to it without a fight.

He recalled what Zoe Sawyer had said earlier—that Faye Rowan had resisted arrest and had been willing to face a harsher sentence just to strangle the child to death.

Evan Keller thought for a moment before speaking.

"Did you know that an hour ago, resuscitation efforts failed, and the baby died?"