Chapter 189 - 187: The Signature of the Serial Killer (Second Update)

Chapter 189: Chapter 187: The Signature of the Serial Killer (Second Update)

The deceased was a very young woman, seemingly just over twenty. Her clothes were tattered to the point of barely covering her body, and her exposed skin was nowhere intact, riddled with whip marks, knife wounds, burns, and bruises. The only part of her body that was relatively well-preserved was her face, except that the corners of her mouth had been sewn shut with red thread, making her clearly identifiable as a beautiful woman.

This was indeed the type of victim preferred by the Smiling Killer.

The most appalling part of the deceased’s body was her chest. A large piece of skin had been brutally peeled away from her left chest, revealing bloody fat and muscle tissue. The murderer had started near her left armpit, making a cut with a knife and forcefully tearing the skin away.

When Xu Jing saw the corpses of the previous victims, a question arose in her mind—why did the killer peel the victim’s skin? If it was to torture the victim, why not peel all the skin? Or why not peel the skin from other parts of the victim’s body?

Now, seeing the tragic state of the deceased, a thought suddenly arose in Xu Jing’s mind—this repetitive, seemingly meaningless action was as if marking a sign.

Many serial killers are keen on leaving a mark unique to them in their crimes, some done unintentionally, but most deliberately left behind.

However, wasn’t the red-thread-sewn mouth already a mark? With such a distinct mark, why would he still do this? Or perhaps he just wanted the peeled skin as a trophy?

If the criminal psychologist she had worked with before were on-site, he would surely discern more things.

But there was no choice; she could only use her skills as a forensic doctor to find more evidence.

She deftly put on the gloves she’d taken with her when she came over and stepped forward to begin a simple examination of the corpse. "The rigor mortis of the deceased is already diminishing, the postmortem lividity does not completely fade upon pressure, and the color returns slowly after pressure stops. Considering the current weather, I estimate the time of death to be one day ago, no more than two days.

Before the autopsy, Xiao Yi had already instructed a government official to write down what Xu Jing said. The official, watching the woman nonchalantly manipulating the terrifying corpse before him, failed to react until Xiao Yi gave him a look, snapping him back to attention, and hurriedly noted down Xu Jing’s words.

"The injuries on the body appear to be premortem wounds. No wounds that might be fatal can be found on the body. Considering the deceased’s blood loss, she may have died from excessive bleeding, but the specific situation requires further examination to determine."

Just through the external examination, what can be seen is very limited.

Thinking this, Xu Jing’s eyes suddenly sharpened.

There were several bite marks on the deceased’s shoulders, two on the right, one on the left. These bite marks were not shallow; the two on the left had clearly drawn blood, and the wounds had scabbed over, while the ones on the right still bore some marks.

But compared to the other shocking and dense injuries on the deceased’s body, these three bite marks, whether in terms of number or the harm done to the deceased, seemed relatively trivial.

Moreover, a careful look at the deceased’s remaining clothes shows that the right half was almost entirely blood-red, while parts of the left half retained the original color of the clothing.

Following this hint, the wounds on the left half of the deceased’s body also seemed more numerous and dense than those on the right half.

Was this a coincidence, or did it signify something deeper?

Seeing Xu Jing suddenly stop talking, Xiao Yi glanced at her and said, "If you wish to examine the body further, we can transport it back to the Ministry of Justice. Does the deceased’s body bear any items that might indicate her identity?"

The latter question was addressed to Mr. Yao.

Mr. Yao shook his head and said, "The deceased has nothing on her but these tattered clothes. Fortunately, her face has not been destroyed. I have already called for an artist to come. Once the sketch is completed, I’ll send people to inquire with families who’ve reported missing persons in recent days. We should quickly ascertain the deceased’s identity."

Xiao Yi nodded, "Thank you for that. By the way, Mr. Yao, could I borrow some of your men? You know, our Ministry of Justice staff is stretched thin, and everyone already has a pile of tasks, so it’s hard to find people to assist."

Mr. Yao chuckled, "Not a problem at all! It’s our honor to have Vice Minister Xiao request manpower from our office. With your capabilities, wherever could you not find people to aid you?"

After a few more courtesies, they prepared to leave.

Xu Jing returned to the carriage first. Xiao Yi delegated tasks to Mr. Yao’s lent personnel outside and then joined her. "I’ve already instructed someone to go to the Commerce Department to identify those from trade caravans matching the characteristics we just summarized. There shouldn’t be many, so the list will be ready soon.

According to your deduction, the murders occurred as the killer left the Western Capital, meaning the perpetrator is likely no longer here."

Xu Jing nodded, "That’s right, so we must find the perpetrator quickly before he gets far.

Vice Minister Xiao, the body will be taken directly to the Ministry of Justice, correct? I wish to conduct the autopsy immediately, if possible."

Xiao Yi chuckled, "Of course, that’s no problem. It’s just rare to see you so eager."

Xu Jing paused, "There’s something I’m concerned about; I want to verify it quickly."

From the start, it seemed that every tiny flicker of emotion in her was caught by this man.

Xu Jing had more or less become accustomed to it.

Returning to the city, Xiao Yi led Xu Jing straight to the Ministry of Justice’s office, heading directly to the morgue.

The Ministry of Justice did have a morgue, but because its main role was to review cases from various places, the morgue in the Capital City was seldom used and thus not very large.

At that time, there were still many officials walking around the Ministry of Justice, not yet the end of the workday. Seeing Xiao Yi bringing in a woman left them stunned.

However, since she was brought by Xiao Yi, they dared not approach her despite their curiosity.

Xu Jing was so focused on the case that she didn’t notice the gazes around her and glanced at the sky, saying, "Thankfully, there’s still sunlight."

Xiao Yi slightly raised his eyebrows, "Do you plan to use the red umbrella method for the autopsy?"

This sort of mutual understanding was convenient. Xu Jing couldn’t help but show a slight smile, "The injuries on the deceased are too numerous. A straightforward autopsy makes it hard to focus. I want to inspect her body surface in as much detail as possible before conducting an autopsy."

Previously, while investigating the case of Zheng Shouyan, Xu Jing had used the red umbrella method for autopsy. Xiao Yi promptly summoned two assistants to provide a red umbrella, along with wine and vinegar, while setting up a temporary wooden board bed in the small courtyard outside the morgue.

Once everything was ready, Xu Jing carefully removed the deceased’s clothing. Because her body was covered with injuries, some fabric had become tightly stuck to the dried blood and wounds, making it difficult to remove intact.

After undressing the body, she meticulously sprinkled wine and vinegar over the deceased’s body. After a while, she opened the red umbrella and walked over.

Under the red light’s filter, some otherwise inconspicuous wounds on the deceased’s body became visible, adding to the already dense and shocking injuries.

As she observed, Xu Jing marked the invisible wounds on the human body diagram. When the red umbrella was moved to the deceased’s face, she paused slightly.