The Forensic Doctor Better Than a Detective

”Due to the advanced skeletonization of the body, examination of the internal organs is indeed not possible.”

”However, through detailed inspection, we found multiple bone losses in the skeleton.”

He walked to the projection and pointed a laser pen at the cervical vertebrae: ”For instance, here, there should originally be seven cervical vertebrae, but now there are only five, missing the uppermost axis and atlas.”

”In addition, the left clavicle is completely missing, and there are only remnants on the right side.”

”Currently, we can confirm the completeness mainly in long bones, ribs, and pelvis.”

Jiang An listened intently, occasionally jotting down key information in his notebook.

”In other words, there are cases of partial skeleton loss.”

He paused briefly and continued to ask, ”What about the hyoid bone?”

”The hyoid bone was not found?”

Mr. Wang answered with a slight hint of embarrassment.

Jiang An remained unfazed, continuing his inquiry, ”Any findings in the toxicology report?”

”We conducted tests using soil samples extracted from underneath the body.”

”But no common toxic substances were detected.”

Afterward, Jiang An’s gaze returned to the photographs.

”The report is very detailed regarding the victim’s clothing.”

”I would like to verify, is the undergarment still in place?”

”It’s basically in the state it was worn,” explained Mr. Wang, ”The back clasp of the bra is intact, though there are tear marks on the front.”

”The underwear is also in place; notably, at the time of death, the victim was menstruating, and a sanitary pad was attached to the underwear.”

Hearing this detail, Jiang An nodded thoughtfully and then looked around the room, his gaze steady and firm.

”Mr. Wang, colleagues.”

”Based on the information currently available, I would like to share some of my initial views.”

”Of course, these viewpoints are not yet mature, and I welcome any critique or correction.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the room was filled with the sound of notebooks flipping and the rustling of pens on paper.

However, beneath this facade of cooperation, undercurrents were stirring.

Some leaned forward, full of anticipation, hoping to hear unique insights from this young officer.

Others had a faint, indifferent smile, clearly waiting to see this ”overconfident” newcomer make a fool of himself.

”Daring to express opinions after only an hour of research?”

”Our task force studied it for three days and couldn’t reach a conclusion; what groundbreaking insights could he have?”

”Young people these days are just too impetuous...”

....

Whispers like these rose and fell in the corners.

Jiang An seemed oblivious, standing up calmly and walking to the projector to enlarge the floor plan of the scene.

Everyone’s attention was involuntarily drawn towards it.

Wang Yang, a seasoned captain of the criminal investigation team, is experienced and well-informed.

At this moment, he too wanted to take the opportunity to test whether he was a genuine case-solving expert or a mere empty suit.

Thinking of this, a thoughtful expression flashed across his eyes.

He looked at Jiang An thoughtfully and slowly began to speak: ”Mr. Jiang, please share your views.”

Jiang An nodded gravely, his gaze sweeping around.

”From an overall perspective, the report is quite comprehensive, and the work advancement is very meticulous.”

”But as far as the case itself is concerned, I haven’t discovered any concrete evidence of external harm yet.”

”From both the victim’s attire and the examination results of the remaining bones, this holds true.”

He paused briefly, picked up the laser pointer on the table, and pointed at the detailed photos on the screen.

”Firstly, regarding clothing, we haven’t discovered any cuts or large-scale damage caused by sharp objects.”

”Although certain parts do show cracks, the edges of these cracks are rough and unsmooth.”

”Moreover, the edges also have small flocculent substances attached, indicating characteristics typical of natural degradation.”

”Additionally, there are also obvious tear marks on the clothing.”

”Morphologically judging, it is likely caused by animal bites or plant snags.”

”Combining this evidence, we can confidently say that from the condition of the clothing, there are absolutely no traces of harm inflicted by others.”

Then, Jiang An approached the screen, pointing at several key areas, his tone becoming more severe.

”However, there are indeed some noteworthy features about this skeleton.”

”Firstly, the skeleton’s integrity is severely lacking, although you expanded the search range and found some remnants.”

”Based on the shape of the break, it is very likely dispersed after being gnawed by animals, which isn’t uncommon in bodies found in the wild.”

He adjusted the projector to zoom in and display the detailed photos of the cervical vertebrae.

”But what concerns me most is the peculiar situation with the cervical vertebrae.”

”As we all know, humans have seven cervical vertebrae, but currently, we’ve only found five, and the most crucial connection points to the skull—the atlas and axis—are mysteriously missing.”

”Why is it that only the top two vertebrae are missing while the others are relatively intact?”

”This is a question worth pondering deeply.”

After a brief pause, he continued: ”From an anatomical perspective, the atlas and axis, serving as key connections between the skull and torso, have a unique significance.”

”Moreover, on the remaining cervical vertebrae, we have not found any evidence of artificial damage.”

”Considering all these pieces of evidence, it might be a natural event.”

”However—”

He suddenly raised his voice, his gaze becoming unusually sharp: ”One key question continues to perplex us.”

”If the deceased originally had a skull, where is it now?”

”If there was never a skull, then what is the story behind this body?”

”Unless this mystery is solved, the case will never be revealed in its entirety.”

At this point, Jiang An suddenly turned to Wang Yong in attendance.

He straightforwardly asked: ”Mr. Wang, I’d like to ask a professional question.”

”Please do!”

”Did you detect any subtle cut marks on the neck bones of the deceased?”

”Even extremely minor tool marks?”

Mr. Wang adjusted his glasses and replied earnestly: ”After repeated inspection, we did not find any cut marks.”

”This is also the biggest point of confusion for our team.”

”According to the characteristics of typical dismemberment cases, if it was a case of artificial dismemberment, the neck should bear corresponding cut marks.”

”But in this case, we can’t find such evidence, which is vastly different from the dozens of dismemberment cases we’ve processed before, and indeed quite unusual.”

”As a result, we have been unable to categorize this case as a murder dismemberment incident.”

Jiang An nodded thoughtfully, gently tapping the tabletop with his finger.

”This doubt is indeed very critical.”

”But I believe we need to grasp more clearly the core issue of the case.”

After a pause, Jiang An’s gaze swept across every colleague present.

”In my view, the most crucial and urgent issue in this case is the whereabouts of the skull.”

”Solving this mystery will open a breakthrough in the case.”

Wang Yang and Chen Biao, the two captains, exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

This viewpoint indeed hits the mark, but why did the skull disappear?

Was it deliberately concealed, or was it taken away by animals?

The answer to this question is likely the key to solving the case.

At this point, Jiang An abruptly turned and said, ”Please retrieve the first original site photo.”

”The original site photo?”

Chen Biao, momentarily not comprehending, repeated in confusion.

”Yes, the very first panoramic photo.”

Instantly, the screen switched rapidly.

Everyone in the meeting room moved their gaze towards the screen.

The image displayed was the most primitive site photo.

A headless body lay quietly on the overgrown ground......

Jiang An closely scrutinized every detail of the photo.

After a long while, he pointed at the photo, saying in a deep voice, ”The original photograph has issues.....”