I donned the head-mounted spotlight and camera, focusing on various details of the head for meticulous observation. The skin flap at the cutting site was significantly raised, indicating a dull or warped blade. This suggested a cleaver, and no such knives were found missing from Guo Tianyu's home. Perhaps the murder weapon was brought by the killer from outside and then taken away.
After the initial attack, a ligature mark was found on the wrist. However, our X-ray revealed a bullet lodged at the base of the spine. The bullet entered from the back of the neck, piercing the first and second cervical vertebrae and severing the spinal cord...
"Death was likely instantaneous. The wrist wound was inflicted post-mortem, and the head injury alone was fatal. The internal bleeding and bruising also indicated he was dead at that point!" I continued examining other stab wounds on the victim, from the head to the rest of the body. It was unfortunate that we couldn't conduct a thorough autopsy at the scene due to environmental constraints, making the forensic pathologist's work on the dissection table crucial.
The cut surfaces were relatively smooth, revealing clear ductal tissue. I carefully observed under a white light. The glands were distinct. A rough estimate suggested over a dozen lobes, separated by dense connective tissue. Within the connective tissue, clusters of small tubules were visible, and the acinar lumens were narrow. How could Guo Tianyu be...
I was momentarily surprised, but Xie Chuchu calmly asked, "He was a woman before?"
"Correct. Based on the size of the small ducts and acini, we preliminarily judge that this person underwent gender reassignment surgery. Although the chest and abdomen were artificially removed, there are still residual traces," Zhang Keying analyzed.
"If it weren't for this autopsy, this secret would likely have remained unknown forever. So, if Guo Tianyu's wife knew this secret..."
"This is quite unsettling to think about, but why? Why would Officer Guo do this!"
"If I'm not mistaken, it was due to his profession. He was a woman before, but to become a true criminal investigator..."
"But women can be investigators too!"
"I understand, but not everyone thinks that way. Officer Guo must have been influenced by something. After changing his gender, he trained his body, then moved to another province, enrolled in a police academy, and finally became a male detective. I once heard of a woman who loved boxing so much that she transformed into a man to participate in boxing matches and even won many awards!"
"Senior, you're referring to the famous boxer Patricio, aren't you? People nowadays will do anything for their ideals!"
As we discussed, we also analyzed Officer Guo's psychology, likening it to a similar situation. Given the angle of the bullet, it was likely fired from behind. Then the killer entered Officer Guo's home to proceed with further actions. But wasn't the person already dead? Why the ligature mark on the wrist? We were all puzzled by this. It seemed unnecessary and, logically, would only increase the risk of exposure. A typical killer wouldn't do this unless it was intentional, signifying something that required our careful investigation.
While examining the stomach contents, we compared it with the rectal temperature and found no significant discrepancies in the time of death. Then we examined the victim's perineum. This area confirmed the gender reassignment. Although the tissue looked similar, the key parts were artificial. I then checked the victim's larynx, pulled out the tongue with forceps, but found nothing unusual. Next, we turned the body over and began dissecting the back. Generally, a forensic autopsy involves three steps: skull dissection, thoracic cavity, and abdominal cavity. If necessary, the back is also dissected.
However, I rarely skip the back. This time, I used alginic ash and white jade powder and discovered irregular wounds all over the victim's back. There were knife marks in these areas. After being shot, the person was also brutally hacked. What was this, desecration of a corpse?
At this moment, Zhang Keying suddenly noticed something, and I also witnessed it. Within the subcutaneous tissue of a tear on the back, between the trapezius and levator scapulae muscles, there was a fine, thread-like fiber. Because it was stained red, it wouldn't have been noticed without careful manipulation with forceps.
Grasping it with forceps, I carefully transferred it until it was safely placed on a specially made slide. After adding carboxymethyl cellulase solution, I observed the entire specimen under a microscope.
Under the 1600x optical microscope, I could clearly see the cross-section of all the fibers. It was a hair, and DNA could be detected. If it wasn't Officer Guo's hair, it was highly likely to be the killer's.
This individual could have simply shot Officer Guo and left, yet they went on to mutilate the deceased. This was clearly more than just a murder; it was likely an act of revenge.
I asked Xie Chuchu to send it for analysis. I estimated that our colleagues in the lab would be busy again. Although we could perform dissections here, all the chemical analyses had to be done at the provincial department. As for the body, we had recorded a dissection video, so it didn't need to be transported back. We arranged for it to be kept at the funeral home, to be claimed by the family once the case was solved.
After the verification, we all left the funeral home and returned to the provincial department.
Upon our return, Liu Yuning and Gao Mingqiang had already found the records of Guo Tianyu's past gender reassignment and cosmetic surgery. I took the documents and said, "He really went to great lengths for his ideals!"
"Indeed. Do you think it's possible that the families of those murdered officers... I mean, were those officers themselves..."
"How is that possible, Yuning? There aren't that many transgender individuals in the world. And this is within our profession, it would be too much of a coincidence. Unless those police officers themselves had issues..."
"Are you worried that these people were planted by that organization? But if that were the case, wouldn't they kill their own people?"
"It's not impossible. I'm speculating here, what if their loyalties shifted?"
"Uh, I hope not. That would be too horrifying. Using their own people, investigating a case from 12 years ago, and then turning around and killing them. This situation is already complex. Now, He Xin and your grandfather are still missing, and this murder case has occurred. Thinking about it gives me a headache. It seems we need to protect all the police officers involved back then!"
"Don't worry, I've already made arrangements. Do you think I wouldn't anticipate this?"
"Thank goodness. Then Officer Yang and Officer Li should be safe. I'll go and investigate their pasts now!"
"Be thorough. I want to compare them to see what other hidden connections they might have."