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

Chapter 1467: The Wrong Person Was Arrested

Both men were taken aback upon hearing this, and quickly took the comparison report to examine it carefully. The 3D scan on the report clearly showed the detailed differences between the two footprints, and the data comparison was obvious, enough to prove that the footprints at the scene were not left by Zhang Qiang. "How could this be? All the physical evidence points to him, how could the footprints not match?" Xiao Sun frowned, his tone full of doubt. Xiao Yang was silent for a moment, then said, "Suspend the interrogation first, and immediately verify Zhang Qiang's alibi. Perhaps we were wrong from the beginning."

Investigators immediately re-examined Zhang Qiang's whereabouts and retrieved surveillance footage from the entrance of his residential complex. The footage showed that Zhang Qiang returned to the complex after get off work at 8:15 PM last night and did not leave again. The complex's surveillance coverage was comprehensive, and footage from the elevator and the entrance of his apartment building confirmed that he was in the complex from 11 PM last night to 1 AM the time of the incident. He did go downstairs to throw out the trash at 11:40 PM, a process that took no more than five minutes and followed a route completely opposite to the crime scene, meaning he had no time to commit the crime.

Meanwhile, the forensic team conducted further tests on the thin wire and cutting tools found at Zhang Qiang's residence. Aside from the victim's DNA, no fingerprints or skin tissue of Zhang Qiang were found on the thin wire. While the metal fragments on the cutting tools matched the material and texture of the fragments found at the scene, the industrial paint on them differed slightly from the paint composition in the scratches at the scene. Furthermore, the tool's blade showed no signs of recent use, and the degree of wear did not match the force of the scratches at the scene. As for the soil on the jacket, testing confirmed its similarity to the soil at the crime scene. However, Zhang Qiang's factory was adjacent to an urban village, and he would inevitably come into contact with similar soil during his daily commute, making it unsuitable as evidence of a crime.

All the evidence pointing to Zhang Qiang was refuted one by one; the discrepancies in his footprints and his complete alibi completely cleared him of suspicion. Left with no other option, Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun had to release Zhang Qiang according to the law. Watching Zhang Qiang's slightly aggrieved and angry figure leave the detachment, the two felt a deep sense of defeat.

Back in the office, the two laid out all the case files again and reviewed the case details. The previous clues seemed clear, but a crucial detail—the footprints—caused a reversal, leading the entire investigation astray. "Industrial paint, fragments of cutting tools, the '工' (gong) mark on the thin wire, and the figure deliberately obscuring their face—these clues are still there, but the range of suspects has returned to square one," Xiao Yang said wearily, rubbing his temples.

Xiao Sun picked up the metal fragment and examined it carefully under the light: "We only investigated the machine factory before. Perhaps the murderer wasn't a factory worker, but someone who frequently handles mechanical repair tools, such as a small repair shop owner, a scrap metal recycling station worker, or even someone who enjoys modifying machinery." He paused and continued, "Moreover, the murderer was able to precisely avoid surveillance cameras, clean up traces at the scene, and deliberately leave behind physical evidence related to Zhang Qiang. It's very likely that this was premeditated, and they might even know Zhang Qiang and deliberately frame him."

“Identifying the deceased remains the biggest challenge,” Xiao Yang added. “DNA and fingerprint comparisons have yielded no results, and no one in the surrounding area recognizes him. His phone was taken by the murderer, so his call records cannot be accessed, making it impossible to know his social relationships or the person he had a dispute with. The only clues we have now are the metal fragment, the industrial paint, and the blurry footprints and fingerprints, but these are all too scattered to narrow down the suspects.”

Li Ming also convened a case analysis meeting, where participants reported on the progress of the investigation one by one. The final conclusion was that the clues currently available were insufficient to support further investigation. The previous direction of the investigation was completely interrupted due to Zhang Qiang being ruled out as a suspect. No new clues have emerged yet, and the case investigation has officially entered a dead end.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was heavy, everyone's faces grave. Xiao Yang stared at the photographs of the evidence on the table, especially the thin wire with the faint "工" (gong) mark and the silvery-white metal fragments. He felt resentful but helpless. "We can't just stand still like this," he said slowly. "We need to go back to the crime scene and expand the investigation area. We need to re-examine every blade of grass and every tree; maybe we can find any clues we missed before. At the same time, we need to re-examine the personnel information of all the surrounding machinery factories and repair shops, focusing on people who know Zhang Qiang and whose physical characteristics match the killer's. Expand the investigation area by another five kilometers."

Xiao Sun nodded in agreement: "In addition, contact the missing persons management department to expand the comparison scope. We should not only compare recent missing persons, but also the missing persons records of the past year to see if there are any people who match the characteristics of the deceased. Also, we should revisit those hardware stores that have the same specifications as the wire at the scene and ask the owners if they have any memorable customers, such as those who looked unusual when they bought the wire or those who asked about its special purpose."

Despite knowing the chances were slim, the investigators immediately sprang into action. However, everyone understood that breaking through this dead end would be extremely difficult without new crucial clues. The urban villages in the old southern part of the city remained bustling with activity, and the narrow alleyway gradually returned to its former quiet. Only the chalk marks left on the walls reminded them of the unsolved murder that had occurred there, and the truth still lurked in the darkness, waiting to be revealed.

As the case reached a stalemate, in the autopsy room of the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Forensic Identification Center, the cold light of the operating lamps pierced the air and fell on the corpse on the autopsy table. Forensic pathologist Zhang Lin, dressed in a dark blue autopsy gown and double-layered latex gloves, with a mask covering most of his face, only revealing a pair of sharp and steady eyes, stood guard. He had worked as a forensic pathologist for fifteen years, handling hundreds of autopsies in homicide cases. With his precise anatomical techniques and meticulous analytical abilities, he had repeatedly provided crucial breakthroughs in solving cases. His assistant, Xiao Lin, stood on the other side of the autopsy table, holding an autopsy record book and pen, his expression serious, ready to record every detail of the autopsy process.

"Xiao Lin, first complete the preoperative preparations, verify the cadaver information, and establish an autopsy file." Zhang Lin's voice came through his mask, carrying a hint of coldness. He raised his hand to adjust the angle of the operating light, ensuring the light evenly covered the entire body, then picked up the autopsy ruler and began a preliminary re-examination of the body's surface. "The deceased is male, middle-aged, approximately 172 cm tall, weighing 62 kg. The body is in a curled-up position, rigor mortis has spread to all major joints, and livor mortis is located on the back, buttocks, and posterior limbs, appearing as a dark purplish-red color that does not fade upon pressure."

Xiao Lin quickly took notes while cooperating with Zhang Lin to turn over the body: "Teacher Zhang, the intensity of rigor mortis is consistent with the characteristics of 12 to 15 hours after death. The morphology of livor mortis indicates that the deceased was in a supine or curled-up position after death, with no obvious changes in body position, indicating that the body was not moved after the crime. The crime scene should be the primary crime scene."