National Forensic Doctor
Chapter 357 - 357 324 Tool Mark Examination

357: Chapter 324 Tool Mark Examination 357: Chapter 324 Tool Mark Examination After delegating and assigning tasks to the team members, Jiang Yuan dove straight into the evidence room.

All eighteen members of Jiang Yuan’s Accumulated Case Team were detectives, so someone else naturally took on the task of investigating the interpersonal relationships of the warehouse owner.

Even eight years later, when many things had changed dramatically, most witnesses in a homicide case were still willing to cooperate.

It only required a significant investment of time and effort.

One could imagine that some people might no longer be in Changyang City, but those who needed to be tracked and questioned were inescapable.

Physical evidence was different.

Any usable evidence quietly lay in the evidence room, while anything not secured on that day had vanished into the river of time.

It took some time for the evidence room custodian to retrieve most of the evidence from case 112.

Handing it over to Jiang Yuan, he said, “Actually, you can tell from the photos.

The photos we take now cover everything.”

“Right, thank you,” Jiang Yuan said without further explanation, picking up three evidence boxes and heading next door to sift through them one by one.

With the reward opportunity from his first-class merit, Jiang Yuan eventually chose Trace Evidence Analysis – Tool Mark Examination (Level 6).

A reward is useless if not cashed in, and after careful consideration, Jiang Yuan felt that Tool Mark Examination was the most suitable for his current stage.

Forensic doctors also study Forensic Material Evidence, but that’s mainly used for biological samples—saliva, blood, semen, and the like.

It applies to dismembered human bodies as well, such as determining whether a bone fragment belongs to the skull or the kneecap.

If it’s the former, it’s assuredly adding one more murder case to the count.

Tool Mark Examination mainly deals with a few issues: what was used, how it was used, whether it was used on this particular object, and the occupational identity of the criminal.

In his daily work, Jiang Yuan felt that this was the area where demand was hardest for him to meet and the one he most needed.

Naturally, he turned to the system for help.

The privilege of choosing a skill from a first-class merit award could reach Level 7 if an additional layer of specialization, such as focusing on examining a certain type of tool, was selected.

However, after some straight-forward considerations, Jiang Yuan still opted for the broader scope of Tool Mark Examination at Level 6.

Based on his current experience, a Level 6 skill was genuinely adequate.

Reaching Level 7 would likely exceed the capabilities of Changyang City’s labs.

It would be a waste if it turned into an overkill technique, akin to using a dragon-slaying sword to swat a fly.

Moreover, comprehensive Tool Mark Examination is definitely useful.

But specializing for an upgrade to Level 7 by limiting to a certain type of tool might actually be more restrictive.

After all, policemen can’t control a murderer’s choice of tools.

Even though knives are the primary weapon of choice for killers in the country, Jiang Yuan couldn’t accept being divine at analyzing knife marks while clueless about hammer dents.

Even with Level 6 Tool Mark Examination, Jiang Yuan felt it was like using a cleaver to kill a chicken.

Level 7 would probably be like using a star-destroying warship to swat a mosquito—just too much firepower.

Most importantly, Jiang Yuan was full of confidence about the future.

The next time he got a first-class merit, or even a second-class or first-class heroism award, he would naturally find out what Level 7 tasted like.

Sitting in the evidence room, with Level 6 Tool Mark Examination at his disposal, each piece of evidence seemed to speak to Jiang Yuan, eagerly reporting their current conditions, past situations, origins, and reasons for existence…

Evidence from eight years ago had changed considerably, but no matter how much it had transformed, it was no match for a Level 6 skill.

Wearing gloves, Jiang Yuan examined each piece of evidence, barely pausing as he went along.

Squeak.

Another police officer walked in.

The evidence room custodian immediately stood up, saying respectfully, “Captain Zhu.”

“Xiao Li, help me get some evidence; I need to take a fingerprint again,” the man known as Captain Zhu, Zhu Huanguang, said with a smile to the custodian.

Zhu Huanguang was a legendary fingerprint expert in Changyang City, having solved countless major cases and being a leading figure in commendations and awards annually.

Within the Changyang City Criminal Police Detachment, Zhu Huanguang enjoyed a high-status.

Complicated fingerprints that needed further examination were typically brought to him, and he always provided satisfactory responses.

Even in the provincial capitals, a fingerprint expert like Zhu Huanguang was a scarce resource.

At annual fingerprint skirmishes held by the provincial department and the Ministry, Zhu Huanguang shone like a god of war, claiming victories for over a decade.

For young people like Li, Zhu Huanguang was a living legend.

Zhu Huanguang himself relished the respect he received within the police force.

As one reached middle age, life was often dissatisfying.

Parents with illness, economic crises, a domineering wife, mischievous children, thinning hair, an out-of-shape body, difficulty with excretion…

but it was his job and career that lit up Zhu Huanguang’s life.

It allowed him to shine, to illuminate others, and occasionally, to snuff out someone else’s light.

Sometimes, Zhu Huanguang also enjoyed sitting in his office, extinguishing a murderer’s life with the press of a button.

As Zhu Huanguang waited for Li to retrieve the evidence, he casually surveyed his surroundings.

The evidence room at Changyang City police station resembled a small supermarket.

All around were shiny all-steel evidence lockers, divided into many compartments, which were the setup purchased at the beginning of the establishment.

As space became insufficient later on, they began placing shelves in the middle, with evidence put into evidence boxes, stacking them one on top of the other.

In the room adjacent to the shelving area, there were several large tables set up, allowing officers to examine and photograph evidence.

Overhead cameras were also present, capable of recording the entire process.

Upon seeing this setup, Zhu Huanguang’s gaze was involuntarily drawn to a tall figure.

Jiang Yuan?

Zhu Huanguang had actually recognized him at first glance, but he feared he might be hallucinating.

The impression Jiang Yuan had left on Zhu Huanguang was simply too profound.

Who has ever seen a fingerprint expert on a fingerprint battlefront who has cracked double-digit numbers of cold cases?

It’s not unheard of, every few years you hear about such an occurrence in some province, but who is so lucky to actually meet one?

And who is so unlucky to be up against such a fingerprint expert?

Zhu Huanguang still remembered the leaderboard of the fingerprint battle during that period.

Back then, Zhu Huanguang could see Jiang Yuan every day, but he never paid close attention to him.

It was only now that Zhu Huanguang noticed that Jiang Yuan was examining a metal door lock.

After straightening out his clothes, the middle-aged Zhu Huanguang walked over and greeted, “Doctor Jiang, are you here to look at the evidence?”

“Yes, a cold case,” replied Jiang Yuan, who also recognized Zhu Huanguang.

The fingerprint battle lasted more than a month, and Zhu Huanguang was actually the fingerprint expert with whom he had spent the most time because they were both stuck in the office all year round.

Zhu Huanguang smiled, looking down at the door lock in Jiang Yuan’s hands and kindly reminded him, “You know, with your natural talent for fingerprints, you should just focus on that.

Treat every day like it’s a fingerprint battle—it would play to your strengths more than working on cases at random.”

“That’s true,” Jiang Yuan didn’t feel it was right to explain to Zhu Huanguang that his level 4 Chongqing Single Finger Fingerprint Analysis Method, combined with a level 4 Qingdao Single-Finger Fingerprint Analysis Method, along with level 5 Image Enhancement, certainly had a set effect, but in terms of pure combat power, they probably couldn’t beat a level 6 tool mark examination.

Thus, focusing solely on fingerprints would indeed be a waste.

“I remember you’re especially good at handling fuzzy fingerprints.

Oh right, you also have a specialty in imaging,” Zhu Huanguang recalled.

“Indeed,” Jiang Yuan simply replied.

“Imaging is great.

You should also make good use of your expertise in imaging,” Zhu Huanguang said, gradually becoming envious.

Expertise in imaging is genuinely lucrative.

If he had specialist-level expertise in imaging, he probably wouldn’t have to worry about money.

If money wasn’t an issue, his wife would likely be happier, his children could afford better tutoring, and he could hire several more competent teachers—even if it might not make much difference, at least it would show that as their father, he had made every effort.

Lost in thought, Zhu Huanguang was jarred back to attention as Jiang Yuan’s focus gradually returned to the evidence.

After looking at some photos, he began dismantling the door lock.

The clinking of metal roused Zhu Huanguang.

He watched as Jiang Yuan disassembled the lock into its components and, putting on a mask, he leaned in closer to observe.

“These are marks from lock picking, average technique at best.

With so many imprints on the pin, it looks like someone’s been picking at it for a while, doesn’t seem like a pro.” Zhu Huanguang wasn’t just a fingerprint expert; he was a master of trace examination.

However, since working on trace evidence, Zhu Huanguang had been more prominent in fingerprints, so he gradually specialized in that field.

But Zhu Huanguang believed that if he had no time to delve into other trace examination skills, Jiang Yuan would have even less time.

He was so young; even if he had started practicing in the womb…

“It’s not just the marks left by the hooks and tension wrenches used to pick the pins,” Jiang Yuan said as he pulled out his phone to take photos.

“There are also marks left by a newly cut key used multiple times to try and unlock.”

Zhu Huanguang was startled.

Was that even discernible?

He bent down and examined the disassembled lock cylinder even more carefully.

After a long while, Zhu Huanguang could only see what seemed inconclusive and couldn’t help asking, “The marks from multiple unlocking attempts you mentioned, what can they prove?”

“They prove that someone initially tried to unlock with a newly cut key, and for some reason, be it the inappropriate key or other factors, couldn’t open the lock, then turned to lock picking,” Jiang Yuan paused, then added, “It suggests premeditated crime; the suspect had access to the keys.”

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