The room faced north and south. It was nine o'clock in the morning, and sunlight streamed into the living room, reflecting off the deceased's pale face, which was somewhat eerie.
"Lu, you need to wear three layers of gloves."
Lu Chuan nodded. He understood this detail: wearing extra layers of gloves wasn't to protect the scene but to protect himself.
In any crime scene, especially a homicide scene, blood splatter is prevalent, and you never know what's mixed with the blood there.
There had been cases where crime scene investigators contracted highly deadly immune system diseases from blood at homicide scenes.
Lu Chuan put on shoe covers, a mask, and gloves, crouched down to align with the sunlight to observe the floor, and tiptoed to the northwest corner of the balcony.
He casually took a red millimeter ruler from the crime scene investigation box and placed it at the edge of the sofa. Lu Chuan lifted his camera to focus in the corner, starting to photograph the entire scene panoramically.
Liu Guodong, although already working, kept an eye on Lu Chuan's performance.
In Liu Guodong's eyes, although Lu Chuan was academically trained and diligent, he had caught a wanted criminal just half a month ago, this was Lu Chuan's first field deployment.
He wasn't worried about Lu Chuan taking poor pictures; he feared more that Lu Chuan might accidentally destroy the scene.
For crime scene investigators, the most crucial thing isn't having an incredibly meticulous mind or a sharp brain, but being careful and cautious.
The fear isn't about not finding clues at the scene, but destroying traces of the scene.
Some traces, once destroyed, can never be repaired.
But three particular details of Lu Chuan's performance caught Liu Guodong's eye.
First was Lu Chuan's crouching down, facing the sunlight to look at the ground. This is a small technique mastered by seasoned crime scene investigators.
Under strong light, traces on the ground, especially footprints, are easily discovered. This preemptive observation can prevent footprints or other small traces from being damaged during work by crime scene investigators.
In some dimly lit crime scenes, investigators would even use a strong flashlight to illuminate the ground to determine the investigation route.
This technique, though simple, is very practical, passed down by word of mouth. Police academies don't teach this; where did Lu Chuan learn it?
If this little detail could be learned from somewhere, the second detail touched Liu Guodong slightly more.
Positioning!
Lu Chuan's chosen position for photographing was the southwest corner of the balcony.
Crime scene photography typically consists of three levels: general view, key parts, and detailed elements.
The first is the general view of the crime scene, which should capture as much of the panorama as possible. This is why the procedure for crime scene photography requires cameras to be equipped with wide-angle lenses.
When shooting panoramic pictures of the scene, you can't just arbitrarily choose a spot. It requires considering various factors like the scene's terrain and lighting.
Lu Chuan's choice of position was very clever. From the dispatch of sunlight in the scene, only shooting from the balcony would be backlit, while the southwest corner was facing the body, maximizing the display of the situation with the body.
The body, of course, is the primary subject in crime scene photography of a homicide.
Lu Chuan merely observed for a while and was able to pick this optimal spot for panoramic shooting. This isn't just technique but capability.
The third detail was the red millimeter ruler that Lu Chuan took from the crime scene investigation box.
Crime scene photography must have a point of reference. While shooting panoramic pictures of a crime scene, choosing a millimeter ruler is the standard procedure, but the issue was that Liu Guodong had prepared three colors of millimeter rulers in the investigation box: transparent, multicolor, and red.
Given the current light intensity, using a red millimeter ruler allowed for the clearest markings, with a strong color contrast.
Choosing a millimeter ruler color based on light conditions isn't a technique or a procedural standard but work experience.
Lu Chuan... did he just get lucky with this ruler?
No!
If it weren't for the first two details, Liu Guodong would have thought this was a coincidence.
After taking a careful look at Lu Chuan setting up the tripod, Liu Guodong looked away, thinking he had hit the jackpot this time.
The work of a crime scene investigator is meticulous and involves a heavy workload.
Liu Guodong and Lu Chuan had to number, photograph all the evidence on the scene, and macro-photograph some details.
Lu Chuan's basic skills were very solid. His numbering, recording, and photographing were orderly, easing Liu Guodong's initial concerns.
Later, when Yan Sen and Bai Wenhai from the crime investigation office arrived, things became even more manageable.
Fingerprint lifting, footprint casting, and the collection of small evidence like hair, blood, and skin flakes proceeded in an orderly manner.
"Lu, don't put the swab directly into the evidence bag when collecting blood samples."
While organizing his work, Liu Guodong also took the opportunity to impart some crime scene investigation experiences to Lu Chuan: "You need to fold absorbent paper into a funnel shape to wrap the swab before putting it into the evidence bag."
Lu Chuan, responsible for taking photos, nodded frequently. These scene details weren't taught at the police academy, and the system only provided a basic crime scene photography skill. Lu Chuan had to learn and accumulate the other experiences himself.
While Lu Chuan and the others were conducting the scene investigation, other detectives had already confirmed the identity of the deceased, and an investigation into surrounding residents was underway.
In a homicide case, determining the identity of the deceased is crucial, as it involves the investigation of the victim's social background, ties, and the ruling out of potential suspects.
The entire homicide scene was bustling. Lu Chuan and his team were examining the scene, and two forensic doctors were performing a preliminary external examination of the body.
Lu Chuan's photography had reached the final stage, detailing each aspect with macro shots.
"What's the situation?"
At 9:28, the head and the division head of Haizhou City's Public Security Bureau arrived at the scene, with Qin Yong reporting the case details.
Apart from large meetings, grassroots police officers only come into contact with the higher-ups of the Haizhou City Public Security Bureau in major cases.
"Director Song, Director Wang, the identity of the deceased has been preliminarily confirmed."
"The deceased is Zhang Wen, a 63-year-old male from Haizhou City. The time of death was determined to be around 3 AM today, with the cause of death preliminarily identified as a heart wound from a sharp object."
"The reporter was the deceased's son. From the scene, the deceased's right hand was gripping the knife handle, lying on the sofa, suggesting suicide."
The two directors didn't relax upon hearing of a suicide; both of them had been frontline officers and seasoned veterans in criminal investigation, having come across many staged crime scenes.
"Alright, if it's confirmed to be a suicide, proceed according to protocol."
Song Jiangguo didn't say anything about handling the situation if it wasn't suicide, and Qin Yong wisely didn't ask.
Snap.
Lu Chuan took the last vertical photo of the body, completing his task.
"Basic task, conduct an excellent crime scene photography task completed."
From long-range to close-up, and from general view to detailed elements, the photography followed a certain protocol. When Lu Chuan pressed the shutter for the last time, a sound from the system signaled the completion of the task.
At 2:28 PM,
the body had been moved for further autopsy, aiming to confirm the exact cause of death.
Lu Chuan and team's site investigation work was also completed.
Haizhou City is a key city in the province, with a population exceeding five million and a relatively developed economy, placing Haizhou City's public security bureau criminal investigation team's capabilities among the top in the province.
The related equipment could not be considered top-notch, but it was standard.
They had their professional crime scene investigation vehicle, four specialized investigation officers—do not underestimate these few people, as generally, criminal investigation teams don't have dedicated crime scene investigation officer positions.
All the field officers doubled in their roles, naturally making it difficult for part-time work to meet rigorous standards.
"Lu, pack up. We're heading back to the squad."
Approaching fifty, Liu Guodong was no longer in his physical prime. After five hours of work on-site, his lower back ached, showing fatigue.
Yan Sen and Bai Wenhai felt similarly; anyone squatting in a cramped space for a morning would feel fatigued.
Lu Chuan, however, was quite excited despite this being his first field deployment. Additionally, putting into practice the crime scene photography skills rewarded by the system kept his spirits high.
On the way back to the squad, Lu Chuan doubled as the driver: "Master, can it be confirmed that the deceased committed suicide?"
They found very few clues on the scene, no footprints, no fingerprints, and even the hair and skin flakes collected filled less than twenty evidence bags.
Liu Guodong's hands, pressing against his temples, paused slightly as he opened his eyes wearily: "The possibility of suicide is low; the scene appears to be meticulously staged."