Chapter 882: Investigating Three Directions
Lu Chuan stood in front of the projector, continuing his analysis.
"So, in my personal opinion, if the murderer is a taxi driver, it’s unlikely that the body would be disposed of during the day. It should be done at night."
Everyone agreed with Lu Chuan’s judgment.
Based on what we know, there were construction workers on National Highway 121 at that time. If the taxi driver disposed of the body during the day, it’s highly likely he would have been seen.
In other words, whether it was the construction workers who committed the crime, the taxi driver, or someone else, the body was likely buried at night.
Lu Chuan continued, "But would the taxi driver specifically drive back to the vicinity of National Highway 121 to dispose of the body at night?"
"And right near the victim’s home?"
Everyone understood Lu Chuan’s analysis.
It’s possible that the taxi driver committed the crime, but due to the presence of the shovel, this possibility is not very high.
"Of course, I’m not saying there’s no need to follow up on the taxi driver lead. On the contrary, it must be pursued."
Lu Chuan put down the materials in his hand.
"On one hand, if the taxi driver just happened to have a shovel in his trunk, it’s plausible."
"On the other hand, finding the taxi driver from back then is crucial to understanding Hu Huihui’s movements on the day she disappeared."
"After leaving the train station that day, did Hu Huihui return directly to Beihong Village?"
"Did she meet anyone along the way?"
"Finding the taxi driver from back then is essential."
Lu Chuan looked at Sun Biao: "Sun Biao, your team is responsible for following this lead."
"Yes!"
Lu Chuan didn’t stop but continued analyzing another hypothesis that Sun Biao had just made.
"Then there is the investigation of the construction crew from back then."
Lu Chuan flipped the projector to the information introduced earlier by Chen Jiang.
"If Hu Huihui got off the car near National Highway 121 back then and walked back to Beihong Village, she would definitely pass by Highway 121, possibly encountering the construction workers."
Lu Chuan had no doubt about this point: "However, there is a question here that needs attention."
"If Hu Huihui’s death was related to the construction workers back then, was it a gang crime by the construction workers or a solo act?"
This was something no one had considered before.
Lu Chuan continued to analyze: "Let’s first discuss if it was a gang crime. Is it likely that they used a shovel to dig a pit and bury the body?"
"I believe there’s a possibility, but not a strong one."
"Road construction is divided by work types. Each task group has clearly defined roles, and everyone knows what they need to do."
"I checked the process of road construction. The compaction process isn’t done in one go; it’s done layer by layer."
"When we excavated the bones, we confirmed that the soil beneath them had been compacted. This indicates the body was buried during the compaction process."
"If it were a gang crime by the construction workers, wouldn’t they have used the engineering machinery to dig the pit instead of just a shovel?"
Lu Chuan believed this possibility was unlikely.
If a group from the construction team committed the crime, they could have easily used engineering machinery to directly compress the body into the soil after the murder, without needing a shovel, and not leaving the shovel at the site.
"If it was a personal crime by a construction worker, here’s something to consider, everyone take a look."
Lu Chuan brought up the photo of the shovel again: "Look at the shovel we found at the crime scene. It has a slender body and is half-surrounded in shape. I looked it up online, and this is called a trench shovel, generally used for digging deep pits."
"Does the construction site... need this type of trench shovel?"
Lu Chuan’s analysis had a different angle than Sun Biao’s just before.
Sun Biao focused on logical reasoning, while Lu Chuan paid more attention to details.
This is related to Lu Chunchuan’s background as a Crime Scene Investigation officer. In this line of work, details are crucial. Every trace, even a strand of hair, must not be overlooked at the crime scene.
Lu Chuan looked at Chen Jiang: "Old Chen, your second team is responsible for investigating this lead."
"Hu Huihui disappeared on June 28, 10 years ago. You need to investigate all the construction workers at the site that day thoroughly."
"Include those who were on leave, out on errands, or not at the site. Every single one, don’t leave anyone out. Also, collect fingerprints from all the personnel you can find."
Even though the fingerprints on the muddy shovel handle can’t currently pin down a suspect, as long as we establish a range for investigation, collecting fingerprints will ensure suspects can’t escape if they’re within the range.
"One more thing," Lu Chuan hadn’t finished his analysis. Though Sun Biao’s analysis was comprehensive, Lu Chuan felt a crucial point was missed, "The investigation of Beihong Village residents and nearby villagers can’t be left out as a lead."
Wang Zhaokai, responsible for investigating Hu Huihui’s situation, was somewhat familiar with the village inside the village. When he heard Lu Chuan mention the lead, he approximately understood what it was about.
"Captain Lu...are you saying...the murderer might be from the village?"
Lu Chuan nodded emphatically.
"I personally think that’s possible."
"For the following reasons."
Lu Chuan wrote the first reason on the whiteboard: Beauty.
"As you said, in Beihong Village and the surrounding villages, Hu Huihui is considered beautiful. She was talented, daring, and many young men pursued her."
Lu Chuan continued his analysis: "Moreover, the fact that Hu Huihui went south for goods may not have been a secret. If someone wanted to know her whereabouts, it would have been fairly easy."
"So is it possible that someone from the village was driven by her looks?"
"Additionally, there’s another critical piece of evidence."
Lu Chuan wrote another word on the whiteboard: Trench Shovel.
"This type of trench shovel is more commonly used in rural areas, for digging saplings, trenches, etc. It’s more convenient to use, and I think it’s more likely this trench shovel came from Beihong Village or one of the surrounding villages than a construction site."
"So, Zhaokai, your first team should continue operations within Beihong Village and the nearby villages."
"Especially those who proposed to the Hu Family back then but were rejected. Also, any young men of suitable age and bachelors from that time should be investigated."
"If necessary, I think an extensive fingerprint collection from all residents of Beihong Village and nearby villages is warranted."
"Yes!"
Lu Chuan laid out three directions for the investigation, and everyone promptly acted on their orders!
To be honest, Lu Chuan’s analysis was extremely thorough. Regarding Hu Huihui’s murder, there probably aren’t other related people outside of these three areas.
The related investigation began quickly the next day!