Reborn in 1995, Criminal Investigation Records

"That's right!" Zhou Yang clapped his hands, speaking a little faster: "The reason the murderer destroyed these things was to hinder the police investigation. In fact, the murderer believed that if they didn't do this, they would risk being caught!"

"Therefore, my personal suggestion is to start with the source of the body!" He pointed to the contents of the autopsy report: "If disfiguring the face is enough to achieve this goal, then destroying the fingerprints and the missing piece of skin tissue on the wrist clearly smacks of self-deception!"

"Why do you say that?" Xiao Jiale asked, voicing everyone's doubts.

"Let's talk about the missing piece on the wrist first. It's very likely a tattoo, a mole, or a special skin type. These things are very specific, and once they're found, we can quickly identify the suspect!" Zhou Yang slowed down his speech. This was something he thought of later when he was organizing the case files.

However, due to the long period of time and numerous historical issues such as demolition, it was impossible to conduct an investigation like it is now. Therefore, Zhou Yang used the illusion from his previous life here.

"Yes, that would make the area much smaller!" Wang Chao raised his voice a few decibels.

"What about fingerprints?" Liu Chengyu ignored this blockhead. He had a vague guess in his mind, but he couldn't be sure yet. He wanted to hear Zhou Yang's thoughts.

"Fingerprints, that's what I mean by burying your head in the sand!" Zhou Yang really thought so. At present, only the provincial department is doing DNA testing, and you have to wait in line. It costs tens of thousands of yuan each time. You have to know that this was tens of thousands of yuan in 95.

While fingerprints are already being used in case handling, the mainstream approach still relies on a combination of eyesight, intellect, and experience.

The process is quite primitive. The police rely on the characteristics of fingerprints, such as the relative position, direction, and number of the fingerprint's starting point, forks, hooks, eyes, and bridges, to identify more than 12 stable and unique feature points before they can reach the same conclusion.

This process relies heavily on the professional experience, patience, and keenness of the personnel involved in the comparison.

The biggest drawbacks are: it is highly subjective, slow, and labor-intensive.

"What do you mean?" Dai Yan seemed to have grasped something, but was still missing a crucial detail.

"What I mean is, under normal circumstances, the first thing we should do when we find a victim is to check their fingerprints. But the killer is worried that we will start with the fingerprints!" Zhou Yang confirmed the other party's idea, although Dai Yan himself did not say anything.

"Previous record!" Xiao Jiale's voice suddenly rose.

Then everyone suddenly realized and finally understood the killer's logic.

He destroyed his face, skin, and fingerprints to avoid being discovered by the police. If the victim's body were found, the police would immediately have clues, and the fingerprints stored in the fingerprint database would only belong to someone with a criminal record.

"Then the range of victims is very small now: women under 30 years old, with a criminal record, and with tattoos or other distinctive marks on their left wrist!" Liu Chengyu said, and immediately asked someone to start comparing the data in the database.

"As for the second point, it's somewhat similar to Xiao Jiale's. Logically speaking, in order to avoid being discovered, the murderer could have chopped off the victim's hands, or even left the skin on the wrists without peeling it off. If the head wasn't involved, there was no need to deliberately destroy it. So why did he do that, and still leave the body in Hong Kong Plaza?"

Zhou Yang looked at everyone. Solving a case is not just about finding the murderer, but about guiding and expanding everyone's thinking, so as to make bold guesses and carefully verify them.

"Yes, why!" Fang Duo frowned. You might think the killer was careless, but he destroyed fingerprints, peeled off the skin on his wrists, and even destroyed his head.

You might say he has strong counter-surveillance capabilities, but then he went to unnecessary lengths, even placing the body in Ning'an's largest square. It doesn't make sense, it simply doesn't make sense.

"Isn't this just crazy?!" Wang Chao pouted, his tone laced with anger.

"Yes, he's definitely sick!" Zhou Yang looked at everyone. "This kind of typical cross-characteristic, which is called antisocial personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder in criminal psychology, is commonly seen in organized serial killers or high-IQ criminals!"

"What what what?" Wang Chao felt like his brain couldn't keep up with Zhou Yang's lips. Although the teacher said that he should interrupt and ask questions in time when he didn't know something, he couldn't understand this sentence from beginning to end.

"First of all, the murderer was an extremely narcissistic and vain person. He regarded his criminal acts as a 'work of art' or a 'masterpiece.' If no one knew about it, it would be like wearing fine clothes in the dark. The huge 'sense of accomplishment' could not be satisfied, so he deliberately displayed the body in a place with high traffic. He wanted people to watch and panic. He enjoyed this feeling!"

On the other hand, he knew this behavior carried huge risks; a slight misstep could lead to his arrest. However, he also felt that only fools would get caught, and he wasn't a fool; he was smarter than the police. Therefore, he disfigured himself and erased his fingerprints. This was a meticulously planned cat-and-mouse game. If he were caught, it would only prove he wasn't smart enough!

After Zhou Yang finished speaking, he found that the entire brigade's house was quiet, and everyone was looking at him in surprise, their eyes revealing a hint of fear.

Zhou Yang touched his nose and looked at his master, Liu Chengyu.

"Ahem... So you also think that the murderer deliberately chose this location to dump the body?" Liu Chengyu forgot to put out his cigarette, and with every movement, a long ash fell onto the table.

"Yes, and I suspect this is the first case involving a model discovered in Ning'an. The killer's personality dictates that while he takes risks, he also has enough confidence that he won't be exposed. In most cases, this is the killer's psychological safe zone!" Zhou Yang nodded.

"Psychological safety zone?" The group was already used to the new words that Zhou Yang often used.

"Yes, this location, although it may seem too conspicuous and risky to us, could be the killer's residence, workplace, daily commute route, or familiar social venue. In this area, they feel that everything is safe, hidden, and controllable. They are familiar with the daily routines of every neighbor and the exit of every alley."

First-time or impulsive crimes might occur here, but as criminal experience grows, they will deliberately avoid this area later on because it feels too directly connected to their past. Personally, I tend to think this place is a safe zone, or a relatively comfortable zone, or perhaps a buffer zone!

"Wait a minute!" Liu Chengyu frowned. "You mean, this guy will commit crimes again?"

Finally, under the incredulous gazes of the group, Zhou Yang slowly nodded: "This person is likely a carnival-style killer. His cool-down period is negligible. If he isn't caught soon, there's a high probability he'll commit another crime in a short time, and perhaps even upgrade his methods!"

It's July 7.6th now, the first case has occurred. The day after tomorrow, July 7.8th, there will be another victim. On July 7.10th, two more victims will appear. This is a typical characteristic of a carnival-style killer!