78: Footprints, trace location

“The deepest set of diamond-patterned footprints in the mud belongs to the murderer.”

Gao Ze replied immediately without any hesitation.

“Why? There are at least five or six sets of footprints here.”

Liu Wenzhong and the forensic doctor both looked surprised. “Brother Gao, do you also understand professional trace evidence analysis?”

“Trace evidence analysis isn’t difficult!”

Gao Ze shook his head and chuckled, “Think about it. When the murderer carries a corpse, the combined weight of two people will affect the depth of the footprints, won’t it?”

“So that’s it!”

Liu Wenzhong suddenly understood that the combined weight of the murderer and the corpse would inevitably lead to deeper footprints.

“It’s not just the depth of the footprints, but also that the diamond-patterned footprints are size 41, with a stride length of about 60 centimeters.”

Gao Ze continued, “From the footprint analysis, it can be determined that this person’s height should be around 1.7 meters, and his original weight was between 65-70 kilograms. His footprints falling on the ground alone could not create such deep impressions.”

“Brother Gao are amazing.”

“Your criminal profile of the Serial Flower Season Girl Murderer is already clear: he suffers from a psychological disorder, possibly experienced his mother’s infidelity, is 1.7 meters tall, and has a normal body weight and build.”

Liu Wenzhong and the detectives in the park showed a glimmer of hope in their eyes.

“Are there any other clues about the murderer?”

Gao Ze said, “This murderer should not have a criminal record; in the eyes of outsiders, his record is clean.”

“That’s true. If the murderer had a criminal record or previous criminal experience, our Police database in Donghai City would definitely have his DNA information, and he wouldn’t be able to escape at all.”

Gao Ze said, “The Serial Flower Season Girl Murderer should be a local of Donghai.”

“Why?”

Liu Wenzhong was puzzled; he didn’t know how Gao Ze deduced this.

“Team Leader Liu should be a local of Donghai City, right?”

“Indeed!”

Gao Ze glanced at Liu Wenzhong and chuckled, “It’s not easy to live in Donghai!”

“The Serial Flower Season Girl Murderer’s oldest criminal record is from ten years ago in Jinghai District, Donghai. Subsequently, there were three or four more homicides, occurring in Taihang District and Changshan District, Donghai, until now in Huangpu District.”

“If he wasn’t a local, given the prices and high cost of living in Donghai City, he probably wouldn’t have been able to stay for these ten years.”

“He could earn money!” Liu Wenzhong questioned.

“That Serial Flower Season Girl Murderer can earn money!”

Gao Ze shook his head and said, “But I am certain that Serial Flower Season Girl Murderer’s job does not earn much money, is unstable, and is not respectable.”

“Why do you say that?”

“High-paying jobs in Donghai City are either with well-known large companies, financial firms, and prestigious enterprises, or stable jobs within the public sector or public institutions.”

Gao Ze said, “These companies and jobs usually offer good benefits and regularly organize various health check-ups for their employees every year.”

“Given that murderer’s cautious mindset, would he dare to undergo a health check-up and leave his DNA in a hospital?”

Liu Wenzhong and the forensic doctor immediately fell silent, looking at each other.

What Gao Ze said made sense. Given that murderer’s personality, he would certainly not dare to leave his DNA in a hospital, and if he repeatedly refused health check-ups, it would arouse suspicion from those around him.

Gao Ze continued, “That Serial Flower Season Girl Murderer’s profession does not earn much money and is unstable, but he is a local of Donghai, supported by certain savings and assets.”

Liu Wenzhong nodded, completely convinced, and then asked, “Can the murderer’s criminal profile be more detailed, such as his age?”

“The Serial Flower Season Girl Murderer’s age should be under 35!”

Gao Ze said, “I meticulously examined the corpse of the teenage girl Shen Jingqing. Besides a single knife wound on her neck, there were only bruises on her wrists and arms, and no skin tissue from the murderer under her fingernails, which proves that the murderer subdued Shen Jingqing instantly.

To possess such strength and physical fitness, his age would not be very old.”

“Could the age be a misjudgment?” forensic doctor Yang Qing asked curiously.

“The possibility is very small, because the older one gets, their own desires continuously decrease.

Moreover, the victim Shen Jingqing is about 165 cm tall and weighs around 55 kg, with relatively thick limbs. If the murderer were older, he would definitely find it difficult to control Shen Jingqing if she struggled.”

Gao Ze said, “In such a situation, the murderer would inevitably give the victim a knife wound or use other means.

But you all saw that Shen Jingqing’s corpse had very few injuries and was treated specially by the murderer, being killed only after the assault was completed.”

“That makes sense, but the clues about that murderer are still too few.”

Liu Wenzhong sighed and continued to ask, “Are there any crucial criminal clues?”

“Yes!” Gao Ze nodded.

“What is it?” Liu Wenzhong was overjoyed.

“The murderer is in Huangpu District, Donghai City. He has a small electric cargo vehicle.”

Gao Ze said, “His professional attributes mean he has previously moved through Jinghai District, Su City, Taihang District, Changshan District, and also Huangpu District in Donghai.”

A truly substantive criminal profile emerged.

Liu Wenzhong took a deep breath and asked, “Why these three profiles?”

“First, Taiping Square Park and the victim Shen Jingqing’s residential community, Juxian Yayuan, are both in Huangpu District.”

Gao Ze said, “This proves that the murderer is very familiar with Huangpu District, either living there, working there, or frequently passing through Huangpu District.”

“When a murderer intends to kill someone, he often chooses a location he is familiar with to enhance his inner sense of security; he would not pick a completely unfamiliar place.

Especially choosing Taiping Park for discarding the body and having observed and understood Shen Jingqing’s routine, all indicate that Serial Flower Season Girl Murderer is in Huangpu District.”

Liu Wenzhong fell into thought and said, “But that Serial Flower Season Girl Murderer also previously assaulted teenage girls in Jinghai District, Wu Zhong District of Su City, and Changshan District, etc.!”

“I didn’t say anything wrong!”

Gao Ze chuckled, “I mentioned the third point: due to his professional attributes, the murderer has worked in Jinghai District, Wu Zhong District of Su City, Taihang, and Changshan District.”

“Why not settled living?”

“Impossible!” Gao Ze shook his head.

“As I said before, the murderer is a local of Donghai with savings, and he most likely owns property. It’s unlikely he would rent multiple times; it could only be for work reasons that he appeared in those crime locations.”

“What about the second criminal profile, the small electric cargo vehicle?”

“Why that inference?”

“The reason is simple: Taiping Square Park has two motorized vehicle entrances, each with surveillance cameras. If the murderer drove a motorized vehicle in to dispose of the body, he would certainly be filmed.”

Gao Ze said, “Only by using the three pedestrian entrances without surveillance cameras would he avoid being filmed.”

“But the problem is, if the murderer carried a black body bag into the park alone, if seen by passersby or people walking in the park, he would be suspected or noticed with caution.”

“Only by placing the black body bag in an electric vehicle or electric tricycle that can hold cargo, like a courier’s electric tricycle, would it not arouse suspicion from passersby.”

“Like a courier’s electric tricycle!”

“Uh!”

Liu Wenzhong instantly trembled and his eyes widened.

Gao Ze was right.

The murderer placing the black body bag containing the victim Shen Jingqing into a small electric cargo tricycle indeed would not attract attention.

Moreover, the profession of a courier seems to perfectly fit the criminal profile Gao Ze described.

He could move through various districts of Donghai City and also come into contact with victims without attracting attention.

“Team Leader Liu, is my criminal profile now sufficient for you to find that murderer?”