CHAPTER 449: CHAPTER 273 DETAIL_3

"That road is the main thoroughfare into the Las Vegas downtown area, and even in the dead of night, there is no shortage of passing vehicles!" Louise thought for a moment, then added, "In fact, all five victims were discovered by passing drivers within about five or six hours after their deaths, and the police were alerted. Additionally, the killer had placed a beach umbrella by each victim. This was the main reason those drivers noticed the bodies by the roadside; at first, they even thought it was some beauty sunbathing."

Hearing this, Dean fell into deep thought. If that was the case, it could be basically confirmed that the killer wanted to attract attention, deliberately making the bodies discoverable!

He thought for a moment.

He turned his head toward Walter, the medical examiner who had finished his introduction and was now silent, "Walter, was the place where the bodies were found the primary crime scene?"

Walter, the medical examiner, nodded affirmatively, "The postmortem lividity on the bodies was uniform, with no obvious signs of having been moved. Moreover, although the wind and sand had obscured and carried away many traces and clues from the scene, the characteristics of the bloodstains beneath the bodies could indirectly prove the victims were at the location where they were found within half an hour of death. So, the killer likely removed the victims’ internal organs nearby before placing the bodies by the roadside. This distance wouldn’t have been too great. The key issue is the damned wind and sand, which prevents us from verifying this. We also didn’t find any drag marks near where the bodies were discovered."

Cheston En, however, found something odd. "But Captain Louise, didn’t you say the road where the bodies were found has heavy traffic? It must have taken the killer a considerable amount of time to remove the female victims’ internal organs. Wasn’t he afraid of being exposed?"

"That’s easy to address."

Dean glanced over the five bodies—their faces pale but still showing traces of their former beauty—and asked Walter, "After the bodies were found, did you notice if sand adhered to them?"

Cheston En and Captain Louise, who was beside him, looked puzzled when they heard this question. They didn’t understand why Dean was asking this.

Walter’s eyes, however, lit up with realization. "I’ve been struggling with where the killer processed the victims, and your words just reminded me!"

"What?" Cheston En and Captain Louise echoed in unison, both looking perplexed.

Walter explained, "After the five victims’ bodies were discovered, although their exteriors were soiled by wind and sand, no sand was found inside them. If the killer had processed the bodies outdoors without any shelter, it would have been very, very difficult to achieve this!"

"But you said earlier that the place where the bodies were found *was* the crime scene. So how did the killer manage it?" Cheston En was completely lost.

Captain Louise, who had been following this case from the beginning, reacted a step faster. A look of realization also dawned on her, and she exclaimed in pleasant surprise, "I know! A vehicle! The kind with a very large cargo area! A truck would be too conspicuous. So the killer must have processed the female victims in something like a van. Then, when no one was around, he placed the bodies by the roadside. That would explain why no significant amount of sand was found inside the victims’ bodies when they were discovered! And that way, the killer wouldn’t have to worry about being exposed!"

Dean, standing to one side, added quietly, "Furthermore, all five victims were Las Vegas residents and young, blonde women. This suggests the killer also likely resides in Las Vegas, allowing him to conveniently select his targets. Therefore, checking surveillance footage at intersections should be helpful to us."

Louise and Walter looked at each other excitedly.

Now, they had a direction for the investigation!

That’s how cases are cracked. In cases that seem to have no leads, clues are often hidden in inconspicuous details.