CHAPTER 335: CHAPTER 209: THE INVESTIGATION EXPANDS

The middle-aged man’s gaze lingered briefly on Jiang An. After hesitating for two seconds, he asked, "How did you determine they died of carbon monoxide poisoning?"

Jiang An answered concisely, "Indeed, the scene didn’t show conditions for carbon monoxide poisoning, especially since it’s not winter, and there were no signs of a water heater burning."

"However, when I re-examined the body initially, I found the corpse’s lividity was bright red."

He paused for a moment and continued, "Of course, the faint red lividity made me a bit suspicious."

"Therefore, during further examination of the body, I attempted to extract the pectoralis major and conducted further testing on the carbon monoxide hemoglobin within."

"Indeed, a large amount of carbon monoxide hemoglobin residue was found in the pectoralis major, and it was confirmed that he died from carbon monoxide poisoning."

Upon hearing this, the man opposite showed a look of disbelief.

He was shocked, having been immersed in the forensic world for many years, yet he couldn’t match this seemingly very young new forensic expert.

However, the reasoning process described by Jiang An indeed aligns with a forensic scientist’s typical workflow.

Focusing on the body, combining it with the scene, referencing the entire case, that’s a classic industry principle.

After a long time, the middle-aged man slightly shook his head and said, "What you said makes sense. It’s all our fault for assuming during the initial body examination that carbon monoxide poisoning really couldn’t happen, so we didn’t care about the faint red color of the lividity."

Seeing a look of remorse on the man’s face, Jiang An gently comforted him, "Professor, you don’t need to blame yourself too much."

"This case has a strong element of confusion."

"Since the deceased died while intoxicated, alcohol itself causes vasodilation, leading to flushed skin."

"Indeed, in deceased bodies of alcohol-related deaths, it’s common to see bright red lividity."

"Additionally, the alcohol levels in the bodies of these two deceased were indeed very high."

The middle-aged man nodded after hearing this and said, "These are not excuses; it’s all because of our own lack of rigor."

"If it weren’t for your timely discovery, this case might have gone permanently wrong."

At this point, Wan stepped forward and said, "Professor, for now, we’ve determined that carbon monoxide poisoning death was caused by burning charcoal."

"I really didn’t expect them to die by burning charcoal in this season; was it suicide?"

Jiang An slightly shook his head, "No, we believe it was homicide."

Instantly, the man opposite stared blankly.

He was seeing and hearing for the first time about using carbon monoxide gas to commit murder.

After a long silence, the man’s gaze settled on the evidence bag in Jiang An’s hand and asked, "What are you bringing a set of keys for?"

"We want to test the carbon residue on the keys."

"Oh? Testing the carbon residue on the keys, what is the purpose?"

Seeing the curious expression on the man’s face, Jiang An gently shook his head.

"Sorry, this is case-sensitive information and cannot be disclosed."

"Understandable! Understandable!"

The middle-aged man took another look at Jiang An.

"Thank you for correcting our mistakes."

After a brief pause, he solemnly said, "Finally, I have a small request; I wonder if you can agree?"

Jiang An replied, "Please go ahead. As long as it doesn’t violate our work principles, it’s acceptable."

The middle-aged man opposite said, "I am a forensic professor here. If this case is successfully solved, could you share the result with us? We would like to learn and improve."

"After all, in my career, this is the first case I’ve encountered involving homicide through carbon monoxide poisoning from burning."

Jiang An nodded, "No problem! We are cooperating institutions after all."

"I heard from Mr. Li that both units have collaborated multiple times."

"In determining the cause of death, not only you but even we faced such problems during our first examination of the body."

"Thank you for your understanding."

Subsequently, the man set down the evidence and turned to enter the office building, walking heavily as if each step carried the weight of inner pressure.

Jiang An watched his departing back, thinking that for such professionals, encountering issues in their expertise is something they cannot forgive themselves for.

After all, nothing is more crucial than the accuracy of one’s professional conclusions.

Immediately afterward, Jiang An, Wan, and Zhang Yuan handed over the set of keys to the case administrator at the reception desk.

Wan said, "Sister, please expedite the examination and provide feedback on the conclusions; it is critical to the case’s direction."

"No problem, we consistently adhere to customer service first."

Instantly, the three left the forensic evidence appraisal center of Jiangcheng Medical University.

In the meantime.

Mr. Li led a team to find the informant again.

In a bright office in the city center, Mr. Li said, "Sorry to bother you again."

"We want you to recall in detail the situation when you first entered the death scene."

The young man opposite raised his hand, adjusted his glasses, and said, "No problem, we were friends before."

"Now, both of them have left, and as his friend, I am obligated to assist you in clarifying the matter."

"Feel free to ask anything."

Mr. Li nodded, then asked, "How did you realize the possibility of the two deceased being dead at that time?"

The man recalled, "Because Chen Guang and I were in the same department, we planned to complete a PPT together today, and agreed to meet at 8:30 a.m. in the office."