It wasn't a drowning,she was strangled and then her body was maliciously dumped.
The conclusion we've reached definitely makes this case even more heinous.
Lucas's expression turned more serious as he pulled out his phone and dialed the East End Detective Bureau's tech division.
"Jack."
"Can you check the city surveillance systems around Newtown Creek for the past five days? We've got a pretty nasty murder on our hands, and we need to crack it fast."
"What? No cameras around Newtown Creek?"
"Then check the cameras a few miles around, see if there's any suspicious activity."
"And while you're at"Also, check if there have been any reports of missing women aged between 20 and 30 recently."
The city surveillance systems play a crucial role in the high efficiency of police investigations these days!
But now.
The lack of cameras near Newtown Creek definitely makes this case tougher to crack.
We're hoping to find some crucial clues on the body to identify the victim.
...
While Lucas was busy checking the surveillance and trying to ID the victim.
Ethan didn't stop his examination of the body.
After confirming the marks on her neck were from strangulation, he continued to analyze and observe further down.
The upper body of the corpse was dressed in an off-shoulder top, and there was a colorful tattoo about the size of half a palm on her collarbone. Her abdomen wasn't severely bloated.
This indicates that the internal decay isn't advanced,there's no gas buildup yet.
It further confirms the victim died from strangulation, not drowning!
She was wearing tight jeans, and there were distinct indentations around the pelvic area, likely from being bound with construction debris.
The clothes and jeans both had labels from international brands.
But judging from the material and details, they were high-quality knock-offs, not genuine.
Turning the body slightly, Ethan clearly noticed a large patch of yellow mud on the backside of the jeans, and the front right pocket was also stained with yellow mud.
Looking up, Ethan called out to a nearby salvage worker, "Excuse me, I have a question."
"When you were retrieving the body, did you drag it across the ground at all?"
The curious salvage worker quickly shook his head and responded, "Officer, we're professional salvage workers. How could we possibly drag the body on the ground? Not to mention..."
"In our line of work, dragging a body is a real disrespect to the deceased. We definitely avoid doing that!!!"
Ethan nodded slightly, not saying much more.
He continued to focus on the female corpse, noticing that the ring and index fingers on her left hand were cleanly cut off, yet there were no dried blood stains on the wounds.
The remaining fingers were manicured, showing the victim's attention to detail in life.
There were clear strap marks on her left wrist.
Swollen on both ends and constricted in the middle, like a bracelet or watch, which due to limited elasticity, prevented water absorption and swelling of the corpse!
Then, looking at her right hand.
Just like the left, each finger was manicured, but between the fingers of the index finger, Ethan spotted a large piece of leather material.
Using tweezers, he picked up the leather, roughly the size of a fingernail, examined it briefly, and then placed it in a plastic bag for preservation.
The victim's jeans were intact, no signs of tearing. It seems she didn't go through any assault before her death, so getting the killer's DNA from bodily fluids is pretty much off the table.
After completing the body examination.
Ethan squinted, deep in thought, cross-referencing the clues he'd gathered with his own investigative experience.
A few seconds later.
Ethan peeled off his rubber gloves and turned to Lucas, "Lucas, I'm pretty much done here. Do you want to take a look yourself, or should we just bag her up and send her to the morgue?"
"Huh? You're done already?" Lucas, who was coordinating with the forensic techs, looked back, slightly surprised, and continued, "Ethan, tell me what you've found in detail."
"The tech guys just called. Apparently, there haven't been any reports of missing young women in Gotham recently. We've got to start with the body we have."
Identifying the victim is crucial in a murder investigation because about 90% of homicides are committed by someone the victim knows. Once we identify her, we're a big step closer to cracking the case.
But with no missing persons reports matching our victim...
We're left to rely on clues from the body's clothing and possessions, or matching facial reconstructions and DNA with our databases to figure out who she was.
Ethan glanced at the female corpse beside him and confidently began, "The victim is a female, about 5 feet 5 inches tall. Judging by her facial features and the wear on her teeth, she's likely between 24 and 26 years old."
"Her lifestyle seems pretty refined, which you can tell from the manicure and her clothes, but she wasn't financially well-off."
"The clothes she's wearing are high-end knock-offs. If I were to make a bold guess, it points to a vanity-driven personality, or a need to wear branded clothes for some reason."
"Also, the victim was dressed up before she died, with double eyelid tape and light blue contact lenses. Despite the facial soaking, you can still make out traces of makeup."
"Most women dress up like this only when they're going out to meet someone or attend an event. It suggests she was fully made up for a specific meeting or event but tragically met with foul play."
"This significantly increases the likelihood that the perpetrator was someone she knew!"
At this, the patrol officers standing nearby exchanged shocked glances.
Is that even possible?
Just a few minutes with the body, and he's pulled together all these clues.
Detectives really are something else!
Lucas was also somewhat amazed,he had been on the phone and hadn't paid attention to Ethan's detailed examination process.
Hearing Ethan's deductions, Lucas took a serious look at the body, then stroked his chin and frowned, "So, the conclusion might be..."
"The victim was all dolled up to meet someone, but unexpectedly, she was strangled with wire or thin rope."
"Then, her body was dumped in Newtown Creek, weighed down with construction debris around her waist to keep her submerged even as she decomposed. If it weren't for..."
Before Lucas could finish.
Ethan waved his hand, interrupting him, very seriously, "Lucas, that's not right."
"This case might not just involve one suspect. There's a good chance we're looking at a secondary crime!"
"Because in my estimation..."
"The person who killed her and dumped her body in Newtown Creek isn't the same one who tied the construction debris around her waist!!!"