Derian's dark eyes scanned the dried stains of countless small blood droplets, varying in size and diameter, scattered across the wall. His mind immediately recognized the spatter as impact spatter—the result of an object striking an injured victim, causing blood to break into smaller droplets and form the patterns spread throughout the crime scene.
Candrasa turned and examined the elliptical-shaped bloodstains, known as cast-off spatter, scattered on the opposite wall. "Judging by the amount of cast-off spatter over there, the victim must have been struck repeatedly," he said, studying the pattern created by the rapid swing of the blood-soaked weapon.
"But honestly, just looking at the victim's face... It's a mess. The blows must have been brutal. At first, I didn't even notice the lipstick marks on the victim's face," he added, frowning at the corpse's battered and bloodied face.
"Since the cast-off spatter hit the opposite wall, it's clear that the perpetrator was standing directly in front of this wall when attacking the victim. Plus, void patterns formed here because the perpetrator's head blocked the path of the victim's blood spatter," a voice said from behind Candrasa, causing him to turn and look at the wall Derian was examining. "These void patterns are about 6'5 feet off the ground, which matches the estimated height of the perpetrator based on the footprints we found."
Candrasa stared at the bloodstains on the wall, noticing the empty shape in the center resembling the outline of a clean, blood-free human head. He wore a serious expression as he thought it through. "That means the victim was attacked while standing, because the void patterns are this high," he said, continuing, "The perpetrator stood right in front of this wall and attacked the victim head-on."
"I figured as much from the moment I saw the state of the victim's face," Derian said. He crouched down, his dark eyes fixating on the horribly disfigured face of the corpse lying in a pool of dried blood.
The victim's forehead and nasal bone were fractured, and scars from blunt force trauma were clearly visible, the skin and flesh marred with sticky, dried blood. A streak of red lipstick, eerily matching the color of the blood, was smeared across the victim's face.
As Derian studied the victim's face, deep in thought, Candrasa's gaze shifted to the victim's shirt collar, noticing it was scuffed and missing a button. "It looks like after the first blow, the victim nearly collapsed, but the perpetrator probably grabbed the collar to keep him upright," he observed.
"Our assumption about the perpetrator's height seems even more solid now," Candrasa continued, glancing at the bloodstained wall where the void patterns were visible. "The victim was thin and about 6 feet tall. It would make sense if the killer was around 6'5", especially considering the strength it would take to hold up the victim's weakened body."
Derian gave Candrasa a brief glance and nodded in agreement. "Hm..."
"Lieutenant, we've gathered all the evidence."
Both men turned their attention to the voice of a female INAFIS officer approaching them. As she reached them, she shared her findings. "There's quite a bit of evidence left here," she began. "Besides the footprints, lipstick, and the soccer ball as the perpetrator's signature behavior. We also found the victim's cell phone, a missing button from his shirt, and a thread in the victim's palm, likely from the perpetrator's clothing."
Hearing this explanation, Derian immediately responded, "The victim's shirt button likely came off during the attack, and at the same time, the victim may have fought back," he said, his dark eyes still focused, seriousness evident on his face as he continued. "Typically, a victim of an assault will try to defend themselves in any way they can, even without a weapon—hitting or scratching the attacker. In this case, it's possible the victim grabbed the perpetrator's clothes during the struggle, which may explain how the threads got caught in his hand."
The INAFIS officer nodded in agreement. "I suspect the same," she replied. "We'll check for any DNA under the victim's fingernails. If we don't find any, it could mean the attacker was wearing long sleeves."
The dark-eyed man nodded. "Alright, take the body now," he ordered.
"Yes, lieutenant," the woman replied as she walked away to prepare the body bag for transporting the victim.
As Derian's gaze followed the INAFIS officer's departure, the now-familiar notification sound chimed once more. He let out a long, weary sigh, his exhaustion deepening as the holographic screen flashed before him—its presence now a constant source of frustration.
Ping!
[System]
Last Action Log: Investigated crime scene
Last Discovery:
Evidence:
- Footwear outsole print (could be analyzed to identify the suspect).
Recent Discovery:
Evidence:
- Button that came off the victim's shirt, presumably during the attack.
- A piece of thread likely from the perpetrator's clothing, found in the victim's hand, possibly from when the victim fought back (could be analyzed to identify the suspect).
- Victim's cell phone (requires further investigation).
Signature Behavior:
- Crossing out the victim's face with lipstick
- Leaving a soccer ball at the scene
Notes: Need to understand the motive behind this Signature Behavior.
Other Important Discoveries:
- Shoe outsole traces and void patterns from the Blood Spatter Analysis suggest the perpetrator is approximately 6'5 feet tall.
Derian rolled his eyes, letting out a tired sigh. He cursed to himself, "Why bother telling me things I already know? You're useless!" Frustrated, he ruffled his hair and muttered aloud, "Damn it …"
Candrasa, standing beside him, frowned in confusion. "Uh, why are you suddenly swearing at me?" he asked, clearly annoyed.
"Not you," Derian shot back, his dark eyes narrowing.
Candrasa crossed his arms, incredulous. "Then who are you swearing at? A ghost?" he asked, irritation creeping into his voice. "I'm literally the only person standing next to you."
"Tsk! I'm not cursing you, damn—" Derian's retort was abruptly cut off by the approach of a man in his 30s, walking briskly toward them.
"Lieutenant! I just got a statement from a local," reported Ali, the lead detective of the homicide unit.
"Explain," Derian commanded, turning his attention to Ali.