Insights Chapter 28: Dismemberment

Chapter 28: Dismemberment

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Once again, on an early morning, at the northwest of Penang City, the Penang landfill site. As the temperature gradually rose, garbage trucks that operated mainly at night had already gathered the city’s waste in one place. From a high vantage point, the scene here was quite shocking. Various types of garbage piled up into tall mountains of different colors.

In the center of the landfill, there was a huge pit where garbage from various parts of the city was brought in by carts and piled up before burial. A continuous stream of garbage was being dumped into the deep pit. 

Hundreds of tons of garbage were buried here every day. The garbage trucks worked loudly. In the landfill, the smells of various types of garbage mixed together, emitting a strong odor. In such a harsh working environment, some workers were performing the final burial of the garbage. They wore special shoes and thick gloves as they rummaged through the garbage.

They picked out harmful items that were inconvenient to bury and also salvaged some recyclable waste that shouldn’t be thrown away here. They had developed a skill to quickly discern the value of garbage and even judge the internal conditions from the appearance.

Suddenly, one worker stopped, pointing to a packaged travel suitcase. “What’s inside here?”

The suitcase looked intact from the outside but was locked and wrapped several times with adhesive tape. It was heavy and slightly deformed. At this moment, a coffee-colored liquid was seeping out from inside, emitting a strong and peculiar smell.

The foreman shook his head. “It’s a bit strange.”

Several people exchanged glances, feeling a vague sense of unease.

“Let’s open it and see,” said a brave person, taking the suitcase and cutting the adhesive tape on the box. 

With a few moves, they broke the lock. Upon opening the suitcase, a foul smell emanated, causing the worker to exclaim and step back, almost falling onto the garbage pile. Another worker approached to inspect. Even the seasoned veteran, who had seen all sorts of garbage, almost vomited.

The suitcase was filled with pieces of a corpse. The workers at the landfill hurriedly called the police. It had been over a year since Penang had last seen a gruesome dismemberment case. As soon as this case was reported, Director Ding assigned it to the Special Criminal Division for handling.

Shen Junci had recently arrived at the City Bureau and was summoned to the car. Lu Ying was driving as always, and the entire team set off for the landfill. Bai Meng briefed them that they had discovered a travel suitcase containing pieces of corpses this time.

Qi Yi’an was a bit worried, furrowing his brows as he asked Shen Junci, “Teacher, if there are no distinctive features on these body parts, will it be difficult to determine the identity of the corpse?”

Shen Junci, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened his eyes and shook his head. “Dismemberment itself is a characteristic.”

“What kind of characteristic is that?” Qi Yi’an asked.

Shen Junci asked him, his voice was cold, describing an extremely cruel act, “If you were faced with the corpse of a woman, cut in half from the abdomen, with the organs neatly stacked and blood drained, what would you think of?”

Qi Yi’an was still pondering, but Gu Yanchen interjected, “Black Dahlia.”

This was a case that occurred in California, where a young girl was brutally dismembered, and the culprit had yet to be caught decades later. ¹

Shen Junci continued, “If a corpse is sliced into pieces and heated in a pressure cooker, what would you think of?”

“Sliced into pieces? 1-19 University dismemberment case?”² This time it was Bai Meng who first answered. This was also an unsolved case from many years ago, involving a female student.

Shen Junci went on, “If a human head is hidden inside a doll…”

Before he could finish, Lu Ying blurted out, “Hello Kitty Murder Case.” ³

Qi Yi’an was stunned for a moment. As a medical examiner, he couldn’t answer any of the three questions Shen Junci posed. But the medical examiners seemed to have had an epiphany. Qi Yi’an realized, “The method of dismemberment is like the killer’s signature!”

Unlike suffocation, drowning, stabbing, burning, electrocution, and other methods of death, dismemberment had its own characteristics. Dismembering a person into pieces was as cruel as a wild beast. Yet, from ancient times to the present, many killers have favored dismemberment. Many sensational cases have involved dismemberment as a step. This method of disposal was mainly to cover up the crime, facilitate the disposal of the body, and represented the extreme cruelty of the killer.

Shen Junci concluded, “Dismemberment cases actually leave behind more clues.”

For medical examiners, different perpetrators dismember in different ways, with variations in where they cut, the methods used, the size of the body parts, and how the organs were handled. Hidden within these variations were the clues to solving the case. By the time the members of the Special Criminal Division arrived at the landfill, it was already 9:30 in the morning.

Lu Ying parked the car next to the landfill, and Gu Yanchen prepared to lead the team inside.

Looking at the vast expanse of garbage mountains ahead, Qi Yi’an couldn’t help but exclaim, “Why is there so much garbage?”

Bai Meng squinted at the vast landfill, pinching her nose and uttered a philosophical statement, “As long as people are alive, they generate garbage.”

The workers didn’t dare to disturb the scene but used bulldozers to push away the nearby garbage, clearing a path.

For fear of injuring their feet, the leaders of the landfill specially provided them with several pairs of special rubber shoes and protective work clothes. After everyone changed, they were fully equipped. Even so, the road ahead was still bumpy and not easy to traverse. 

As time passed, the weather gradually became hotter. In the summer here, temperatures can reach over forty degrees Celsius, making it a veritable furnace. With the high temperature and exposed corpses, flies from the entire landfill were attracted, buzzing around in a frenzy.

Shen Junci first looked up at the towering pile of garbage in front of him, then, without changing his expression, squatted down in front of the corpse. He and Qi Yi’an began their examination. The two first observed the box that had been soaked with corpse fluid, then listened to the workers recounting the entire process of finding the body parts.

With the lid of the box completely opened, inside were two arms and two legs of a woman. All four limbs were violently bent at the joints, wrapped in plastic wrap at the severed ends. These limbs were arranged in a peculiar manner inside the box, with one hand on top even painted with pink nail polish…

Seeing this scene, Bai Meng couldn’t bear to look and quickly turned her head away. “It’s too cruel…”

While Shen Junci waited for Qi Yi’an to finish taking photos, he began the external examination of the corpse. Calmly, he said, “The deceased is a young woman. Since the entire corpse is not present in this travel suitcase, there may be other suitcases or scattered body parts.”

Gu Yanchen communicated with the landfill manager, instructing them not to bury the garbage in the landfill temporarily and to continue searching for any remaining parts of the corpse.

Shen Junci then lowered his head to observe carefully. “The cuts are irregular, with multiple scratches. The wounds were made by an ax, with no vital reaction observed. Based on the current temperature, the degree of decomposition of the corpse, and rigor mortis, the estimated time of death is about a day ago, suggesting postmortem dismemberment.” He then carefully examined the traces on the corpse and the exposed bones. “The age of the deceased is approximately around twenty.”

Qi Yi’an was recording beside him.

Shen Junci’s fingertip traced over the body parts. “Male killer.”

Gu Yanchen asked, “What’s the basis for that judgment?”

Shen Junci replied, “Mainly the cutting marks on the body parts. The force used was great and very hasty. Judging from the strength, it’s unlikely to be a female dismemberer.”

Gu Yanchen nodded in agreement with his conclusion.

Shen Junci continued to observe closely. “Also, based on the direction and traces of the cuts, the dismemberer may be left-handed.”

Gu Yanchen noted this point down as well. Beside them, Lu Ying and Bai Meng had finished inspecting the scene. This dumping site was different from the usual ones; conventional footprints and fingerprints were not visible.

Gu Yanchen asked the responsible leader, “Can we confirm where this garbage was transported from?”

If they could confirm, they could backtrack to find the surveillance near the trash bins and potentially locate the culprit.

The leader frowned. “Every day, half of the city’s household waste is brought here, but the garbage doesn’t have names… We don’t know exactly where it came from.”

Gu Yanchen then asked, “What other garbage was brought in from the same truck?”

The leader pointed out a roughly defined area. “After this garbage was brought in, it was barely moved. It’s hard to say for the distant ones, but at least this surrounding area should be together.”

Gu Yanchen said, “Please have your team help us clear all the garbage around here and bring it back to the City Bureau for inspection.”

The leader quickly called over the workers and trucks. Just as they had finished inspecting this area, good news came from another part of the landfill. A worker in the distance shouted, “We’ve found another suitcase containing parts here!”

Gu Yanchen and Shen Junci climbed over half of the landfill once more. This time, they found another suitcase containing body parts. The box was identical to the previous one. Upon opening it, they found the torso, with the internal organs still intact. The head of the corpse was wrapped in plastic wrap and tucked into a corner.

Shen Junci looked at it and remarked, “The killer initially intended to dispose of the body using a suitcase. I think the purchased suitcase was not large enough. So, they bought another identical one, dismembered the deceased’s limbs, and separated the head and torso, each placed in one of the two suitcases. This allowed for the body to be disposed of smoothly.”

Before noon, Gu Yanchen and the landfill arranged for a garbage truck to move all the garbage surrounding the two suitcases of body parts. Shen Junci and Qi Yi’an also gathered the body parts and loaded them onto a hearse.

When they arrived at the City Bureau, the garbage truck parked outside. Gu Yanchen asked Bai Meng and the others to find help from the detective team. The entire team from Detective Team came downstairs, and after categorizing the garbage, they discarded the useless items and moved the useful ones to the conference room upstairs for further screening.

Lu Ying went up and down several times, feeling frustrated. “I finally understand the importance of garbage classification…”

Bai Meng was choked up, tears streaming down her face as she continued searching without pause. Gu Yanchen gathered the items that they found with potential clues in one place. Although the garbage seemed disorganized, careful searching yielded rich rewards. In the past, Lu Ying had never imagined that there could be so much information hidden in the garbage. The expiration dates on milk cartons could pinpoint time frames, delivery receipts could reveal areas. Taxi tickets, supermarket receipts, takeout orders… Soon, these items were all gathered together.

The areas where the body parts were discarded were becoming more defined, and the time frames were also being narrowed down. Seeing progress, Bai Meng fetched a whiteboard and began organizing all the information, jotting it down one by one. The atmosphere in the conference room was bustling.

Director Ding plugged his nostrils with two wads of tissue paper as he came to inspect the work. “The nature of this case is too heinous. Make sure you search thoroughly and don’t miss any clues.” Just as the former director was about to leave, he suddenly turned back, speaking in a solemn tone. “Also, make sure to clean up properly when you’re done. Don’t close the windows tonight, let the place air out all night, otherwise, this room will be unusable.”

—

At noon, in the medical examiner’s office at the Penang City Bureau, the autopsy was also underway. Due to being left dismembered for a day, the body had begun to decompose, with some areas oozing fluid. Shen Junci carefully unwrapped the plastic film covering the head and placed the head flat on the dissecting table. The deceased was a young girl with shoulder-length hair, completely naked.

Qi Yi’an helped him assemble the corpse, placing the limbs in their respective positions. Due to the fractures in the arms and legs, the entire corpse looked like a Barbie doll with twisted limbs. If Qi Yi’an had seen such a dismembered corpse right after graduating, he would probably have been a bit bewildered, even frightened. But now, after working in the medical examiner’s office for a few months, he had seen quite a few corpses and had become much calmer. He assisted in recording the process.

Shen Junci proceeded with further external observations of the corpse. “The victim’s body was divided into six parts. The joints were cut with an ax. In order to fit the corpse into the travel suitcase, the killer broke the victim’s elbows and ankles.” Then he said to Qi Yi’an, “Let’s start with fingerprinting.”

Qi Yi’an pressed the deceased’s fingerprints and scanned them into the nearby computer system for examination. Shen Junci then performed a detailed autopsy of the torso of the female corpse.

Doctor Shen skillfully used a scalpel to open the abdominal cavity and separate the sternum. “The victim’s weight is estimated to be around 110 pounds. There are signs of congestion and edema in the lungs, edema in the throat, intact stomach wall with no bleeding, and about 120 milliliters of undigested food in the stomach.”

As he spoke, he took out the victim’s stomach, and Qi Yi’an handed him a beaker and a funnel. Working together, they emptied the stomach contents. The cup contained food, and a sour smell filled the autopsy room.

Shen Junci said, “There’s not much in the stomach contents, mostly beverages. Based on the digestion, the estimated time of death is about an hour after the meal. Later, you’ll send the stomach contents and blood for analysis.”

Qi Yi’an replied, “Okay, I’ll fill out the forms later.”

Shen Junci continued, “I also need to do a staining test on a spleen section. The bladder contains about 200 milliliters of urine, with traces of penetration. There are spermatozoa in the body…”

These provide DNA evidence, which can help the police more easily identify the killer. The autopsy was quickly completed, and Shen Junci stitched up the corpse, making it easier for the family to claim. In the end, he wiped the dirt off the woman’s face and tidied her appearance. Now that the deceased had passed away, all they could do was to solve the case as soon as possible and bring closure to the victim’s soul.

Qi Yi’an sorted out various pieces of equipment and sent the corpse for storage. After working for several hours, Shen Junci finally had some free time. He felt that he had absorbed a lot of the smell of garbage and corpses, so he took a shower in the adjacent bathroom. When he changed his clothes and returned, Shen Junci took a 1% solution of toluidine blue, preparing to perform a staining test on the spleen sections.

Gu Yanchen heard that the autopsy was completed and rushed over from the Criminal Investigation Department. Before he could say anything, Shen Junci stopped him. Gu Yanchen saw the word in Shen Junci’s eyes—disdain.

Captain Gu sniffed his sleeve. “Is the smell too strong?”

He had been in the garbage dump for most of the day, and by now, he couldn’t smell anything.

Shen Junci tactfully suggested, “You should take a shower in the shower here. By the time you come out, I estimate my test results will be about ready.”

At three thirty in the afternoon, at the medical examiner identification center. Gu Yanchen came out of the shower in the medical examiner building, drying his hair. Shen Junci was still concentrating on staining the slices.

Gu Yanchen took out his phone. “You didn’t eat much for lunch, did you? How about some afternoon tea? My treat, we can order delivery.”

Qi Yi’an didn’t refuse and placed an order.

Gu Yanchen asked Shen Junci, “What about you? Do you still want duck blood and vermicelli soup?”

Shen Junci had been fed various kinds of blood by Gu Yanchen for a while. Even when they ordered hot pot, he had to have fresh duck blood added. If there was no blood, he would order various kinds of liver—goose liver, pig liver, chicken liver… In the end, Shen Junci was completely tired of it. He felt nauseated at the sight of red things. He tactfully declined, “Something light will do.”

Gu Yanchen said, “How about wonton noodles for you?”

Shen Junci didn’t stop working. “The wontons should have fresh shrimp.”

Gu Yanchen said, “Got it, no coriander for you.”

While waiting for the delivery, Qi Yi’an asked, “Captain Gu, did you find a lot of clues from sorting through the trash?”

Gu Yanchen replied, “It’s alright. We’ve already located two garbage dumps and the times the trash was dumped based on various information. We’re reconstructing the disposal route of the murderer at the time. As long as we find the surveillance footage, we can confirm the person who dumped the body.”

Surveillance cameras were installed everywhere in the city now. As long as the time and place were determined, throwing trash in the city, especially such a large suitcase, was hard to go unnoticed.

Qi Yi’an found it very intriguing. “Can you really find so many clues from sorting through trash?”

As they chatted, Shen Junci continued to work diligently. 

Gu Yanchen said, “Dr. Li Changyu once said that every time he went home, he would check what trash his wife threw away. This way, he knew exactly what his wife did during the day. He once solved a very famous cold case, and the crucial evidence was found in the trash from many years ago. The DNA on a few chicken bones and a receipt from the trash identified the murderer. So, finding the time and place from the trash is just the basics; sometimes it can even help the police solve cases.”

Upon hearing this, Doctor Shen paused, “…People always inadvertently leave traces,” Gu Yanchen said, kicking the nearby trash can as an example for Qi Yi’an. “Just like now, the yogurt in this trash can should be the one you drank. Your DNA is on the straw and lid. If you’re involved in the case, you’ve already been identified.”

Qi Yi’an hastily glanced at it. Since he had been on an external task today, the trash can in the medical examiner’s room was empty except for a few tissues and a small yogurt box. It was the kind with a paper lid, quite common. Indeed, it was the one he had drunk in the morning. He licked the yogurt lid and casually threw it into the trash can. Now he couldn’t remember the specific situation at that time.

Qi Yi’an was a little puzzled. “Captain Gu, why do you judge that I drank this yogurt and not my Teacher? Also, Song Qiancheng might come over anytime.”

Gu Yanchen explained, “Your Teacher usually scrapes off the packaging with a straw. After finishing drinking, he wraps the straw in the packaging paper and throws them together. Most of the yogurt Song Qiancheng drinks comes in bottles, not this kind of row packaging. Moreover, he usually brings some snacks when he comes over. Why would he bring a box of yogurt to throw away by himself?” He paused for a moment. “And most importantly…”

Shen Junci, with a sense of understanding, turned his head and looked at his apprentice who had confessed without being questioned. “And most importantly, even if he didn’t confirm before, he can confirm just now after hearing your words.”

Qi Yi’an: “…”

He had an epiphany; he had been tricked again.

Gu Yanchen didn’t tease him further and looked at the table, “Are the results out?”

Shen Junci removed his mask and lifted his head from the microscope, “It’s confirmed. After staining, splenic slices show hypertrophied cells and eosinophils.”

Qi Yi’an and Gu Yanchen both approached and leaned over his desk. Qi Yi’an examined the staining results through the microscope.

Gu Yanchen, bewildered by the professional terminology, asked, “What does this indicate?”

“Combined with pulmonary and throat edema…” Shen Junci explained, “the cause of death for the deceased was anaphylactic shock.”

Qi Yi’an frowned, “Anaphylactic shock, was it accidental? Why didn’t they report it to the police, and why did they brutally dismember the victim?”

Shen Junci said, “I deduce that it’s because the allergen involved was rather unique.” He printed out a test report and handed it over, “According to the results, the deceased may have ingested γ-hydroxybutyric acid.”

Gu Yanchen had heard of this drug, “The so-called ‘date-rape drug’?”

Shen Junci nodded, “This drug is colorless and tasteless, it can suppress the central nervous system, temporarily causing memory loss in individuals. It’s commonly used as a sedative and is also a new type of drug. Many men use this drug to drug girls, but it’s extremely dangerous; it can induce vomiting and asphyxiation in people, and there’s also a certain chance of causing anaphylaxis or even cardiac arrest.”

Qi Yi’an organized his thoughts, “So, you mean the victim may have been drugged, but due to an allergic reaction to the drug, it led to shock and death?”

Shen Junci said, “The death was caused by ingestion of the date-rape drug, so the perpetrator naturally had to destroy the body to cover their tracks and evade punishment.”

Just as they were discussing, the computer nearby made a beep, indicating that the fingerprint search had yielded results, and the identity of the deceased had been confirmed.

Qi Yi’an glanced at the information on the computer, “This girl was only 22 years old, named Lu Yingying, a student at Penang University.”

Gu Yanchen said, “Send a copy to Bai Meng and have her contact the family as soon as possible.”

As they retrieved their takeout and started eating, good news came through the group chat. Bai Meng said, “Captain Gu, based on the surveillance near the trash can, I found a video recording of the person dumping the body.”

A surveillance clip was quickly sent over. Late at night, a man dressed in black, wearing a mask and hat, tightly covered, appeared on the screen. He looked around suspiciously, then dumped a suitcase into the trash can, even rummaging through it and covering it with other garbage. That suitcase was the one the police had found to contain the victim’s body. Afterward, the man lingered in the area for a while, ensuring no one noticed anything unusual before returning to a car and driving away.

The Sky Net system quickly traced the license plate number to the owner’s name. With the suspect identified, the Special Criminal Division quickly organized the evidence they had, issued a police notice, and launched a manhunt for the perpetrator.

That evening, a 32-year-old man was apprehended. His name was Wang Shaohui. Under the pretext of recruiting part-time models, he arranged to meet Lu Yingying, who was still in school. Taking advantage of Lu Yingying’s unguarded moment, Wang Shaohui drugged her drink, took her back to his solitary home, and caused her death due to the drug.

Wang Shaohui didn’t report the incident but decided to dispose of the body. He wanted to place Lu Yingying’s corpse in a suitcase, but finding it too small, he had to buy another one. Fearful of being discovered, Wang Shaohui brutally dismembered Lu Yingying’s corpse and intentionally threw the pieces in two different locations several kilometers apart. He didn’t anticipate that the long arm of the law would catch up with him. The police quickly discovered the woman’s body, determined the cause of death, and apprehended him.

The surveillance footage of the body disposal, seminal stains inside the victim, purchase records of the suitcase, chat records before and after the incident—all evidence pointed to Wang Shaohui as the culprit. And indeed, as Shen Junci had mentioned, Wang Shaohui was left-handed.

Wang Shaohui confessed to having lustful intentions, drugging and assaulting the girl, and the entire process of murder and dismemberment. He also disclosed the source of the date-rape drug. The next day, the Penang police swiftly moved in, arresting many individuals involved and seizing a large quantity of date-rape drugs. The announcement by the police brought relief to many.

The next morning, the weather was sunny, Gu Yanchen went downstairs to walk his dog. As he was about to return home, he saw Shen Junci carrying a bag of garbage downstairs. Gu Yanchen greeted him from afar, “Good morning, Doctor Shen.”

There was excitement in the dog’s boundless eyes as he wagged his tail and panted, ready to abandon Gu Yanchen at any moment and run towards Shen Junci. Shen Junci seemed to have noticed them, yet also seemed not to have noticed. Suddenly, Doctor Shen’s steps halted. Then he turned around 180 degrees, still holding the garbage bag, and went back upstairs.

The dog retracted his tongue, raised his head, looking somewhat puzzled. He looked at Shen Junci’s back, then glanced at Gu Yanchen. Gu Yanchen, on the other hand, turned his head to look at the garbage bin about ten meters away, lost in thought.