The Forensic Doctor Better Than a Detective

At this moment, Director Lu took two steps forward, his expression grave, and said, "However, given our current investigation situation, it’s indeed challenging to identify any other suspects with clear suspicion."

"From the outset of this case to today, it has undergone several rounds of task restructuring and in-depth investigations. I have participated and personally experienced each stage’s twists and changes in direction."

"After repeatedly ruling out other possibilities, I believe there’s no one more fitting for suspicion than him."

He paused slightly, turning his gaze to Director Hou, "To be honest, when I first took on this lead, I also had doubts in my heart."

"After all, with such a long time span of the case, connecting the evidence chain is inherently difficult. Finding a breakthrough in the dusty past is no easy task."

"However, after reviewing and analyzing the medical records you transferred for Li Mountain, my view changed."

"The medical records clearly show that he has long suffered from schizophrenia, and there are several entries indicating unstable behavior and violent tendencies—these records are not baseless, but come from family and relatives’ statements, as well as direct observations during consultations with doctors."

"We all understand that patients, especially when discussing their symptoms and past behavior, tend to be most direct with doctors, and the circumstantial evidence provided by relatives is quite valuable."

"From this angle, if we assume Li Mountain acted out during an episode and lost control, it makes sense both psychologically and in terms of realistic possibility."

Hearing this, Director Hou also nodded slightly, whispering with a heavy expression, "This situation indeed seems rather peculiar."

After he finished speaking, he glanced sideways at Jiang An beside him but didn’t rush to present his final judgment.

As the chief responsible officer of the investigation team for this case, Director Hou knew better than to reveal personal conclusions prematurely when the case’s details were still unclear.

Criminal investigation work is like walking through the fog; if the direction is mistaken, it could not only mislead the entire team but also waste valuable investigative resources and time.

And that’s just considering the case itself; from a perspective of personal authority and capability, the impact of an erroneous judgment is self-evident.

Thus, he chose to withhold his opinion temporarily, leaving the floor open for discussion.

At this moment, Jiang An cleared his throat gently and calmly began to report: "Director Hou, during my recent interrogation of Li Mountain, I noticed a detail."

"At one point, he requested to go to the restroom, accompanied by an assistant police officer, and I followed along to observe."

"During that short journey, I noticed his gait exhibited slight outward splaying characteristics."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Biao couldn’t help but show surprise on his face.

He quickly recalled the scene of the recent interrogation in his mind but had completely overlooked this subtle aspect of the other party’s walking pattern.

In conventional interrogation observations, attention is typically focused on the suspect’s facial expressions, speech, and body reactions—who would specifically notice the direction of someone’s toes as they walk?

"Oh?" Director Lu showed immediate interest, leaning forward slightly, and asked, "Does this discovery have any specific connection to the investigation?"

"It has important significance."

Jiang An continued confidently, "Because at the crime scene, the footprints left by the suspect showed a slight inward splaying gait."

"This is exactly opposite to Li Mountain’s outward splaying gait."

Upon hearing this, Director Lu showed a clear hint of surprise: "This point... in the earlier stages, we indeed did not notice."

He quickly sorted through all known pieces of information about the case in his mind and realized a gap in the footprint characteristics.

Even Director Hou, who was always meticulous and thorough, showed a surprised expression at this moment.

In the earlier stages of the case, he had personally participated in guiding the investigation and had reviewed the on-site investigation reports multiple times, but he did not recall any documentation mentioning the gait characteristics of the footprints.

The previous analyses in the reports about the footprints had only gone as far as deducing height based on size—such as predicting a suspect’s height to be about 1.7 meters—but never extended to distinctive details like gait habits.

The sudden appearance of the "inward splaying" clue left the three present in deep thought.

Zhang Biao, known for his straightforward personality and quick, decisive actions, with no room for delay, came to a clear realization about the complex network behind this conclusion. He turned to Jiang An, contemplating internally: Jiang An is a forensic doctor, and forensic analysis and footprint expertise are after all two different specialized fields, with distinct responsibilities and focuses, not to be confused.

After a brief pause, he looked directly at Jiang An and asked, "Mr. Jiang, can you confirm that the footprints left at the crime scene were inwardly splayed?"

Though Zhang Biao asked only this one question, Jiang An had already acutely grasped the concerns implicit in his words.

Jiang An nodded slightly, responding, "I can confirm this point."

"Although I’m not a dedicated footprint analysis expert, I have considerable exposure and understanding of footprint analysis through my long-term forensic work."

"Inward splaying and outward splaying are not completely distinct, but the degree of inward splaying in this person is relatively mild, making the step features not obvious—easily overlooked if not carefully observed."

Jiang An, known for his rigor and professionalism, was always respected for his judgments.

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