Chapter 176: Campus Murder Case (Part Seven)

Chapter 176: Campus Murder Case (Part Seven)

Xu Nan looked at the two figures in the sketchbook and couldn't help but frown.

"Teacher Tang, these two drawings don't look like the same person at all? Could it be that they saw different people? One of them is Chen Bin?"

From Su Mei's perspective, the shadow was tall and strong, while in □□'s perception, the shadow was slim and not very tall.

"They saw the same person," Tang Qingqing affirmed.

"But the difference is too great, isn't it?"

Tang Qingqing didn't explain further; she just asked Xu Nan to quickly flip through the pages of the sketchbook to make the drawings 'move.'

Xu Nan did as instructed and exclaimed, "Their walking styles are the same!"

Although their heights and builds were very different, a closer look revealed that the way the two figures moved was similar.

"Human memory can be deceptive," Tang Qingqing explained.

Such discrepancies are not surprising. Even though they saw the same thing, under special circumstances, each person will describe what they saw based on their own perspective and understanding, making it difficult to be objective.

This is all subconscious behavior. They firmly believe that what they say is what they saw, not intentionally misleading anyone.

A qualified sketch artist must discern the truth from imagination in the witness's words to accurately draw the portrait.

Su Mei and □□ only had a fleeting glimpse at the time, and it was only because of what happened the next day that this memory became deeply etched in their minds.

Unconsciously, they would be influenced by external information, so it's not surprising that their memories became distorted.

Although the details of Yang Hemiao's case were not publicly disclosed, the general situation was known to everyone.

In Su Mei's mind, a tall and strong man posed a significant threat, capable of silently killing a woman beside her. Therefore, in her memory, the figure was tall and imposing, and she described him using words like sinister, terrifying, and lecherous. However, given the circumstances at the time, she couldn't clearly see his face, so she had no basis to judge whether he had such an aura.

On the other hand, □□, based on her mistaken judgment at the time, thought the person was 'weak,' and due to factors like being on a date and male competition, her memory of the shadow was likely diminished.

Neither of their descriptions was entirely accurate, especially after a year. They believed they remembered the situation clearly, but in reality, their memories had been unconsciously altered.

Tang Qingqing wasn't a sketch artist, so her ability to discern was limited, but she could precisely capture dynamic behavior.

Therefore, the two figures in the drawings had different heights and builds, but their movement patterns were the same.

"Teacher Tang, which drawing should we use to identify the killer now?"

Tang Qingqing shook her head. "We can't use either directly."

"Huh?"

"These are just for reference and comparison." Tang Qingqing pulled out a photograph with no discernible features. "With these, and based on the calculations from this photograph, we can more accurately depict the suspect's appearance."

While Tang Qingqing's work progressed step by step, the others were also busy.

Zhao Ke, who had been investigating Wang Mengling's suicide case out of town, returned with more concrete information.

"Wang Mengling never mentioned taking a leave of absence to her family. It wasn't until after her death that they found out she had arranged it herself."

"When she came home, her family noticed something was off. She looked much more haggard and said she was unwell due to the change in environment. Seeing her poor mental state, they didn't dare to press her for more details."

"Wang Mengling locked herself in her room and didn't go out. It wasn't until two weeks later that she gradually recovered, although she wasn't as lively as before. Just when her family thought everything was fine, she suddenly slit her wrists and left a suicide note."

Captain Jiang: "Is it confirmed that it was suicide?"

"It's confirmed. The note is in Wang Mengling's handwriting."

Wang Mengling's suicide note was filled with guilt and concern for her family, repeatedly emphasizing that they shouldn't be sad and should take care of themselves.

Thus, Zhao Ke was certain that she wasn't coerced into writing the note.

However, while there was no direct coercion, it was clear that Wang Mengling didn't want to die but felt compelled to do so.

"She clearly didn't want to die. Her letter was a cry for help," Xu Fangran said, her lips pressed together, feeling a pang in her heart.

Tang Qingqing: "If she had the will to live, why did she suddenly commit suicide? Could it be that she was triggered by something?"

"Before her death, she received a letter, but it wasn't found."

Captain Jiang: "Can we find out who sent the letter?"

Zhao Ke shook his head. "Wang Mengling's mother said the letter was sent from our Dongguan City, but the envelope had no name. She doesn't have the habit of opening her child's mail, so she gave it directly to Wang Mengling."

"Wang Mengling's mother told me she suspected Wang Mengling was pregnant before her death."

Everyone looked up at him in surprise.

"While preparing Wang Mengling's body, her mother noticed a slight bulge in her abdomen, but she didn't dare to mention it."

Because of this, Wang Mengling's parents didn't dare to investigate why she committed suicide, fearing that it might reveal some scandal and ruin Wang Mengling's reputation.

In small towns, a girl's reputation is very important.

Regardless of why Wang Mengling became pregnant, being unmarried and pregnant, and taking a leave of absence from school to return home, would have been a source of gossip and ridicule.

Especially when Wang Mengling's mother found expensive jewelry and watches hidden in her daughter's bag, she was even more reluctant to speak out.

The southern economy has developed rapidly, and Dongguan City is a well-known prosperous city. Many people come here to work, but there are also many negative rumors.

Some women, after coming here to work, become corrupted by the city's prosperity. Some married women abandon their husbands and children.

This made Wang Mengling's parents suspect that she had taken a wrong path, and they were even more hesitant to investigate further.

They would mention these matters to Officer Zhao because he was not a local police officer and was preoccupied with finding out who had driven his daughter to her tragic end, which made him willing to share the information.

"Have Wang Mengling's parents always been in the area?" Captain Jiang asked.

Officer Zhao: "Yes, Wang Mengling's brother and parents have always been here. After Wang Mengling's suicide, her parents did not go to the school. They called the school and learned that Wang Mengling had taken a leave of absence on her own, so they gave up."

Wang Mengling's parents and brother all worked locally, which could be verified.

Wang Mengling did not provide any clues about Li Yujiao's murder case. All the contacts related to Li Yujiao were investigated, but nothing significant was found.

"Could it be that someone from the gallery silenced her?" Du Jiabao speculated.

Captain Jiang shook his head: "Even if it was a murder to silence her, the risk of doing so is too great."

Li Yujiao often went out, providing many opportunities for an attack, making such a risky move unnecessary.

However, this possibility cannot be ruled out. In the absence of other leads, this line of inquiry must continue.

There has been no progress in Li Yujiao's case, while Tang Qingqing has focused more on Yang Hemiao's case and has made new discoveries.

"What?! The murderer is a woman?!"

Captain Xiang's voice seemed to shake the entire building, causing passersby to look over, wondering what was happening.

The other members of Team Three also turned their heads, puzzled.

Captain Xiang is not tall, but his voice is particularly loud, and Tang Qingqing felt her ears hurt a bit.

Realizing his loss of composure, Captain Xiang cleared his throat:

"Professor Tang, I apologize. I'm used to shouting, and it's hard for me to control my volume. Please don't mind."

After saying this, Captain Xiang couldn't help but add:

"Professor Tang, I'm not doubting your abilities, but how can it be a woman?"

They had always believed that the murderer of Yang Hemiao was a man, as all evidence pointed to a male perpetrator. Otherwise, Yang Hemiao wouldn't have gone to that place late at night, clearly for a date.

Moreover, during the interrogation of Chen Bin, he stated that when he arrived at the scene, Yang Hemiao had already been murdered and violated, with her pants removed, which aroused his lust.

Two witnesses also confirmed that, although they only saw a silhouette, they both identified it as a man.

But now, Tang Qingqing was telling him that the perpetrator was a woman, which was truly unbelievable.

Tang Qingqing placed her sketchbook and photos in front of Captain Xiang. "This is the footprint I reconstructed."

Captain Xiang examined them carefully. At first, he thought the footprint in the sketchbook had nothing to do with the photo, which only showed creased grass, revealing no footprint.

However, when he matched the points marked by Tang Qingqing, he noticed many similarities.

Still, with Captain Xiang's expertise, he couldn't determine if they were the same.

"But according to the shoe print you reconstructed, it's size 43, which is typically a man's shoe size, right?"

"It is indeed a pair of men's leather shoes, but the person wearing them is a woman. She wore them with insoles, making the friction marks different from those of a man wearing the same shoe size."

Captain Xiang exclaimed: "You can even tell she used insoles?"

Although he had transferred from the military to the Public Security Bureau, he knew that footprints could reveal the age, gender, and body type of the person who left them. However, few people could be as precise as Tang Qingqing.

However, Captain Xiang did not doubt her; he was just amazed. Even though he had long known of Tang Qingqing's skills, he still admired her greatly.

"Truly impressive, Professor Tang. Your expertise is truly remarkable and has been a great help to us."

After his admiration, Captain Xiang frowned.

This meant they had been looking in the wrong direction from the start.

They had assumed that only a man would violate the victim, so they had only investigated men and never considered women.

If the murderer had planned the crime in advance, it would not be surprising for them to dress as a man and stage the scene to avoid suspicion.

Tang Qingqing simply smiled and continued: "The person is 1.63 meters tall, female, weighs 46 kilograms, and is around 20 years old."

"Now we have something to investigate."

This height and weight are common among students, and it cannot be ruled out that the murderer might be from outside the school.

The case is already a year old, making it difficult to trace, but having a lead is already a significant achievement.

"I have a suspect."

Captain Xiang's eyes lit up: "Who?"

"The dormitory manager of Yang Hemiao's building."