Medical Examiner Dr. Qin Episode 10 Recap
> Medical Examiner Dr. Qin Recap
Qin Ming requested to visit a pond near Lu Zhen’s house, explaining that the uneven decomposition of Lu Zhen’s body, with his left foot appearing fresh while the rest was severely decayed, indicated that most of the corpse had been submerged in stagnant water. Da Bao observed the surroundings, noting its resemblance to a viral video about "ghost fire."
Qin Ming theorized that for ghost fire to occur, a decomposing skeleton of an animal is needed, a condition met by Lu Zhen’s body. He deduced this was the original dumping site, and the murderer likely moved the body after the ghost fire rumors spread online to avoid detection. While examining the site, Qin Ming discovered a pair of boxing gloves and a train ticket with Lu Zhen’s name on it.
He also noted that Gu Feng lived in a small house right by the pond. Lin Tao questioned Gu Feng, presenting him with the boxing gloves, which bore both his and Lu Zhen’s fingerprints, and the train ticket, purchased by Lu Zhen two hours before his death. Gu Feng admitted to having an altercation with Lu Zhen on the afternoon of the 19th. In a fit of anger, he pushed Lu Zhen, causing his death.
Panicked, Gu Feng dragged Lu Zhen’s body into the nearby pond. When the ghost fire rumors surfaced, he moved the body farther away from his house to divert suspicion. However, Da Bao found it implausible that a mere push would result in death and questioned the origin of the lethal U-shaped abdominal injury. Qin Ming suggested a second, more thorough, examination of the body. During further questioning, Lin Tao asked Gu Feng about Lu Zhen's visit on the 19th.
Gu Feng revealed Lu Zhen had come to say goodbye, as the 20th was his mother's birthday. Lu Zhen had given Gu Feng professional boxing gloves and bought a ticket to Kunming to find his mother. Gu Feng couldn't understand why Lu Zhen would seek out the mother who had abandoned him, expressing his frustration by insulting her. Lu Zhen became enraged and defended his mother, shouting, "What are you saying? That was my mom!
I'm not allowing you to call her that!" In the heat of the argument, Gu Feng pushed Lu Zhen, an act he now deeply regretted and kept repeating, "Sorry." In the autopsy room, Qin Ming and Da Bao re-examined Lu Zhen’s body. They confirmed that the laceration on his brow bone was caused by Li Li, and the oval-shaped injuries on his side were from Pang Chao. The abrasion on his back was attributed to Gu Feng's push.
The lethal U-shaped injury in the abdomen remained a mystery, but Da Bao noticed that these U-shaped wounds, including those on Lu Zhen’s legs, were similar. She recalled that Lu Zhen’s younger brother also had a similar injury on his left leg, suggesting it might not be a coincidence. Da Bao suspected domestic violence, noting that the U-shaped wounds closely resembled those made by the heel of a high-heeled shoe. Qin Ming then visited Lu Zhen's stepmother, Chen Xufei.
She claimed a good relationship with Lu Zhen but admitted to hitting him when he made mistakes. She confirmed hitting him on the 19th but adamantly denied kicking him. Qin Ming described the U-shaped injuries on Lu Zhen’s abdomen, caused by severe blunt force, and asked what shoes she was wearing on the 19th. She identified a black pair of high heels.
Qin Ming then stated that Lu Zhen's cause of death was intraperitoneal bleeding from a ruptured spleen, implying that her actions could have been fatal. He informed her that the shoes would be taken for comparison, and if they matched, she would face legal consequences. Chen Xufei, visibly flustered by the accusation, admitted to hitting Lu Zhen but offered reasons for her actions.
She explained that she had beaten him twice: once when Lu Zhen took her son out, and he was hit by a car, causing a permanent injury. The second time was on the 19th, when she came home to find Lu Zhen hitting her son, who had torn up Lu Zhen's money for a train ticket. Enraged, she kicked Lu Zhen a few times, emphasizing that it was only "lightly."
A flashback showed Lu Zhen scolding his brother for ruining his saved money, followed by Chen Xufei entering, scolding Lu Zhen, and kicking him. After the beating, Lu Zhen stole money from his stepmother and purchased the train ticket, planning to leave. Later, Qin Ming recorded his thoughts in a notebook: "The establishment of every unfamiliar relationship always have hopes of ending it in a warm manner.
But, all affection that are seemingly so solid and unbreakable has the possibility of collapsing any moment." Just then, Lin Tao arrived with wine and a pair of boxing gloves, jokingly offering them to Qin Ming to "strengthen this friendship of ours," suggesting Qin Ming could use them to beat him if he ever got angry. Qin Ming wryly remarked he preferred surgical blades.
Sensing Lin Tao had another argument at home, Qin Ming allowed him to watch a ball game at his house, but with the usual condition: "Turn off the sound. I still have to write an autopsy report." As Lin Tao watched the silent game, Qin Ming took his pen and deliberately crossed out the philosophical lines he had just written.
A new case emerged when an old farmer went to draw water from his well but found it blocked with branches. Angrily, he started pulling out the debris and discovered a body. At the police station, Qin Ming was caught up by an appealing relative – a woman who had been adopted by an old man but left him for decades. After the old man died in an altercation with a neighbor, she returned, seeking compensation.
Da Bao intervened, allowing Qin Ming to leave and quickly resolved the issue with the woman herself. At the crime scene, the old farmer cursed the murderer for dumping a body in his well, stating he had used the well two or three days prior without noticing anything unusual. Qin Ming observed the well was filled with branches, with a matching pile of branches nearby. He instructed the team to secure the area, treating the branches as crucial evidence.
The body was retrieved, and preliminary assessment placed the time of death between 24 to 48 hours ago. The victim's head was strangely covered by his shirt. Upon turning the corpse, abrasions were visible on the shoulders and back. These wounds were grayish-yellow and lacked vital reaction, indicating they were sustained post-mortem and confirming the victim was killed before being thrown into the well. The old farmer identified the deceased as Xie Lijun, a village resident.
The team proceeded to Xie Lijun's house, noting it was empty and sparsely furnished. Qin Ming observed the state of the blanket and the placement of slippers, suggesting Xie Lijun was likely murdered while sleeping. He ordered the collection of empty beer bottles, cigarette butts, and tableware for DNA testing. Da Bao pointed out a chess board, where the red pieces had checkmated the black.
A distinct, wide drag mark, with intermittent breaks, stretched from the foot of the bed to the door, indicating a single perpetrator had dragged the heavy body, resting multiple times along the way. In the autopsy room, Qin Ming and Da Bao conducted a more detailed examination of Xie Lijun. Petechiae in the victim's eyelids, cyanotic fingernails and toenails, and significant bleeding and injuries in the oral mucosa were all classic signs of mechanical asphyxia.
Qin Ming noted a deep ligature mark on the neck, but without vital reaction, meaning the rope was tied after death. He theorized it was used to secure the shirt over the victim's face and was tied to a weight to submerge the body, explaining the depth of the mark. He instructed Lin Tao to search the well for the weight.
Qin Ming concluded that Xie Lijun died from smothered mechanical asphyxia, approximately six hours after dinner on the night of the 16th. Despite the victim appearing strong, there were no defensive or restraint wounds, which was puzzling given the murderer's suspected method of straddling the victim to smother him, as evidenced by ecchymoses on the pelvis. Lin Tao's investigation revealed that Xie Lijun, a 61-year-old bachelor, lived alone. His brother, Xie Liguo, and sister-in-law, Liu Cuihua, frequently brought him meals.
On the evening of the 16th, Liu Cuihua delivered dinner around 6 PM. At 6:30 PM, when she returned for the tableware, she saw Xie Lijun setting up a chess board. On the morning of the 17th, Liu Cuihua found Xie Lijun's unlocked house (the lock had been broken for a long time) empty, but wasn't suspicious because Xie Lijun had previously mentioned leaving town.
DNA analysis of a cigarette butt from the scene identified the chess player as Lao Zhao, the very person who reported finding the body. Back at Xie Lijun's house, Qin Ming connected Lao Zhao's DNA and the chess board, which showed Lao Zhao's side (black) had lost. This presented a potential motive: a large gambling debt that Lao Zhao refused to pay, leading to murder.
Lin Tao noted Lao Zhao's suspicious behavior—never admitting to playing chess and claiming to see the body before the well was cleared. Da Bao suggested Lao Zhao killed Xie Lijun, dumped the body in his own well, covered it, and then reported it days later out of fear. Lin Tao, however, pointed out Lao Zhao's thin physique, questioning if he could have overpowered the sturdy victim.
Qin Ming countered that the murderer needn't be stronger if the victim was asleep and restrained. He proposed that Xie Lijun was likely smothered in his sleep while covered by a towel blanket, which could have pinned his arms, preventing resistance. This explained the lack of defensive wounds and Lao Zhao’s multiple rests while dragging the body. While Lao Zhao remained a strong suspect, other possibilities could not be ruled out.
Lin Tao then received word that the item from the well had been retrieved. Qin Ming and Da Bao went to examine it, while Lin Tao left to interrogate Lao Zhao.
