Medical Examiner Dr. Qin Episode 12 Recap
> Medical Examiner Dr. Qin Recap
Forensic assistant Da Bao discovered an additional injury on Hu Qi's body during the autopsy: a hematoma in his occipitalis muscle with a slight abrasion, but no open wound. Qin Ming found particles from a brick in Hu Qi's hair, suggesting it was the blunt object used. A craniotomy confirmed that this head injury occurred before the gunshot, indicating a vital reaction. Meanwhile, police at the crime scene located a brick with traces of blood and hair.
During a discussion, Qin Ming presented the autopsy findings, stating Hu Qi died from a gunshot wound to the leg that ruptured the femoral artery, and also sustained a blunt head injury, confirming it as a homicide. Lin Tao provided a timeline: Hu Qi returned home around 9:30 PM, retrieved money, left, then returned 20 minutes later for his homemade gun, and died around 10 PM.
With 460 RMB found in his pocket, two scenarios were considered: either he fought someone who then took his gun and killed him, or he got into a drunk argument at a mahjong table, went home for his gun, and was killed on his way back. The four mahjong players were still suspects, possibly covering for each other due to an economic conflict with Hu Qi.
Further tests revealed Hu Qi’s blood alcohol level was 280 mg/ml, far exceeding the drunk limit and close to a lethal dose, meaning he was severely intoxicated and vulnerable. The particles from the brick matched those from his hair, but only finger marks, not complete fingerprints, were found on the rough surface of the brick. The homemade gun itself yielded no useful fingerprints, and ballistics testing was ongoing.
Lin Tao showed Qin Ming the unusual finger marks on the brick, which were few and small, indicating it was held by fingertips, not a full grasp. A call from the Firearms Test Center confirmed the homemade gun had a design flaw: a gap between the trigger bar and the gun bore caused gunpowder to leak upon firing. This meant the killer's hand would have gunpowder residue.
Qin Ming noted that while superficial residue could be washed off, burned gunpowder embedded in minute skin holes would remain. He then decided they needed to return to the crime scene to search for these residues. Back at the crime scene, Qin Ming re-examined the brick and the victim's head injury.
The minimal finger marks on the brick and the mild head trauma (hematoma with no skull fracture, indicating little strength) led him to conclude the killer likely had small hands and little strength, possibly a woman. Lin Tao questioned which woman would want to kill Hu Qi, given no record of abnormal heterosexual relationships, and Qin Ming suggested they reconstruct the crime.
As they did so, Qin Ming theorized that the killer first hit Hu Qi with the brick, causing him to fall and drop his gun. The killer then picked up the gun, aimed at his leg, and fired. The absence of shouts suggested Hu Qi was not initially afraid of the killer, but after being shot, shock, blood loss, and extreme intoxication prevented him from calling for help.
Qin Ming also observed that the movie studio's front gates were open, implying the killer might not be from the studio and would have fled in a direction that would have been unobservable by the mahjong players. During this, Qin Ming realized Da Bao was no longer with them. Da Bao, having observed a suspicious woman, had followed her to her home. The woman identified herself as Hu Qi's wife, Zhang Yue.
Zhang Yue initially claimed Hu Qi was a good, honest man and they had a good marriage since she was 18. However, Da Bao noticed Zhang Yue's pale finger joints (nervousness), defensive posture, yellowish complexion (chronic anxiety), and old facial wounds consistent with repeated beatings. She also noted soda cans piled by the door, deducing they were an alarm system for when the door opened.
Da Bao confronted Zhang Yue with these observations, concluding that Hu Qi frequently beat her, especially when drunk. Breaking down, Zhang Yue confessed that Hu Qi became a monster when intoxicated, constantly beating her. She had considered divorce or suicide but stayed for their son. Zhang Yue then recounted the night of the murder: a drunk Hu Qi returned home for his gun, threatening to "kill you all."
Fearing for their lives, she followed him, hit him with a brick to disarm him, and took the gun. When Hu Qi turned to hit her, daring her to shoot, she fired, hitting his leg. She then fled, unaware that a shot to the leg could be fatal. Upon returning later, she found him dead. Moments after her confession, Hu Qi's mother arrived, tearfully taking Zhang Yue away and pleading for her, saying it was all her son's fault.
Qin Ming subsequently conducted a test for gunpowder residue on Zhang Yue's hands, which confirmed her as the perpetrator. He later reported to the director that Zhang Yue’s actions did not constitute intentional homicide, as she had suffered prolonged domestic violence, and the shot was aimed at the leg, not intended to be fatal. After the case concluded, Lin Tao informed Qin Ming that Da Bao was treating them to a celebratory meal.
However, at the Chi Zi Kitchen restaurant, Da Bao thanked Qin Ming for treating, making Qin Ming realize Lin Tao had orchestrated a prank. Lin Tao called, clearly enjoying his scheme, and had even sent flowers to Da Bao, signed "For my most beloved Dabao, from Qin Xiaoming." Qin Ming quickly snatched the flowers to prevent Da Bao from seeing the card.
Furious, Qin Ming later confronted Lin Tao, throwing the flowers back at him and sarcastically telling him to give them to his "baby." Later, a new case emerged when a group of young people, trying to extinguish a fire at an abandoned crystal museum and gym, discovered a burning human-shaped object and immediately called the police. Qin Ming, Da Bao, and Lin Tao arrived at the remote scene.
Qin Ming observed the male corpse in a "pugilistic stance" (muscle contraction due to high temperature) but noted an underlying "rolled-up stance," which indicated the victim had been restrained before being burned. Luggage pull rods found at the scene suggested the body had been transported there, meaning it was not the primary crime scene.
In the autopsy room, Qin Ming explained that burning a body to this extent, especially within luggage, required a combustion accelerator, and bodies are more resilient to fire than commonly believed. After meticulously working on the severely burned body, Qin Ming and Da Bao found several pre-mortem stab wounds to the chest. Crucially, there was no smoke inhalation, confirming the victim was dead before being set on fire.
The cause of death was determined to be a single, fatal stab wound that ruptured the aorta. They also discovered a zipper and a partially burned card with "Feng Shang P. . ." written on it.
