The demolition of the bridge pier utilized an explosion-proof demolition, under the impact of the explosion-proof hammer, the cement fragments on the bridge pier varied in size.

The twisted rebar was entangled with the fragile white bones.

Possibly due to the initial intense explosions, the exposed left hand bone was partly shattered and incomplete.

Lu Chuan had been observing for a while.

"Elder Zhang, first we should extract the skeletal remains from the cement pier," Lu Chuan pointed to a nearby pier, "Captain Qin reported just now that there are skeletal remains in the adjacent cement pier as well."

"On the other hand, see if we can first use the bone fragments to do DNA information collection to identify the victim."

Lu Chuan had experience in skeleton identification analysis and had received affirmation from Zhang Yuanchao.

Zhang Yuanchao nodded, "Let's collect some bone fragments first and conduct some technical experiments. The crime scene investigation and forensic team of Qinzhou City will need to work hard, aiming to clear the skeletal remains as quickly as possible."

The case is relatively important, mainly because the number of skeletal remains discovered is significant.

However, the specific investigation circumstances depend on first determining if the skeletal identities can be confirmed.

"Collect some fragments of the remaining clothing too,"

Lu Chuan made another request.

The case has a significant impact, but it is different from typical case investigations.

Cleaning out the skeletal remains is very time-consuming.

Normal violent demolition is impossible, otherwise, the bones cleared out would be fragments.

Of course, it is also impossible to hammer bit by bit; that way, it would likely take more than ten days to complete.

Provincial Office's Li Donglin is personally supervising, Qinzhou City's Criminal Investigation Team Captain Qin Hui is personally on site, and the fire personnel assist, cutting the bridge pier little by little.

Qinzhou City's Crime Scene Investigation Office.

Skeleton identification analysis requires specialized equipment, which the Qinzhou City Criminal Investigation Team does not have; it can only be sent back to the Provincial Office for processing.

However, Zhang Yuanchao did not leave, the technical matters can be handled by Li Changgeng and his team, as long as they send the results, Zhang Yuanchao can analyze the necessary elements from them.

Lu Chuan is responsible for inspecting the fragments of the deceased's clothing collected on-site.

"Bloodstains!"

This is Lu Chuan's biggest discovery.

The clothing had existed within the bridge pier for at least fifteen years, because the cement isolated oxygen, so it was well-preserved and had not oxidized.

After being sealed for at least fifteen years, the bloodstains can no longer be red.

However, the existence of bloodstains does not disappear over time.

Even, at many crime scenes, merely rinsing with water cleans the surface so that no red bloodstains are visible, but using some crime scene investigation methods, we can still easily find the bloodstains.

However, such bloodstains cannot yield DNA information.

Zhang Yuanchao, responsible for technical policing, summarizes all clues.

The technical identification data of the skeletal remains is not yet available, Lu Chuan's discovery is the only finding.

"Can blood type testing be done?"

"I'll try," Lu Chuan's intermediate crime scene investigation skills have technical reserves in this aspect, handling it is not difficult: "The clothing fragments are relatively small, it may not be possible to extract a sufficient amount of surface antigen."

"It's alright, since there are bloodstains, once the site excavates more fragments, it might be possible to collect them,"

Technical identification doesn't rely only on equipment; much can be analyzed from the surface of skeletal remains.

On the dissection table are three left hand skeletal remains.

"Lu Chuan, from these two left-hand bones, what can you observe?"

The three left hands exposed on the bridge pier, the arm parts are still inside the pier, but the left hands have been cleaned out.

However, they are severely broken, and reassembling shows some missing parts, with some still embedded in cement fragments.

Since five years ago, Zhang Yuanchao seldom carried out forensic identification personally but rather guided his students following him.

Thus, Zhang Yuanchao mostly used a questioning method to guide them.

Qinzhou City's Criminal Investigation Team's forensic doctor Wang Ruiqing is still on-site, those with him are from the Provincial Office side.

The metacarpal bones are a unique component of the human skeleton.

Whether the palm or the sole, they have the most bones, and comparatively, the hand bones hold more identification value in forensic analysis than the foot bones.

Most importantly, it involves determining bone age.

The development degree of the ossification centers between the phalanges, wrist bones, and radius and ulna is crucial for establishing bone age.

Conveniently, the three left hands' metacarpal bones are heavily fragmented, but the integrity is rather good.

One can observe the thickness of the ossification centers relatively well.

Of course, theoretical knowledge is just theory; no forensic experts present are unaware of this. However, determining how the ossification centers have developed and which age they correlate to, only experience reveals.

"From the size, the two left-hand bones on the left are broad, with larger interphalangeal gaps, suggesting a higher likelihood of being male."

Generally, male skeletons are broader than female skeletons, particularly hand bones.

The comparison among the three left-hand bones on the dissection table is quite conspicuous, even the sizes of the two left hands are broader than Lu Chuan's own hand bones.

Bone growth adheres to specific proportional relationships.

Just like taller people usually wear bigger shoe sizes.

In reality, it is rare to see someone over 1.8 meters tall wearing shoes around size thirty.

Hence, Lu Chuan initially gave this assessment.

However, he only mentioned it as a greater possibility, not as an absolute.

Because, strictly speaking, hand bones cannot serve as gender-determining features for skeletal remains.

At least in judicial identification, they cannot be used as evidence.

Since, in reality, many males and females share similar statures, their hand bones are similarly sized.

And there are quite a few tall women, so hand and foot bones cannot be judicial identification standards for sex determination.

"The age... the metacarpal bones suspected to be female, ossification center analysis... should be between thirty to forty years."

"The bone age of the other two metacarpal bones... between twenty-five to thirty-five years."

Lu Chuan provided an age difference within ten years.

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to Zhang Yuanchao in unison.

There aren't many skeletal remains cases, so the opportunity to accumulate experience is limited for everyone.

Determining age by hand bones...

One would be considered expert if they could identify whether it's youth, middle age, or elderly.

Yet, Lu Chuan managed to narrow it down to a decade.

Is it true?

In response, Zhang Yuanchao nodded affirmatively, his smile was one of satisfaction.

"Excellent, excellent, such precise judgment is impressive."

"The gender determination aside for now, Lu Chuan's judgment on bone age is very accurate, everyone look here..."

When it comes to skeleton identification analysis, Zhang Yuanchao is above Lu Chuan.

Lu Chuan has intermediate skills in skeleton identification analysis, while Zhang Yuanchao's level is at least advanced, likely even higher.

"Looking at the development degree of the bone ossification centers, you must also combine it with the size of the phalanges for comprehensive analysis, specifically, I have summarized a set of empirical formulas in this aspect..."

Zhang Yuanchao's theories and experiences are not within Lu Chuan's skill set, so he listens attentively.

Using Zhang Yuanchao's method, the victims' age range was further narrowed to a five-year span.

As Lu Chuan continued his identification analysis, the on-site work became busier.

The initial bridge pier, preliminarily confirmed to have four skeletons, has been thoroughly demolished, and four skeletons have been completely excavated.

Moreover, the excavation of the second pier gradually reached its final stages.

Finally, all excavation work concluded early the next morning.

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