Forensic Files: The Hunt for the Killer

Chapter 2: Forensic Scene Examination

Postmortem fetal extrusion, commonly known as coffin birth, refers to a rare phenomenon that can occur during the decomposition of a pregnant female body. As putrefaction progresses, a buildup of gas forms in the abdominal cavity, exerting pressure on the pelvic floor. This pressure may cause the expulsion of feces from the rectum, rectal prolapse, and in women, prolapse of the uterus or vaginal canal.

If a fetus is expelled from the mother's body due to this internal pressure after death, it is referred to as postmortem delivery. When this occurs after the deceased has already been placed in a coffin and buried, the phenomenon is specifically termed coffin birth.

“That bastard… He knew the girl was about to give birth, and he still went through with the murder!”

“What kind of inhuman monster could be so cruel, so heartless, so utterly depraved?”

My fists clenched tight, my eyes wide with fury. I nearly shattered my own teeth from how hard I was grinding them.

She was pregnant—no doubt about it. And from the signs on the body, she had gone into labor at the moment of death. But under these horrific circumstances, there was no way the fetus could have survived for long.

As I took it in, Su Yaxin beside me also saw what I did. Tears welled up in her eyes, glimmering with rage. As a woman, her hatred for the killer must have been even deeper than mine.

I let out a heavy breath and stood up. “She’s probably a local. Let’s go talk to the victim’s family.”

I approached the woman kneeling near the stage. “Are you the wife of the deceased male?”

“Yes,” she replied, her voice trembling. “I’d been staying at my grandmother’s place in the next village these past few days. When I came home tonight, I found that Dahong and our daughter weren’t there. I looked everywhere… I mean everywhere in the village. In the end, something told me to check here.”

“And when I got to the stage… I saw them lying there. But it was too late. They were already gone.”

“This stage is usually dark when no events are on. But tonight, the strange flickering lights… it was terrifying. I stood frozen for a long time before I could even move. When I finally did, I dragged myself out and called the police.”

Her fear and grief were genuine. I could tell she was in no state to give us much more.

I nodded. “Take us to your home.”

Of course, it was all for the investigation.

I wanted to conduct a more thorough check at the victim’s home, so I went with one of the detectives to the woman’s residence—only to find that it was actually quite close to the theater.

Roughly 800 meters, give or take.

I didn’t wander around. Instead, I headed straight for the kitchen to collect samples of the evening meal.

Judging by the lingering aroma in the room, the male victim had been a decent cook. The woman had said earlier that as soon as she returned home, she’d gone out searching for her husband and daughter—so logically, the meal must have been prepared by the deceased man.

The household lived simply, typical of rural conditions. There was no refrigerator, and leftover food had been placed near the northern window, where it was cooler.

Two dishes of stir-fried shredded pork with green peppers, and one plate of beef with Chinese broccoli.

The beef had already gone cold, a thin film of white fat floating on the surface. It had clearly been a casual dinner.

There was still some rice left in the electric cooker.

Su Yaxin joined me shortly after and began sealing the dishes into evidence bags.

I moved to the nearby sink. A faint scent of dish soap greeted me. The basin was full of plates and bowls, washed thoroughly and stacked neatly.

We stepped back outside. The woman was still being questioned by a detective, though I doubted much more would come of it.

Su Yaxin glanced at me, noticing the fatigue in my expression.

“You okay on your own? Why didn’t you call Du Yuting over to help?”

“She and I… had an argument.”

“You two were getting along just fine before—what happened? Did you mess things up again?” Su Yaxin’s cheeks flushed with frustration. She remembered Du Yuting had been dispatched to handle a case out of town. Honestly, it was a headache. This guy never seemed to get along with the women at the precinct.

As she brooded, I turned to the woman again. “We’ve finished collecting everything we need. Could you tell us more about your daughter and your husband?”

The question had barely left my mouth before the woman broke down again, tears spilling freely.

“It’s all my fault. If I’d known someone would harm them, I never would’ve left for so long… I should’ve been here. I should’ve protected them…”

“This wasn’t your fault,” I said quietly. “And… if you had been here…”

I didn’t finish that sentence. Instead, I shifted the topic gently. “What made you go to your mother’s house in the first place?”

“I go back about once a month… This time… my mother hasn’t been feeling well, so I wanted to spend more time with her. My husband has work, and my daughter has school—they don’t have much free time,”

the woman replied, voice trembling with grief. Every few words, her emotions nearly overwhelmed her.

“How was your relationship with your husband?” My question was blunt, but she didn’t shy away.

“We were an old couple. Not much to say—sometimes we fought, of course—but our daughter would often mediate.

We talked every day, always expressing care for one another. Since my daughter started school—it's far from home—I stopped working. I used to manage a bookstore.”

She handed me her phone, gesturing for me to look.

I opened her WeChat and text messages. True enough, their daily exchanges were filled with intimate concern.

Most messages revolved around asking what time her husband would be off work, urging him to rest, not overwork, things like that.

Often, the woman prepared nutritious meals for her husband and daughter. And recently, with Valentine's Day falling on December 14, the couple had even discussed letting their daughter stay at school for the weekend—so they could take a trip to Hong Kong together.

But now, none of it would ever come to pass.

As the woman recalled these memories, the pain overtook her again. She broke down, sobbing with snot and tears running together, burying her face in her hands.

One of the female officers and I offered her tissues and gentle comfort. Once she calmed down slightly, I pressed on: “Did either of them mention anything unusual lately? Any arguments with villagers?”

“They were both very honest people. Especially my husband—hardworking, kind. He never had conflicts with anyone. And my daughter was top of her class, well-liked. She wouldn’t have made enemies either.”

Her tone was firm, almost defiant.

“Then do you know why they might’ve gone to the theater tonight?”

The woman shook her head forcefully, sniffling. “I have no idea. There hasn’t been any performance lately. Maybe… maybe someone tricked them into going there?”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” I said gently. “But just to confirm—you’re certain no one in your family has had any serious conflict with others recently?”

Her sadness turned into weariness at the repeated questioning, but she hid it well. “We’ve always kept to ourselves. We don’t cross anyone.” And with that, she broke down crying again.

I gave her a few more words of comfort, though inwardly, I wasn’t entirely convinced.

Seeing that further questions would only be futile at this point, I softened my tone. “Alright. Please try to rest. If we solve the case, you’ll be the first to know. For now, don’t leave the area—we may need to contact you again.”

“I understand, Officer Chen. Thank you,” she said with a nod.

“This house won’t be livable for now. Someone will escort you to a nearby motel. Try not to dwell on the pain too much.”

She lowered her head, still weeping softly. I wanted to say more, but there was no point until the case was cracked.

Su Yaxin and I helped move the two bodies into body bags. It was time to head back to Fuming Police Department.

Back at the station, finding a parking spot was nearly impossible, even this late at night. I had a reserved space, but to my surprise, someone had parked a black Mercedes C260 right beside it.

I’d seen photos of this model on Weibo—it wasn’t cheap.

The car sat there, domineering and unmoved by my glare of disapproval.

Left with no choice, I drove around until I found a tight spot in a dark corner and squeezed in.

Both bodies were delivered to the forensic building’s third floor for autopsy. Su Yaxin and I suited up in sterile gowns, head covers, and latex gloves. We switched on the exhaust fan, prepared the scalpels, and followed standard forensic protocol—“simple before complex.” We began with an external examination of the female corpse, first shaving her scalp clean.