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🕑 Added 2025-03-31 00:25:03 +0000 UTCAnatomy of a Killer
Chapter 36 - Pond, Part 3
Decomposition had turned the victim’s head into a grotesque, swollen sphere. The inflamed and taut skin distorted the facial features, making it difficult to identify external injuries.
There was no choice but to start by removing the hair.
Larry handled the razor skillfully. Shaving a scalp in this state was a challenge: the skin had become soft and gelatinous, and one wrong move could destroy crucial evidence.
With precise and controlled movements, he removed the hair in sections. As he progressed, a dark purple stain began to appear on the left side of the head.
Larry narrowed his eyes.
The epidermis was detached, and the edema showed a pronounced hollow tone. Without a doubt, this was mechanical trauma.
"This is interesting…"
Judging by the shape of the contusion, the wound had been caused by a wooden object. If the blow had come from a metal weapon, the damage would have been much more severe, with obvious lacerations on the scalp.
Max wasted no time and captured the image with his camera.
The atmosphere in the room shifted. This finding was important.
Larry took the scalpel and made an incision to separate the subcutaneous tissue. What he uncovered confirmed his hypothesis.
Beneath the skin, the skull displayed a depressed fracture in the shape of a "boat," a characteristic mark of a blunt impact from a cylindrical object.
"It was definitely a blow from a stick or something similar…" Larry said, his voice low but certain.
The next step was the craniotomy.
With extreme care, he removed the cranial vault. The stench that emanated at that moment made several assistants take a step back.
The brain tissue, decomposed to the point of becoming a pasty mass, slid out easily. However, dark red discoloration was still distinguishable in the left occipital region.
Larry didn’t stop. He carefully separated the tissue through trabeculae and observed the same darkening in the temporal pole and the inferior surface of the temporal lobe.
"Internal hematomas…"
This pattern of hemorrhaging indicated that the victim had not only received a blow to the head but that the impact had been strong enough to cause significant brain trauma.
After thoroughly examining the internal organs and finding no additional anomalies, Larry finally reached a conclusion.
The victim had been attacked from behind with a blunt object, probably a stick, which caused a severe head injury. This impact left him unconscious. Then, his attacker submerged him in water, where he drowned.
This detail was crucial: being unconscious, the deceased showed no signs of struggle or injuries to the arms or hands that would indicate an attempt to resist.
Larry examined the corpse’s hands. The skin had decomposed so much that it peeled off easily, like an old, fragile glove.
Max attempted to take fingerprints, but the deceased’s arms were so slippery that the skin detached with just a touch. Frustrated, he put down the ink and sighed, his gaze lost.
Ángel gave him a slight nudge, and after taking two deep breaths, he stepped forward with an expression of sacrifice.
"Move, I’ll do it," said Masuka, who had just arrived to assist, taking the corpse’s wrist decisively.
With a scalpel, he traced a circular cut around the wrist and pulled the skin upward. With a single precise movement, all the skin from the hand peeled off like a glove.
Unfazed, Masuka slid the skin over his own hand like a surgical glove and dipped it in ink to obtain the fingerprints and palm prints.
Max, holding back nausea, watched him with admiration.
That was the attitude of a true forensic professional.
Once the autopsy was complete, the body was placed in cadaver bags and transported to the freezer.
However, the analysis was far from over.
In a specialized pressure cooker, two key bones of the deceased—the pubic symphysis and the humerus—were being boiled. This process completely removed the blood and soft tissues, allowing for a precise determination of the victim’s age.
After cleaning the dissection table, Max retrieved the boiled bones, and several people took them outside the room for a more detailed examination.
The work had been arduous and exhausting.
The four team members took almost half an hour to shower, but even the hot water and soap didn’t seem enough.
They could still perceive that persistent stench, clinging to their skin and minds.
At that moment, Ángel had already vomited several times, at least three or four. His erratic and unsteady steps revealed the weakness consuming him. His exhausted, trembling body made him fully understand what his wife must have experienced during her pregnancy. The vulnerability of his state gave him a new perspective on her experience.
Back at the office, Larry meticulously examined the remains of the corpse. He carefully compared the pubic symphysis and the humerus, tools he wielded with the precision of an expert criminal profiler. Using his formula, he calculated the deceased’s age: 24.5 years.
According to standard error margin rules, the individual’s age should be between 23 and 27 years. However, after analyzing the variations in the anatomical and surgical necks of the humerus, he was able to narrow the age range to 23-25 years.
This was a crucial detail—the profile of the body was beginning to take shape.
Max, as always, worked quickly. Already connected to the computer, he printed all the color photos he had taken of the scene and handed them to Larry. While the captain arrived, Larry focused on the images, evaluating every detail meticulously. He knew that even the smallest clue could be the key to understanding the case better.
"We have a clear direction regarding this body’s origin," Larry said, looking at the captain with a serious expression. "The deceased was a male, between 23 and 25 years old. His estimated height is 1.75 meters, and his weight would be around 70 kg. His physical condition suggests he was in good health."
After saying that, Larry paused for a moment to reflect.
"As for his social status, it seems he enjoyed good economic conditions. He was probably a foreigner. My hypothesis is that he arrived in Miami as a tourist, although I don’t rule out the possibility that he was a university student."
Larry continued, observing the climate data with precision. He knew that the southeastern temperature during that year could shed more light on the case.
"According to temperature records, the date of death falls between January 23 and 25. This, combined with the area's warm and humid climate, gives us a clearer idea of the circumstances of his death. The cause of death was drowning. The killer struck him in the head with a wooden stick and, taking advantage of his state of confusion and pain, pushed him into the water, forcing him to drown."
Larry looked at the image of the pond in the photos Max had given him. A thought quickly formed in his mind.
"The place where the body was dumped—that's the detail I still don’t understand."
As Larry concluded his analysis, the captain observed from a distance, his mind processing the information. His thoughts revolved around every detail Larry had broken down. He knew there was something more at play.
This wasn’t an ordinary death. It wasn’t a simple drowning case.
The level of violence involved, the meticulousness of the killer, indicated that the victim hadn’t been chosen at random. Something about this person’s profile, something in their life, had attracted the attacker’s attention.
Perhaps the victim had some kind of connection to the killers. Larry’s analysis provided a direction, but something in his instincts told him there was more to uncover.
Focusing on the subtlest details, Larry began consolidating the case in his mind, forming new theories as he considered the next steps to take.
