Los Angeles Legendary Sleuth

Forensic doctor Hila also rushed to the scene. After a simple examination of the severed finger and the shredded flesh, she confidently said, "Yes, these should be the remains of Victim No. 1, Haida Cartman.

When I performed the autopsy on Haida Cartman, I found wounds on her body and fingers, but because the body was charred, it was impossible to determine the cause of the injuries.

These unburned remains are very important for the autopsy."

Luke asked, "Can you tell how the severed finger and the injuries were caused?"

Hila picked up the transparent plastic bag and inspected it carefully, "The cuts are uneven, indicating they were not caused by a sharp blade.

In my experience, these are likely bite marks."

Luke pressed further, "Were they human bites? Or animal bites?"

"These are not human bite marks; they should be from a large carnivorous animal. Give me some time, and I will conduct a dental comparison on the remains."

Luke nodded, "Thanks for your hard work."

Xiao Hei thought for a moment and said, "Captain, let's go investigate at the suspect Anika Carmen's home. She has a black Rottweiler named Coco.

Could the hair found in the pits come from that dog?"

"It's possible." Luke instructed, "Marcus, take some people to Anika Carmen's community and check if there's a pet database."

Xiao Hei retorted, "Do you think the community would save DNA data of pet dogs?"

Luke said, "Many people have dogs. Just as there are responsible dog owners, there are irresponsible ones, and many have encountered dog poop mines.

So some communities require DNA samples from residents' pets.

Once a dog poop mine is found in the community, DNA testing will identify the pet dog, and the owner will face a fine."

Xiao Hei's eyes lit up, agreeing, "I've stepped on a dog poop mine before, it's disgusting.

This regulation is good, I support it with both hands."

Luke organized the tasks, and the team members split up to investigate.

As time passed, more and more clues gathered in Luke's hands.

He formed a rough hypothesis about the arson case.

Early the next morning.

After arriving at the police station, Luke immediately went to the technical team.

The DNA comparison results were out, matching the dog hair found in the pit with Anika Carmen's Rottweiler.

Luke immediately applied for a search warrant and led a team to investigate Anika Carmen's home.

...

Wicart Community.

A white Tesla car was parked outside Anika Carmen's garage.

The villa door opened, and Anika Carmen walked out with a black Rottweiler, which seemed somewhat reluctant, shaking its head slowly.

"Coco, be good. Stay at grandma's for a few days, and mom will visit you often." Anika Carmen gently soothed the Rottweiler, opening the Tesla's back door, "Get in."

The Rottweiler jumped into the car, lay on the back seat, and barked a few times at the people outside, "Woof woof..."

Anika Carmen untied the leash and handed a toy to the Rottweiler, "Coco, be good. Play by yourself. Mom has to drive."

Just as Anika Carmen was about to drive the Tesla away after closing the car door, she saw two cars approaching and stopping by the roadside. Her pupils shrank slightly, and her expression changed as she recognized the cars.

Luke got out of a black SUV and greeted with a smile, "Miss Anika Carmen, are you heading out?"

Anika Carmen forced a smile, "Yes. I'm going to a friend's house."

"Before you go, I'd like to chat with you."

"Sorry, I've already made plans with a friend. Let's talk another day."

Luke said, "Rest assured, it won't take much of your time.

After we're done, I can have a police car take you there, so you won't be delayed in meeting your friend."

"I don't know how fast your police car is, but I don't want to scare my friend away." Anika Carmen crossed her arms, a bit helplessly,

"What do you need from me?"

Luke glanced around, "Miss Carmen, do you think it's appropriate to talk here?"

Anika Carmen sighed, opened the car door, and gently said, "Coco, get down. We will leave later."

The Rottweiler jumped out and looked warily at Luke and the others, barking, "Woof woof woof..."

"Wait outside for a moment. Coco doesn't like strangers." Anika Carmen led the dog into the house, then opened the door after a while, "Come in."

Luke and Xiao Hei then entered the villa together.

Xiao Hei looked around curiously, "Where's the Rottweiler? I like it a lot."

"I put it in the bedroom to avoid disturbances during our conversation."

Xiao Hei probed, "It seemed a bit fierce. Will it bite us?"

Anika Carmen's voice rose, with a trailing tone, "No, Coco won't bite.

Though it's large, it's actually quite timid and might get scared by strangers.

Don't be fooled by its size; it's only three years old."

Xiao Hei had a peculiar look on his face, "Are you worried that I'll scare the big dog?"

Anika Carmen didn't respond, instead asking, "I don't have much time. What do you need from me?

I already told you, I was at home the entire day of the Mogaro Forest Park fire and didn't know what happened there."

Luke said, "Miss Carmen, during our arson investigation, we found some new leads. We're here today to ask for your help in identifying someone."

Anika Carmen shrugged, "Who do you need me to identify?"

Luke produced a photo of Haida Cartman, "This lady also lived near Mogaro Forest Park. She often went running there. Have you seen her?"

Anika Carmen looked at the photo and pursed her lips, "I'm not someone who enjoys socializing, and she looks significantly older than me. We're not in the same circle.

I'm sorry, I have no impression of her."

Luke stared at her cheek, "Are you sure you've never seen her?"

"Yes, I've never seen her."

Luke noticed a hint of lying on her face and casually said, "Is your black Rottweiler named Coco?"

"Yes, is there a problem?"

"Do you personally take care of Coco usually?"

"Yes." Anika Carmen swallowed, and her hands instinctively intertwined.

"How many years have you had it?"

"Three years."

"Has it ever bitten anyone?"

"No, it wouldn't do that." Anika Carmen anxiously rubbed her right arm with her left hand and retorted, "Why are you guys constantly focused on my dog?"

"It's evident that you love it dearly."

"Every day, we eat, sleep, and walk together. It's like family to me."

"Suppose it bites someone, what would you do?"

"Coco wouldn't bite anyone."

"I'm speaking hypothetically."

"That hypothesis doesn't hold water.

Coco is straightforward, kinder than most people; it just can't speak."

Blackie rolled his eyes, "You're comparing dogs and humans?"

"I've always treated Coco like my daughter, is there a problem?"

This statement greatly irritated Blackie because he really has a daughter, "I think your 'daughter' is too adorable, so adorable that it bites people everywhere, even brutally bites them to death."

Anika Carmen got angry from embarrassment, "I told you, Coco doesn't bite. Unless you can provide evidence, otherwise, I will definitely complain about you."

Luke said, "The photo I just showed you is the victim of the arson case. She wasn't burned to death; she was cremated after she died.

We found a lot of dog fur around her corpse, and after identification, it completely matches the DNA of your Rottweiler."

"That's impossible. You must be tricking me." Anika Carmen's voice was trembling. She took a deep breath as if realizing something, "Weren't you investigating the arson case? Once it started burning, how could you have found dog fur?"

Luke said, "Before the arson and cremation, the killer buried the body underground for a period.

When the killer dug up the corpse again, due to the decomposition of the corpse, coupled with the darkness and other objective reasons, some physical evidence was left in the grave.

We have sufficient evidence to prove that your dog is related to this murder and arson case."

Anika Carmen shook her head, "You're being too arbitrary. I often take Coco for walks in the park.

It's not surprising for her hair to appear in Mogaro Forest Park; it might have been blown by the wind.

That doesn't mean it's the perpetrator."

"You're right, and we came today to rule out that possibility."

Luke displayed a search warrant, "Ms. Anika Carmen, we need to take away your Rottweiler. Please cooperate."

"No no no," Anika Carmen stood up, retreating continuously, "No one can take my dog away.

Coco has never left me.

It would be frightened in an unfamiliar environment; you can't do this."

Blackie stared at her like she's an idiot, caring about the dog at a time like this? Shouldn't she care more about herself?

A dog might bite someone to death, but it certainly wouldn't bury a corpse or commit arson.

No matter how they persuaded, Anika Carmen refused to agree, blocking the bedroom door resolutely.

Luke called for reinforcements, and two female officers pulled Anika Carmen away, controlling her.

Port and Jackson were in charge of catching the dog. They brought capture tools, but the black Rottweiler was very strong, and it took quite a while to get it into the car.

"You can't do this, you can't take my Coco away. I'll complain, I'll definitely... boo hoo..." Anika Carmen cried hysterically.

After watching the capture vehicle leave, Luke ignored Anika Carmen and instructed the others, "Search the house thoroughly; not a single dog hair should be overlooked."

"Okay, Captain."

The officers split up and started searching. Some searched the living room, some the bedrooms, while others the garage and the yard.

Blackie was digging in the yard with a shovel, and suddenly, he felt he hit something hard and shouted, "Captain, I found something here."

Blackie scooped a few times and dug out a large bone from underground; he widened his eyes, "Could there be other victims?"

Jackson came over for a careful look and laughed, "This isn't human bone; it's a cow bone meant for dogs to chew on.

It's likely the dog itself buried it underground; corpses wouldn't be buried that shallow."

Blackie's face showed some embarrassment, and he glared at Jackson.

Luke had also been observing the ground. He noticed a patch of soil that was darker in color and relatively soft, "Dig here."

Blackie dragged the shovel over and dug several times at the spot Luke indicated. The soil indeed felt soft, giving him motivation, so he accelerated the digging.

After digging about half a meter deep, the soil turned darker, and there were some ashes mixed in.

Blackie widened the opening, put on gloves, and began searching through the ashes. He found some leftover remnants, one of which seemed to be a piece of fabric fragment still stained with blood.

Another was a black triangle, looking like a corner of a dog tag.

Upon seeing these items, Luke breathed a sigh of relief. The earlier evidence found in the grave at Mogaro Forest Park could only prove that the dog attacked the victim Haida Cartman, but Anika Carmen might still have a chance to get away.

The evidence dug up in the yard is enough to convict Anika Carmen.