Why throw it into the trash after writing it?
"Guys, look for handwriting samples from the deceased in the house," Luke sent a photo to the group.
Soon, the team members found some documents with the signatures and some written words of the deceased, Helson Swiney.
Having self-studied handwriting analysis, Luke began comparing the handwriting on the documents with that on the crumpled paper after confirming the documents' authenticity.
After careful examination, Luke felt the suicide note on the crumpled paper was indeed in the deceased's handwriting and not forged.
Motive, murder weapon, suicide note...
The case seemed to be getting closer to the truth.
The deputy approached and asked, "How's the handwriting analysis coming along?"
Luke said, "The handwriting on the paper found in the trash and on the other documents is the same, probably the deceased's own handwriting in the suicide note."
The deputy sat beside the couch and did some comparisons too, "Do you think this case is a suicide?"
"You're the captain; your call."
You have extensive experience and have handled more cases than I know, I want to hear your thoughts."
The deputy put down the files, tapped his fingers on the table, and said, "There's no sign of the door lock being tampered with, and together with the scene and the suicide note, it's possible that the victim committed suicide.
However, considering that Helson Swiney is linked to the previous two headless female corpse cases and that he confessed in the suicide note to killing Gelina Sweeney, determining whether this was suicide or homicide isn't limited to just this case.
I think we should consider it comprehensively."
The deputy didn't spell it all out, but Luke understood his implication.
If Helson was deemed to have committed suicide, it would indirectly confirm the authenticity of the suicide note, and given that Helson admitted to killing his wife in the note, he was very likely the perpetrator in the two headless female corpse cases.
Three cases successfully solved.
If Helson was deemed not to have committed suicide but murdered,
then the suicide note might also be problematic, and the real perpetrator for the two headless female corpse cases could be someone else, leaving all three cases unresolved.
Luke didn't rush to a conclusion and continued searching the house, hoping to find more valuable clues.
The scene inspection lasted until the wee hours of the night, with the police finding no evidence of a third person present at the scene.
The following morning, Luke went to work as usual.
He didn't go to the Robbery and Murder Department office but started by visiting the technical team and the forensic doctor to understand the appraisal situation.
At nine-thirty, Luke returned to the first squad office and called everyone for a meeting.
First, Luke went to the projector and showed the new appraisal result, "Last night, the technical team conducted an urgent DNA comparison, and we found blood from two individuals on the saw—indeed that of the two headless case female victims, Gelina Sweeney and Novina Jones.
We have found the murder weapon for the headless woman cases."
Luke switched to another document, "This is the forensic doctor's appraisal result, Helson Swiney's exact cause of death was suffocation caused by methane poisoning; moreover, his blood tested positive for alcohol and barbiturates."
Little Black asked, "What is barbiturates?"
The deputy answered, "A main component in sleeping pills."
Little Black recalled, "I remember only finding alcohol on the coffee table at Helson's house, no sleeping pills."
Luke said, "The technical team found sleeping pills in the bedroom's nightstand."
Little Black countered, "If he had already decided to commit suicide using natural gas, why would he take sleeping pills?"
The deputy said, "Two possibilities, the first is there was someone else in the house, who drugged Helson with sleeping pills and then turned on the natural gas and the stove to fake Helson's suicide.
The second possibility is that Helson took the sleeping pills himself.
Most people who commit suicide are either completely desperate about life,
or they have poor mental endurance and no courage to face the world anymore.
Such individuals are usually fragile, and compared to death itself, they might fear the pain that comes with dying.
Many people who commit suicide take sleeping pills to die in their sleep."
The deputy ran a comb through his hair, "If one day I've had enough, I mean after I'm ninety, if life becomes dull and I have to suffer illness, I too might lie in bed, open a bottle of whiskey, take a handful of sleeping pills, and quietly leave this world.
If one day that's how I die, don't save me, and don't investigate.
Let me leave peacefully."
Little Black said, "But Helson Swiney is not even 40 years old yet."
The deputy said, "Right, I also think his reason for suicide isn't sufficient."
Jenny speculated, "Could he have been terminally ill?"
Luke said, "The forensic doctor found no severe, acute disease in his body, and the technical team didn't find any medical reports in the house.
Jenny, contact Helson's family doctor and check it out."
Jackson asked, "Captain, if it is indeed confirmed that Helson committed suicide, can we close the case?"
Luke responded, "Do you think Helson committed suicide?"
"Explain your analysis."
"First, we found no evidence of anyone else present, and the suicide method is plausible.
Secondly, he admitted in the suicide note that he killed his wife, Gelina Sweeney, which is also likely true.
According to our previous investigations, he had sufficient motive for the crime as he deeply desired a child, and his wife had an abortion without his consent after becoming pregnant by accident.