残虐 (zangyaku: cruelty, brutality) cruel + cruel
警官たちはその残虐な殺人事件の手掛かりを捜している。
Keikantachi wa sono zangyakuna satsujin jiken no tegakari o sagashite iru.
The cops are searching for clues to the cruel murder.警官 (keikan: police officer)
to guard against + government official
殺人事件 (satsujin jiken: a murder; murder case)
to kill + person + affair + incident
手掛かり (tegakari: clue) hand + to hang ontoOriginally, this word meant “something to cling to, as when climbing a tree.” This came to mean “clue,” which is something people cling to in an investigation.
捜 (saga(su): to search (for something lost))