Can I complete Blood on Ice if I finished Battle for Windhelm?

After taking over Windhelm in the Battle for Windhelm, I finally talked to Wuunferth the Unliving. Now it says to patrol the streets, even though the whole place is burned down. I'm still sitting at the Candlehearth Hall waiting and walking around.

Is this mission a lost cause now?

2 Answers

From the UESP wiki bug section on this quest:

If you capture Windhelm for the Imperials before triggering the graveyard scene, the witnesses and the corpse will still show up, but the guard may not, since the Windhelm guards have been replaced by Imperial Legion soldiers. This makes it impossible to start the quest.

This issue has been addressed by version 1.4 of the Official Skyrim Patch; note that the fix only works if you have not yet triggered the graveyard sequence when attacking Windhelm.

If you are on PC:

Use the console command sqv ms11 to bring up a list of quest variables and search for a RefID labeled "CrimeSceneInvestigator", then use the commands prid <Investigator's RefID> and moveto player. This will move the guard to your location, allowing you to start the quest.

According to above link, a possible solution if you are on Console could be to:

Follow the blood splatters to Hjerim and pick the lock to the front door. Once you walk inside you will get the quest.

3

Things worked out differently for me. If you go to the plaza in front of the White Phial you see two people just standing there. If you try to interact with the guy it'll say "this person is busy" even though he's not doing anything. Kill the girl and you'll get a task complete, with a new task saying "catch the murderer". Chase after the guy who was just standing there and kill him as well and then it will say go to that guy in the keep for a reward. Then quest complete.