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Police on Saturday arrested a 22-year-old man in connection with the murder of a 34-year-old woman in her apartment in Tokyo's Itabashi on Nov 21.
Police said the suspect, identified as Genki Matsuo, lives only 700 meters away from the apartment where Kumi Arai was murdered. He has been charged with theft for withdrawing 250,000 yen from Arai’s bank account using a convenience store ATM.
Matsuo, who has been unemployed since quitting his job at a karaoke parlor in October, has denied the charge and has refused to talk about Arai's murder, Fuji TV quoted police as saying.
Arai was stabbed to death between 3 and 4 p.m. at her apartment near Narimasu Station on the Tobu Tojo Line. She died from at least 10 stab wounds to her chest and back. Her body was discovered by her husband later that afternoon. Her wallet and cell phone were stolen.
According to police, Matsuo closely matched the description of a man in a suit who was filmed by an apartment security camera pressing the intercom button at Arai’s apartment at 3 p.m. The same man was seen at around 4:30 p.m. at a clothing store near Ikebukuro Station where he purchased a change of clothes. Shortly before 5 p.m., he was seen going into a pachinko parlor in his suit and coming out in his new clothes, Fuji TV reported.
Police said that the suspect then went to a convenience store where he withdrew the money from Arai's bank account.
Police said they plan to question Matsuo further on Sunday about Arai's murder and also about a number of burglaries in the area this year.
© Japan Today
13 Comments
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mikihouse
hang him
nath
death. nothing less.
Crazedinjapan
That's if he's the right guy, they'll hold him for 21 days, release and hold him for another 21 days until they force a confession out of him guilty or not. 99% conviction rate here ....wonder how Japanese police can be so successful where as other countries don't have such a outstanding rate.
WilliB
I am glad they got him. Finally, a case where the J-cops did their job.
mikihouse
the guy has a history of theft, released from prison and then did worse, committed murder after getting to know her PIN number so that he can withdraw her money and play pachinko...we don't need this guy. He will be back on the streets do more of the same if released too early. Better yet hang him.
WilliB
CrazedinJapan:
You are right, the description in the article is sketchy. I do hope they have more to go on than that he "resembles" the grainy CCTV footage... because tens of millions of young Japanese men "resemble" that.
AustPaul
21 days is a long time to build your case...I would think they would know by then if they had the right guy.
Geez, Police here have to either charge or release you after 4-6 ( depending on the state) hours!
Ayler
Let's wait for some evidence first eh.
WitchDoctor
Japan Today:- Correction!
Narimasu is in Itabashi Ward. It is not in Toshima Ward.
Crazedinjapan
AustPaul,
Police here in any state have the right legally to hold you up to 21-22 days legally for questioning while they gather facts ( or "get" an admission out of a suspect. They will hold him .... WilliB is correct, the video is not very clear and there are plenty of others that could fit this guys image. I'd like to see proof of DNA or fingerprints from door buzzer,knife ...wallet. Surely there must be some even from the other break-ins
There have been numerous wrongful convictions in Japan . Look at the poor dude that was deported recently. Any compensation for that ??
Disillusioned
Not at all! The J-cops can hold anybody for 21 days without a charge. This gives them time to prepare and the perp time to sweat it out in 6x4 room with no windows. No doubt he will be grilled three or four times a day until he comes clean.
mikihouse
the guy has been late in paying his rent, always seen in pachinko area, and has no work. He left evidences in other houses too that he tried to break into. His face was recorded clearly on the intercom of the family he killed. With all the fingerfrints, video, and other circumstancial evidence, case is tight. Not all evidences are being released by the police.
But yeah, bleed my heart liberals.
Mirai Hayashi
Death penalty....all trash should be burned.