Court finalizes death sentence for man over 3 murders in Tokyo, Yamagata

The Tokyo High Court on Thursday turned down an appeal against a death sentence by a man convicted of three murders in Yamagata and Tokyo.

Katsumi Asayama, 48, was arrested in 2012 for murder and arson following the death of 76-year-old Michiko Otsuka in Tokyo's Koto Ward in November 2011. In 2013, he was sentenced to death by the Tokyo District Court, but appealed the sentence.

The court heard that Asayama was also responsible for a fire that caused the death of 71-year-old Takeyoshi Yamaka and his wife Kazuko, 69, in Yamagata in October 2010, TBS reported.

According to investigators, the Yamakas' then 43-year-old son lived for a time with Asayama and his wife, Sayuri, 44, at their property in Nagoya. The son left after being subjected to violence by Sayuri, who was also arrested in connection with the Tokyo case.

Prosecutors said that Asayama went to Yamagata in September 2010 and forced the son to come back to Nagoya with him. The fatal fire occurred the next month. The son again left the Asayamas' property and filed a complaint with the police.

Meanwhile, in the Otsuka case, police said that her son had also stayed for some time with the Asayamas at their Nagoya home. According to police, the man tried to leave several times, but was repeatedly tracked down and brought back by Asayama.

In November, 2011, Asayama -- posing as a local government official -- visited Otsuka to ask for information on her son's whereabouts. Police said that he killed her and burned the place down in retaliation for her son leaving his home.

Video camera footage has placed the Asayamas' car, with its Nagoya license plate, outside Otsuka's home, the court heard.

© Japan Today