Murdered Okayama woman had complained to police about being stalked

Wednesday 01st October, 12:27 PM JST

OKAYAMA —

A woman whose corpse was found floating in a harbor near here had consulted police concerning a male acquaintance she said was stalking her and threatening her with murder, police revealed Tuesday.

On the morning of Sept 29, police said they were contacted by a crew member on a barge transporting gravel in Okayama’s Shin Okayama Port. The crew member reported sighting a floating female corpse. The dead woman was subsequently identified as 24-year-old company employee Aya Sugimoto of Okayama.

On Sugimoto’s head, police found numerous abrasions indicating assault with a blunt instrument. Sugimoto had been missing since Sept 26. She left her house around 9 p.m. on that day, telling her family she was going to a movie. She had not been heard from since.

On the night of Sept 27, police say they received a phone call from a man who reportedly said, “I killed Ms Sugimoto.” The call apparently came from an Okayama hotel. The caller was identified as a 24-year-old Okayama resident whose occupation is unknown. He apparently intended to commit suicide in the hotel room by slashing his wrist with a cutter knife. He is believed to have met Sugimoto about a year earlier. In mid-September Sugimoto told police he had stalked her repeatedly and she was frightened.

The man has been hospitalized. Police say that when he recovers, they will pursue charges against him of murder and abandoning a corpse.

Wire reports

Latest 15 of 69 Total Comments Show All

USARonin at 03:53 PM JST - 2nd October

nutsagain, so the woman should just lay back and let her attacker just enjoy whatever physical advantage he has over her?

My friend... That's exactly what happened and it didn't turn out very well for the woman.
CavemanLawyer at 04:10 PM JST - 2nd October

nutsagain, so the woman should just lay back and let her attacker just enjoy whatever physical advantage he has over her?

Friends, its a hard call. Both ways have potential problems. Brandishing a knife might allow an escape. Or it might wind up in her sternum even though the creep had no weapon himself and originally had no intent to do such harm. Not being armed could get her raped or beaten but still alive. No magic bullets here.

More than a knife or other weapon, I would suggest leaving the high heels in the closet and purchasing a good pair of running shoes to wear everyday until the stalking stops. --Cirroc
nutsagain at 05:08 PM JST - 2nd October

USARonin: Absurd comment. Read my earleir posts as I suggest alternatives such as a loud whistle. Stand your ground, huh? Just what the world needs, another macho tough guy.
USARonin at 05:45 PM JST - 2nd October

nutsagain: "Just what the world needs, another macho tough guy."

A whistle against a determined attacker with rape and/or lethality on his mind, nutsagain?

"I see", said the blind man... but he really didn't see at all.
nutsagain at 06:22 PM JST - 2nd October

OK, let's just say carrying a lethal weapon perpetuates the cycle of violence. There are non- lethal alternatives available; bear spray or tasers. Whistles have proven pretty effective. A gun free culture is one of the only reasons I stay here. Yeah, that's changing I know... No personal offense intended.
cleo at 06:53 PM JST - 2nd October

They cannot get enough of firin' weapons.

Sounds like a good reason to keep them illegal. Last thing we want is a passel of folks wandering the streets carrying guns and wanting to use them.

Ronin, I understand your argument about the woman would have been able to shoot her attack if she had had a gun. But aren't you forgetting the fact that if she could get a gun legally, so could he?
notimpressed at 09:05 PM JST - 2nd October

stalking is always a tricky situation, because there is only a percieved threat at that point. POlice screw up all the time like anyone in any other profession. I am sure there are some police here in Japan who are very dedicated to thier job, and do all they can within a flawed system, and that there are also a larger bunch of wusses who just want a pay check and a badge to flash around. Police have helped me in the past with very little information, in saving a friend in anoter city from killing herself. They got there just in time, and it wasn't easy to find her. But, that said, it was due to my, and my japanese friends persistence in trying to MAKE them help. We had to find the address to find her through other means. Persistence was the key, if you really want something done, you will get it done. If you shrug your shoulders and give up at the first obstacle, then there is little you or anyone else can do to help you. UNfortunately, men stalk women the world over, no more here than anywhere else. Everyone should be aware that the world is not a safe place these days, and take steps to keep your situation safe, through awareness, and prevention. My GF had a problem with a stalker, and the police did very little, but they did do what wasin thier power, and gave sound advice. I was all for heading out with her brothers to pay him a visit, but it would have made criminals out of us. I don't see any easy solutions to the stalking situation, except look out for yourself and your friends at all times. That includes if your friend is acting obsessively, have a word in thier ear. The blame can only eventually lie with the Murderer, and to some extent, with his friends and family for not stepping in, educating him, or getting help for him. Thats the neverending problem in Japan, fear of asking for help. Its a societal learning curve in Japan that hopefully won't take too long to straighten out, although I'm not holding my breath.
nutsagain at 09:36 PM JST - 2nd October

notimpressed: Good points, as were Cleo's. There seems to be a tragedy here and it's as much to do with nomenclature as much as events themselves. What do we call an 18 year old following my wife around some years ago, which did actually happen? The guy kept it up every Friday and one time she had the good grace and good sense to stop then walked back to talk with him softly.

It turned out the kid was hopelessly infatuated with her and was acutely embarrassed to find out that she was much older than he'd thought and moreover married. I've always admired her good sense in these matters. God only knows what some posters here would have done to this lad who is no doubt, a father and married himself living happily somewhere now.
rurika at 03:49 AM JST - 3rd October

While I agree with the general 'j-cops are useless' sentiment of this thread, I should point out that police forces around the world have similar problems. Can you name a police force that has the time and resources needed to deal with stalkers? The police can't give every stalking victim round-the-clock protection and that's the only thing that would really help. Warnings and restraining orders have little effect on a deranged person.
USARonin at 03:56 AM JST - 3rd October

rurika, I don't know about your "j-cops are useless" statement bein' accurate, but you do infer that somewhere in the equation individuals must take some kind of responsibility for their own protection.

I suggest... an offensive weapon.

The horror.
NuckinFutz at 07:19 AM JST - 4th October

In the USA communicating a threat of murder is a crime in all 50 states, but then we have real police, not just old cosplay geezers in uniforms.

In this woman's mind calling the police was the right thing to do and I'm sure she felt they would do something about the man stalking and threatening her. So, you can say she did take some responsibility for protecting herself. It is the police, whose job it is to protect the public, that failed miserably!
CavemanLawyer at 11:25 PM JST - 4th October

In the USA communicating a threat of murder is a crime in all 50 states, but then we have real police, not just old cosplay geezers in uniforms.

Could you tell us where you heard about this threat of murder and when it was properly relayed to police?

I didn't think so. Thanks for playing! --Cirroc
humptydumpty at 05:53 PM JST - 7th October

--Cirroc
Nippon5 at 01:59 PM JST - 9th October

actually Laywer its called 5th degree assult and it is a threat to commit bodily harm and you can be arrested for it.
Nippon5 at 02:27 PM JST - 9th October

Fifth Degree Assault

Fifth Degree Assault

A fifth degree assault is a misdemeanor if it is a first offense punishable by up to a 90 days in jail and/or a $1000 fine. A fifth degree assault may be charged if a person

commits an act with intent to cause fear in another of immediate bodily harm or death; or intentionally inflicts or attempts to inflict bodily harm upon another. A second offense on the same victim within five years following discharge from the sentence on the first offense may be charged with a gross misdemeanor and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year and to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000.

If convicted of a second fifth degree assault after August 1, 1992, that person may no longer own or possess a pistol. Any person who possesses a pistol in violation of this paragraph is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.