Two American men arrested over death of Irish woman in Shinjuku hotel
TOKYO —
Police arrested two American men on Saturday as part of an investigation into the death of a female Irish exchange student, reports said.
One of the men was with Nicola Furlong, 21, when she was found dead early Thursday in a room at the Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku, national broadcaster NHK and Kyodo News said. An autopsy showed she was strangled, Kyodo reported.
The men, aged 19 and 23, were detained on suspicion of giving alcoholic drinks to Furlong’s friend, also a 21-year-old Irish woman, and then groping her inside a taxi, Kyodo said.
Furlong was spending a year studying at Takasaki City University of Economics in Gunma Prefecture.
The two women were visiting Tokyo Wednesday night to see a concert in Shibuya, and were approached by the men, Kyodo said.
At about 1 a.m., the four of them went to the Keio Plaza where the men were staying. Furlong went into the room of the 19-year-old, while the other woman went with the other man, Kyodo said.
Around 4 a.m. Thursday, a hotel guest complained about a loud noise from one of the rooms.
A hotel employee went to the room and found Furlong on the floor lying near the bed and the 19-year-old standing nearby, Kyodo said. Furlong was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead.
© 2012 AFP
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0
Daijoboots
The two men have actually been arrested for allegedly molesting Furlong's friend (also Irish, 21 and studying at the same university) in the back of a taxi as it went from Shibuya (where the men are said to have approached the women) to the hotel in Shinjuku. Both men deny the allegation but there is footage recorded by the camera in the taxi. Both women were so drunk they could barely walk apparently. I have read that a guest called reception complaining about the noise in the next room, after which staff discovered Furlong on the floor.
-14
showmethemoney
Sex games gone wrong? If so, I have to ask why anyone would be so stupid as to initiate such dangerous sex games on the first night of meeting?
If one or both go down for murder when their crime was actually stupidity, you won't find me complaining.
I just hope the Japanese authorities have the sense to treat the 19 year old as an adult.
-2
Maitake
great story, thanks for all of the details.
3
Thunderbird2
So the girls went to see a concert, got hit on by two Americans, plied with drink and then one of them was found dead... strangled. I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to rape her and she resisted.
2
Braindead
Her parents must be decimated.
2
yabits
We know, at least, that one of women was an exchange student. Who are these two men and what were they doing in Japan?
1
Matthew Simon
I hope they weren't military people.
-2
Thunderbird2
It says the guys were staying at Keio Plaza... is that a hotel? If that's so then they could be tourists or servicemen on leave?
0
USNinJapan2
Thunderbird2
If they were US military personnel don't you think that fact would be in the headline? If that was the case it would BE the headline and the posts in this thread would be in triple digits not single.
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