Jun. 20, 2012 - 06:03AM JST
SAITAMA —
Police said Tuesday they have arrested a 26-year-old woman for the murder of a fellow hospital inpatient in Saitama Prefecture seven years ago.
According to police, the woman is accused of strangling to death a 76-year-old woman while the pair were inpatients in the psychiatric ward of a hospital in Fukaya, TBS reported. Because the suspect was a minor at the time of the crime, she cannot be named
Police said the woman was arrested last month for attempted robbery in a convenience store in Honjo. During police questioning, she confessed to the murder, telling officers she strangled the woman with a length of string, TBS reported.
Japan Today
23 Comments
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Ms. Alexander at Jun. 20, 2012 - 08:29AM JST
The victim was strangled "with a length of string" (whatever that is) - I wonder what the conclusion was to this case. Is it a cold case? Or was someone else blamed for it? Ruled a suicide?
So this woman was a patient in a psychiatric ward and somehow found fit to be released? My goodness...seven years ago means she was only 19...
nandakandamanda at Jun. 20, 2012 - 08:58AM JST
MsAlexander, re 'a length of string'. String with enough length? I am guessing that if they wrote 'a piece of string' or 'a section/cut-off' someone would have questioned how it could be possible. How long is a 'piece/length' of string? Long enough to strangle the poor woman, in this case. Length has a good feel to it and surely has to be the best word here, IMHO.
As to whether it was actually rope, or really string, that would be a different matter. And how did the staff not notice the marks on her neck?
Either way it sounds as if this young lady needs to get back on those meds pronto.
Ewan Huzarmy at Jun. 20, 2012 - 09:56AM JST
Because the suspect was a minor at the time of the crime, she cannot be named.
Was a minor ....she isn't now !
Harry_Gatto at Jun. 20, 2012 - 10:03AM JST
"Length of string" is a normal colloquial UK English expression.
Alphaape at Jun. 20, 2012 - 11:01AM JST
One of the members of the Kennedy clan tried to use this as a defence when he was up on murder charges. As a grown man, he wanted to be tried in junvenile court, where he would have a lighter sentece.
I don't agree with that tactic or the one not naming this person. Sure she was a minor when she supposedly did the crime, but she is an adult now. Will they try her as a juvenile or as an adult. Whatever the case, I believe she still needs to be put away back in a mental institution.
lucabrasi at Jun. 20, 2012 - 11:10AM JST
Don't get your point. If the trial concerns what happened when she was a minor, the of course she should be tried as such. Anything else is just moving the goalposts in an attempt to win a more severe sentence. Great for those out for revenge, bad news for justice.
Bob Sneider at Jun. 20, 2012 - 11:20AM JST
So, because she was a minor at the time she murdered someone, she won't be named for robbing a convenience store when she's older? Way to go, justice
tensaisg@yahoo.com at Jun. 20, 2012 - 11:45AM JST
ms alexande go and search othe japanese news sites if u want moe details. let the news catch up. we dont know anything yet its under investigation
CrazyJoe at Jun. 20, 2012 - 12:21PM JST
The Honjo attempted robbery took place in 2005, two weeks before she murdered the 76 year old woman.
scoobydoo at Jun. 20, 2012 - 12:39PM JST
Are we discussing the crime or what a length of string is?
Moderator at Jun. 20, 2012 - 01:28PM JST
The crime.
NetNinja at Jun. 20, 2012 - 12:55PM JST
More evidence and more proof that the women here are the most dangerous to society and children. The laws need to be changed to serve the maximum punishment upon regardless of their gender.
This monster hid murder....for seven years. I bet she gets off with a slap on the wrist though. She must be pretty. Surprised no one suspected a thing 7 years ago.
junjk at Jun. 20, 2012 - 01:10PM JST
How much faith can we place in this confession. Police here are known to use harsh and long interrogation techniques (23 days and up to 8 hours per day). The woman could easily have been coerced into this confession and if she has a history of mental illness it makes the confession even less certain. Was the original victim even strangled or just died? If strangled was she an original suspect? All these kind of points are missing from the article.
Ms. Alexander at Jun. 20, 2012 - 01:41PM JST
Sorry guys, I wasn't putting emphasis on what a length of string is. I just don't know what that means. I am more concerned about what came of the original case.
If the suspect is indeed psycho, I hope she gets the proper help she needs.
Lowly at Jun. 20, 2012 - 01:56PM JST
a length of string is normal in US too. same as a piece of string or some string.
another unfortunate crime of unknowable specifics.
mtwildman at Jun. 20, 2012 - 02:01PM JST
You can put someone down w/a shoe lace braided thread or any type of thin material...so a length of string is sufficient to do the job.
GenConsensus at Jun. 20, 2012 - 03:46PM JST
"You busted me for lifting a pack of gum at 7-11—oh by the way, I offed a granny with a shoe string in my late teens when I was locked up in the loony bin seven years ago!"
Cops should focus more on convenience store stings. They may turn up more convictions. Unsolved ones from the past even...
keika1628 at Jun. 20, 2012 - 04:04PM JST
I would not believe anything a mental patient confesses to in a Japanese police style interrogation.
Cricky at Jun. 20, 2012 - 04:42PM JST
Really! A cold case solved just like that? Might be right but... Have doubts. Like to see evidence beyond a confession.
whiskeysour at Jun. 20, 2012 - 09:15PM JST
weird !!!!!
nandakandamanda at Jun. 20, 2012 - 09:49PM JST
Even in Japanese this story is very convoluted. It seems the Police had a team on the case and had been keeping an eye on this woman since they had no string and no proof of the original murder. Since the asylum doors were locked and no-one had got in or out, they suspected someone inside, ie her, all along, being in the next room to the murder victim. Anyway somehow they put the store robbery with the knife, and the hospital murder together at long last.
Fadamor at Jun. 21, 2012 - 02:26AM JST
So any chance this woman was identified for the robbery attempt before they induced her to confess to the murder? Quick! Check back to last month's news to see before the police erase all evidence!
Yubaru at Jun. 21, 2012 - 06:08AM JST
And the cops just arrested her last month for a crime committed, the robbery that is, back in 2005?
There is definitely more to this story than what has been written here now.