U.S. seaman found dead on train station platform in Sasebo

WOW. RIP to the dead soldier. :(

How drunk/stupid do you have to be do something like that.....

there is currently a curfew in place banning all U.S. military servicemen in Japan from leaving their base between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Get your facts straight JT. Temporary/Visiting personel are restricted to the base. All those that currently reside in Japan, must be in doors (their homes) from 11pm-5am.

Do they have footage of him illegally entering the train station? I know there are cameras at the front, middle, and end of all platforms for rail workers to see if passengers have boarded or exited safely.....did he have a suica/pasmo? Also, how could he climb the train without being seen?

What a way to go.

One would think an E-6 would have more sense than that.

Very confusing article with sketchy information. I hope there will be an updated version. At lest RIP.

I guess he was really messed up to do something like that. When will they learn....

Jeez that's like a 5 minute walk from my house. That train station is really old. Also there is really nothing to climb over to get access to the track. The cans could be coincidence as right next to the station are a bunch of the 24 hour food joints like Joy-full and Gusto, and even late at night there are tons of young people about that area.

Do they have footage of him illegally entering the train station? I know there are cameras at the front, middle, and end >of all platforms for rail workers to see if passengers have boarded or exited safely.....did he have a suica/pasmo? Also, >how could he climb the train without being seen?

The station was closed, it is not an uncommon practice to park a train at a terminal station ready to move the next morning instead of in a rail yard (Haiki Station is a terminal station for the Omura line).

Haiki Station does not use automatic entry/exit gates. The station is outside the area serviced by IC cards like Suica (the JR Kyushu version is called Sugoca).

The article suggests he was drinking just before death, with multiple empty cans next to him. But then it suggests he was electrocuted while climbing over a train. Do they then suggest he was carrying a bunch of empty cans when he tried maneuvering over the train roof? It just doesn't make sense. There is such a thing as rushing to press when you should do some more investigation...otherwise just leave those extra, mindboggling facts and speculation out because it is too big a distraction.

Wow, sad way to go.

Get your facts straight JT. Temporary/Visiting personel are restricted to the base. All those that currently reside in Japan, must be in doors (their homes) from 11pm-5am.

@ Theguynextdoor42: The article is correct. Military personnel, regardless of status are restricted to be off the streets either onbase or in their homes by 11PM. Yes there are further restrictions for those who are TAD/TDy to Japan, but regardless, they would have to still be off the streets at 11PM.

Either way, this will not look good for the rest of the military. I had guessed that the curfew would end probably early next month, but with this incident, I am sure that it will go a bit further. But this guy was supposedly a senior Petty Officer and should have known better.

Terrible news. RIP.

My guess is that he got to the station after it closed and the train was parked at the platform. He decided to down some alcohol he had bought and had one too many. So with nothing else to do in the middle of the night he climbed on top of the train and fell asleep. When the train was powered up in the morning he got electrocuted and fell off onto his head near where all the discarded alcohol containers were. End of story.

A 25-year-old E-6? Must have been a bubblehead. RIP.

combinibentoOct. 29, 2012 - 03:28PM JST

The article suggests he was drinking just before death, with multiple empty cans next to him. But then it suggests he was electrocuted while climbing over a train. Do they then suggest he was carrying a bunch of empty cans when he tried maneuvering over the train roof? It just doesn't make sense. There is such a thing as rushing to press when you should do some more investigation...otherwise just leave those extra, mindboggling facts and speculation out because it is too big a distraction.

Japanese police force at it's finest. Possible rape by US servicemen must be true, possible homicide of a US serviceman can't be true. This thing is fishy beyond belief.

20kV lines used there are certainly enough to kill someone, but burning a hole through just one piece of clothing is odd. Usually you have both entrance and exit holes, as well as well defined marks on the body. Not to mention that between human skin and clothing (likely leather jacket, which can provide decent protection when dry), not that many amps went through the guy, and certainly not for long enough to immediately write off the guy.

Did these guys actually check the train for finger prints/foot prints?

nikkeiboyOct. 29, 2012 - 03:56PM JST

When the train was powered up in the morning he got electrocuted

Due to line maintenance and JR freight, that doesn't happen. The lines are powered up all the time, the train has nothing to do with it (other than act as a conductor)

The fact that he had the same last name as me is weird. RIP Sailor o7 Also here are the curfew letter for all members:

I want to personally apologize for the grief and trauma the victim has endured and the anger it has caused among people in Okinawa. Under US PACOM Commander authority, I am immediately issuing a curfew to all military personnel in Japan, both temporary and assigned. In addition, core value retraining for military and SOFA civilians will be conducted by subordinate commanders and a review of the USFJ liberty policy will be executed over the coming days and weeks. Additional program details will follow.

Japan is one of our greatest allies, most trusted partners, and is the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Pacific region. We will continue to do all we can to ensure the U.S.-Japan relationship remains strong."

Following are points from the General Order that will go into effect at 2300, Friday, October 19, 2012:

Applies to members of the United States Armed Forces when in Japan, which includes personnel temporarily in Japan.

Curfew Policy. Off-installation curfew is in effect from 2300 until 0500 daily During the hours of curfew, service members must either be:

On a U.S. military installation Off the installation in a private-residence If on temporary duty (TDY/TAD), or on leave or pass, in their place of lodging, which may include a hotel room.

Violations of this order are punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).

Do they then suggest he was carrying a bunch of empty cans when he tried maneuvering over the train roof? It just doesn't make sense.

Let me help. Yes, cans of booze were apparently found in the bag he still had on his back. Whether they were opened or not, I will leave that for you to speculate or for basroil to say things like "Japanese police force at it's finest".

Whether they were opened or not, I will leave that for you to speculate

Thanks for the "help", but I'm just going by what's written. It says "empty" cans, and generally speaking that means they were opened. And what bag? It says they were beside him. Is your comment serious or am I on candid camera?

And what bag?

Ahh the wonders of being able to read Japanese.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150514185385376.418654.647290375&type=1#!/media/set/?set=a.466277825375.266548.647290375&type=3

He was not a small dude and a boxer....

Yes, cans of booze were apparently found in the bag he still had on his back.

Why would he be humping a bag of empty cans while climbing over a train roof?

Whether they were opened or not,

The story says they were empty, so, ummm, let's see, I guess that means they were opened.

Japanese police force at it's finest. Possible rape by US servicemen must be true, possible homicide of a US >serviceman can't be true. This thing is fishy beyond belief.

What's so fishy? Reading the article doesn't sound fishy to me, unless you want it to be more than it appears to be.

Seems pretty logical to me that it was accident rather then a random beating and murder. Possible scenario: Guy is out drinking all night, gets to the train station to find it closed, so the guy who's already had too many to drink decides to just go to the station platform and kick back a few more beers while waiting for the train to run again, he has one too many more, decides to play some hijinks by climbing ontop of the train (even sober people do stupid stuff like that from time to time), the guy gets electrocuted by the overhead centenary wire (which cases the electric burn marks found on him, he falls down off the train and hits his head on the platform thus explaining why he was found on the platform bleeding.

He was not a small dude and a boxer....

And seriously in love with himself too if that is a link to his FB page.

There is something strange here and the explanation is too convenient for the circumstances. I hope there is more of a follow up as well.

Maybe it's time to put all the Japanese in Sasebo on a curfew for this incident?

The story says they were empty, so, ummm, let's see, I guess that means they were opened

I just read that some of them were opened and some were not. I also just read that a foreigner was seen being drunk and loud at a nearby convenience store. Care to make some more guesses?

I checked all the tv channels this morning and none of them touched the story. I missed the daytime variety show time-killers etc. so they may have, but at any rate, it is too quiet on this story, and I will jump on the suspicion bandwagon (but not on top of its roof).

Daijoboots, it's not "suspicion" -- it's called commenting on the story provided here. You're missing the point - of course you can put together bits and pieces, to come up with a (maybe) logical theory, but the point is that we are always provided the most bare minimum background, and that's it. So we comment on that.

Anything for Halloween celebration!

RIP

I checked all the tv channels this morning and none of them touched the story. I missed the daytime variety show time-killers etc. so they may have, but at any rate, it is too quiet on this story, and I will jump on the suspicion bandwagon (but not on top of its roof).

This is a gimmie here. The dude was military so they don't count. And that isn't being sarcastic either.

The story is fine. Information on the incident has been scant, particularly in the last 12 hours. I am suspicious - even if there is little additional information since the story broke they usually touch upon it in some regard. Instead, it's nothing. Whether that means they don't want to encourage speculation given the sensitive topic of the US military at the moment, or, there is something else going on, I don't know.

Apparently the guy was still bleeding when they found him at 5am, which is either a mistake in translation or proof that his death was not near the time daijoboots claims he was seen at. The other thing is that police were VERY quick to add that security guards had checked the place at 12:30 and saw nobody there and that the serviceman had to be in violation of curfew. This story gets fishier every time you hear new information, like the act they haven't even done blood tests yet, even after half a day (alcohol blood tests take minutes at most, hours if you factor in waiting times and shipp.ing it to the lab)

the time daijoboots claims he was seen at

I made no such claim.

The other thing is that police were VERY quick to add that security guards had checked the place at 12:30 and saw nobody there and that the serviceman had to be in violation of curfew.

Staff did the rounds and reported nothing unusual/nobody there as at 12.30am (the last train being 12.28am). To be found there at around 5am (first train 5.13am) would suggest he was not indoors prior to that, unless he ran out from his residence at the stroke of 5am when he was allowed to and ran/drove the several kilometers from his place to the station.

Maybe then he stopped by at the convenience store. I'm pretty sure he got a couple of nikuman to soak up the booze.

Some folks seriously got to stop watching CSI.

Must be more to this sad story.

There is something strange here and the explanation is too convenient for the circumstances

THAT is why US service personnel need to be kept on their bases/ships. He broke the curfew and ended up getting pissed and killing himself. If these guys can't take their drink then they are clearly a danger to themselves.

RIP sailor.

I'm sorry for his relatives.

Nothing suspicious here. Just another terrible tragedy. A sailor that lived his life to the extreme and his choices caught up to him.  Hopefully other young sailors and unfortunately older sailors also will learn from this tragic event.  

The layout of that station is that you can freely walk down the tracks to the station without need of climbing over anything from a short distance away. I am sure there will be more information tomorrow, Such as it is I prefer not to speculate, RIP.

Man this is tragic. 25 too young to go! RIP soldier.

Sucks, but when you do stupid things then outcomes like this aren't unexpected.

No mention of how many commuters were "inconvenienced" as is usually announced in stories like this.

I'd suggest a buddy system be put in place, but not much you can do when a guy skips out on his own. It's a bloody shame what happened to him. ... mind you, depending on who is CO was he might have gotten off lightly... sneaking off base, being drunk and disorderly, breaking curfew... he would have been lucky if he CO didn't skin him alive.

basroil

So you don't think it's at all possible that he was wandering around on his own despondent and self-medicating with alcohol, found himself at the deserted station when he reached the point at which he decided to commit suicide, and climbed the nearest train to electrocute himself because that was the most convenient available method to him at the time? Hardly rational or highly probable to you and me comfortably typing away at home on our computers but it might have made a lot of sense at the time to a drunk suicidal individual alone in middle of the night on a train platform in a foreign country...

I don't think people try to commit suicide by getting electrocuted then falling.

Electrocution is probably one of the better ways to go. That was the whole rationale behind the electric chair after all. It's certainly better than throwing yourself in front of a train. This whole thing sounds weird and suicide is probably the most sensible explanation I've heard yet.

I'd suggest a buddy system be put in place, but not much you can do when a guy skips out on his own.

I have never been a fan of this and resented it in my time in the USN. When you are back in the US, you don't have to have a liberty buddy. And if anyone has ever been to a place like 32nd St. Naval Station in San Diego, it is one of the roughest areas of the city with gang problems, yet you don't have to have a buddy to leave the ship.

Being a buddy can lead to more trouble than what you may try to solve. If you have one person intent on doing wrong, maybe if they were by themselves they would think twice. But if you have two people with the same things on their minds, then they may be more apt to act on it.

Remember, that case in Okinawa was caused by two guys out together and not one.

When I looked at his Facebook pictures and saw his enthusiasm for climbing my first thought was being drunk and thinking "if I can climb a mountain I can climb this train" I have been around the military my whole life and I have seen it all..... And 99% of it happens when people are drunk. Whether or not JT has all the facts or has them straight I would guess he climbed the train maybe drank some more, maybe assed out, slipped and got electrocuted then fell. If we had photos of the scene we may all understand more. The only conspiracy I would accept with the info at hand was that he was drinking with someone else who may have dared him to do such a thing and that person may have run away after the accident as they knew they would get it no trouble. Just my two cents!

Wait a sec, wait a sec . . .

The police believe this man died from electrocution after climibing up on a train, and further believe that he managed to fall, dead, conveniently right next to the very pile of alcoholic beverages that police also believe put him into the state of mind to climb up onto the train in the first place?

Is this really the level of police work that's being dedicated to this case? Seriously?

It sounds like the police have closed the case but won't the NCIS look into this matter ? Can anyone enlighten this poster i would like to know as an american with relatives in service abroad,thank you!

Is this really the level of police work that's being dedicated to this case? Seriously?

Is this really the kind of comment or conclusion you should be making? Seriously?

"Beside him were empty cans" becomes "right next to" becomes "level of police work".

All of the information available has not been made public, that I am sure of.

lets hope there is a proper post mortem. i assume that they will do one on base - if left to the japanese authorities he could have died of an allergic reaction.

It's quite a common trend on JT, for some things are a vast massive conspiracy and the police are to be blamed FOR EVERYTHING. Not everything in the world is a massive conspiracy, the article even without all the evidence does not sound fishy or "looks too convenient" (seriously stop watching CSI or reading Sherlock Holmes).

@Daijoboots

Care to make some more guesses?

I was making a direct reference to the information in the story.

Ahh the wonders of being able to read Japanese.

Me too. I just checked ANN, Asahi and Yomiuri on a Japanese news portal. All references to cans are of the empty variety. No mention of any unopened cans or a "bag."

Beside him were empty cans of a popular alcoholic drink containing shochu

Alcohol, the root of all evil.

All references to cans are of the empty variety. No mention of any unopened cans or a "bag."

Let's edit that a little shall we so that it doesn't purport to be so definitive.

Here are some examples for you. "All references that I saw..." "I didn't see any mention of any unopened cans or a "bag"

@ frungy What are you talking about? Tons of military members live off base, this fella among them an Haiki train station is about 15 km away from the nearest base area. So for all we know he was out going for a walk from his home. This lock them all up in the base mentality is one of people that don't really understand the situation. Yes he was probably out from his house after curfew, yes if true that was wrong. But for once look at this whole situation from a services persons point of view. I am at my apartment house etc. I am being asked to stay inside between 11-5 because of something that a couple idiots did a thousand miles away; they don't even live here. I want to go out for a walk so I am going to do it. Also all this talk of alcohol. Until there is more evidence than some "empty cans" I will not be relying to heavily on that theory, There is enough empty cans and garbage lying around this country normally to not discount that it was there already. Also Until NCIS does an investigation I wouldn't discount anything, because just look at a lot of the crime articles here, the Japanese Police are not know for their excellent track records in investigations. Especially the Sasebo Police.

There so much more to this story that probably isn't going to come out. And Haiki station has cameras, my wife pointed them out to me.. ( only cuz I was trying to get some lovin' one night there ) ... blush And it's hard for me to believe he was alone. I don't know, this one is complicated.

USNinJapan2Oct. 29, 2012 - 11:40PM JST

So you don't think it's at all possible that he was wandering around on his own despondent and self-medicating with alcohol, found himself at the deserted station when he reached the point at which he decided to commit suicide, and climbed the nearest train to electrocute himself because that was the most convenient available method to him at the time?

Most people don't even know that the lines are live even after the stations close (look at one of the posts above). And if he had tried to electrocute himself, he would:

1) Be barefoot, possibly soaked in water or beer.

2) He would have grabbed the cable with his hands rather than his back

i dont know... it would appear that Matt Simon seems to have a very lucid view of how servicemen actually live down in Sasebo, including details of how easy it would be to waltz into that particular station. Were those cans his? There are details which need to be sorted out and identified... as DJ Karma says, this one is complicated. Questions of his true BAC remain - Japan notoriously waits to do BAC checks until its too late... Happened to a drunk driver who hit my car about 15 years ago. Maybe theyve improved, but i doubt. As Matt says, "especially Sasebo police."

Don't think he was alone when this happened given the number of empty cans lying around. Would hate to imagine however others leaving him behind. Detailed facts will never be revealed in any event unless any witnesses show up.

There is something fishy about this. It is unlikely he would climb onto the roof of a train for kicks if he was alone. - I always said, Chu-Hi will kill you.

You can read all the Japanese articles here http://tinyurl.com/9rmsp5p The cans were found in his rucksack. Sankei Newspaper says that some of the five cans were empty. http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/news/121029/crm12102908060002-n1.htm CNN says that there were 7 or 8 cans (mentioning no empties)　and no stuff (mochimono) other than the rucksack one presumes http://www.cnn.co.jp/world/35023736.html TV Asahi has video footage showing the place http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/ann/news/web/html/221029002.html This blog has photos http://monhai1976.at.webry.info/200810/article_45.html A bit too brave. RIP

"LOL" is all i can think of right now.

"LOL" is all i can think of right now

Probably best if you didn't.

i did. twice.

Daijoboots,

"All of the information available has not been made public, that I am sure of."

If that's the case, then perhaps you'd care to illuminate why the information that has been released to the public would contain something so preposterous as to suggest that a man electrocuted atop a train would happen to fall right next an incriminating pile of empty alcohol containers.

"He was bleeding from the head. Beside him were empty cans of a popular alcoholic drink containing shochu and flavored with lemon, police said.

Damned right I'm questioning the level of police work here.

Perhaps you can further illuminate why the police would even mention a pile of empty alcohol containers if not for the sole purpose of planting in the reading public's mind an image of a man who drank too much and brought on his own demise. This may very well be the case at some point in this tale, but to release that information along with the hypothesis that they man died the way the police think he did suggests, at the very least, gross laziness on the part of the investigators.

If you're privy to some germaine clue that clears this all up, please, by all means, do share with us. Or at the very least please stop trying to leave me agog me with your singularly foolish blind faith in everything the police say or do.

According to the article at the link below, "5 shuuhai cans, including some empties, were found nearby on the train tracks and on the platform":

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/news/121029/crm12102908060002-n1.htm

His Facebook pictures are disturbing. RIP Sailor. I'm just glad he didn't hurt anyone in the process of all of this. Sad story...another black check mark for the military. Wow!

It sounds like he was sitting on top of the train enjoying his shuuhai's and his shoulder hit the wire and sent him tumbling to the platform. He could have been chucking the cans on the platform thus explaining why they were around him. If he was killed like that I hope they send a bill to the base for littering, trespassing and cleanup of his body.

According to some news reports two trains were held up and 200 people were inconvenienced, as a result of this sad accident. So as in the case of families of those that commit suicide and thereby hold up trains and inconvenience commuters, there may be damages to pay for those inconvenienced.

@timtak

Not any more. It is against the law to demand compensation from suicide victims families and if a company ask repeatedly they are liable to prosecution for harassment.

Damned right I'm questioning the level of police work here.

Ooh. I look forward to you taking your case to the commissioner's office. Before you go, please note that - as has been posted above - the "incriminating cans" you speak of were not found "right next to" the man but on the platform and on the train line below.

planting in the reading public's mind an image of a man who drank too much and brought on his own demise. This may very well be the case at some point

Whoaaaaaa! Well which is it?!! Planting of an image, or, as you admit, what just very well may turn out to be, and wait for it, the simple truth!

It was the train staff (who were the ones to discover the body) who are the source of information by the way - take your conspiracy theories up with them if they are satisfactory enough as a target for your oh so scathing critique.

Daijoboots,

" . . . the "incriminating cans" you speak of were not found "right next to" the man but on the platform and on the train line below."

I now see where our failure to see eye to eye arises from. Apparently, you missed an important line in the article. If I may direct your attention to the second paragraph, last sentence:

"Beside him were empty cans of a popular alcoholic drink containing shochu and flavored with lemon, police said."

The cans were reportedly found beside him. How you can interpret this as, "on the platform and on the train line below" is a complete mystery, but according to the article abve, information contrary to what you're claiming was provided by the police.

Are you reading a different article here at JT? Or maybe you saw different or updated information at another site. If so, again, please share the link and spare me the snarkiness.

Meanwhile, the article above, if read as-is, suggests piss-poor detective skills and irresponsible presumption on the part of the investigating officers. That you can't or won't see this certainly won't keep me up at nights, but I do feel a bit of pity for you and your loved ones if you ever find yourself on the wrong side of a similarly shoddy police investigation.

I now see where our failure to see eye to eye arises from. Apparently, you missed an important line in the article.

No I saw the line. You however have read too much into it, then saying things like "right next to" and going so far as to call the cans "incriminating." Your conspiracy plot has blinded you to all other information provided in this thread that suggests that "beside him" should not be interpretated as "incriminatingly right next to him."

Meanwhile, the article above, if read as-is, suggests piss-poor detective skills and irresponsible presumption on the part of the investigating officers

Again that is your blurred interpretation of events. It is clear however that you have been watching too much CSI, and not enough of anything else.

Sorry, but shuuhais ???? I have to drink 20 Shuuhais to get drunk.

It's all carbonated too !!!! It's like drinking Mountain Dew !!!!

Something else happened

Take the DNA off the Shuuhai cans and let's fid the real answer or an autopsy.

Whiskey, you might be drinking the wrong ones man. Take about 5 or 6 of the SPARX 9%'ers. Those will do the trick. But if your like a 20,30 year drinker... yea, it might take 20 of 'em.

You however have read too much into it, then saying things like "right next to" and going so far as to call the cans "incriminating."

If by "read too much into" you mean "possess a rudimentary grasp of the basic definition of English words," then yes, guilty as charged. How exactly do you define the word, "beside"? Oh, wait. I remember. It means, "on the platform and on the train line below." Fascinating.

Roget's Thesaurus entry for "beside":

Synonyms:

a step from, abreast of, adjacent to, adjoining, alongside, aside, at one's elbow, at the edge of, at the side of, bordering on, by, cheek by jowl, close at hand, close to, close upon, connected with, contiguous to, fornent, in juxtaposition, near, nearby, neck and neck, neighboring, next door to, nigh, opposite, overlooking, round, side by side, verging on, with

Notes:

beside is a preposition meaning 'next to, alongside, by the side of'; besides is a conjunction or adverb meaning 'in addition, moreover, at the same time' or 'also' but it does not mean 'alternatively'

"Your conspiracy plot has blinded you to all other information provided in this thread"

One, I've never suggested a conspiracy here (Unless, of course you define the word differently from the rest of the English speaking world, in which case I'm at a clear disadvantage in this exchange).

What has and continues to strike me about what the poice are speculating in the above article is that it their theories are fantastical and suggest a less-than-thorough investigation before blabbing to the press about this man's demise.

Two, "all other information provided in this thread"?? What information? Your contributions? I've asked you repeatedly for links that might clear this all up and bring me around to your way of thinking, but so far, all I've gotten is more of your seeming habitual snideness.

Methinks thou art being obstinate just for the sake of being so.

"watching too much CSI"

Never seen the show. Not even a little bit.

What has and continues to strike me about what the poice are speculating in the above article is that it their theories are fantastical and suggest a less-than-thorough investigation before blabbing to the press about this man's demise.

Just who are the poice? I think your lack of a rudimentary grasp of the basic spelling of English words is contributing to your vast conspiracy theories. It would also be of enormous (yes, enormous) benefit for you to know that it was not poice blabbing to the press, but rather train staff were interviewed.

What information? Your contributions? I've asked you repeatedly for links that might clear this all up and bring me around to your way of thinking, but so far, all I've gotten is more of your seeming habitual snideness.

Have you even read this thread or only seen what you want to? I refer you to the post at 12.27pm on Oct 30.

"Just who are the poice?"

So you've decided to raise simple snideness to full-blown asshattery over a typo? Keeping it classy. Much appreciated. Kick any puppies today?

Meanwhile, I already looked at the articles that you seem to be trying to take some sort of roundabout credit for (actual thanks goes to Timtak), and Holy Hannah, imagine everyone's surprise to find they contain the same information as the article above, except . . . wait for it! . . . in Japanese! Gasp!!

Again, if you've got specific info that indicates the alcohol containers were found anywhere else but right next to him, as the police reported (that's what, "police said" in the article means, if you're confused again)., then share. Otherwise, go have a smoke to mellow out or whatever it is puppy kickers do when they're on a spite bender.

Meanwhile, I already looked at the articles that you seem to be trying to take some sort of roundabout credit for

No. I just didn't feel the need to mention his or her handle.

if you've got specific info that indicates the alcohol containers were found anywhere else but right next to him

Read them again. Your conspiracy goggles are probably super fogged up to the point that you can't see the words shuuhen and senronai, neither of which gel with your straight-from-the-latest-series-of CSI "incriminatingly right next to him."

Something's a bit dodgy about this. He got drunk, climbed on top of a train, was supposedly electrocuted, then happened to fall back on the platform just beside the cans he was drinking from? It's possible, of course, but burn marks can also come from tasers. I doubt we'll hear a follow up either way, but it's interesting how the J-media here immediately jumps on any 'alleged' assault and people are immediately outraged, but when it's the death of a US service-person it's immediately assumed that the death is the result of personal stupidity and was an accident.

In any case, RIP.

Damn. Dying from electrocution! That's a sad way to go... I hope he is resting in peace.