Police honor Setagaya murder victims

[Simbi Laveau]

http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/setagaya-family-murders-remain-unsolved-after-12-years?utm_campaign=jt_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=jt_newsletter_2012-12-31_PM

Mikio Miyazawa, 44, his 41-year-old wife Yasuko, 8-year-old daughter Niina, and 6-year-old son Rei, were found dead on the morning of Dec 31, 2000. Miyazawa’s son had been strangled, and the other three had been stabbed to death. Fingerprints and other evidence in the home indicate the killer used the computer and ate ice cream after the attack on Dec 30, spending up to 11 hours before leaving the next morning .

Police paid respects outside the home where the crime was committed,12 years to the day .The crime remains unsolved .

Edited January 4, 2013 by Simbi Laveau

[libstaK]

http://www.japantoda...r_2012-12-31_PM

Mikio Miyazawa, 44, his 41-year-old wife Yasuko, 8-year-old daughter Niina, and 6-year-old son Rei, were found dead on the morning of Dec 31, 2000. Miyazawa’s son had been strangled, and the other three had been stabbed to death. Fingerprints and other evidence in the home indicate the killer used the computer and ate ice cream after the attack on Dec 30, spending up to 11 hours before leaving the next morning .

Police paid respects outside the home where the crime was committed,12 years to the day .The crime remains unsolved .

There is something intimate and poignant in the way Japan deals with this type of crime - it speaks to a deeply entrenched moral standard and value system when applied to their fellow citizens. I like it.

[Simbi Laveau]

There is something intimate and poignant in the way Japan deals with this type of crime - it speaks to a deeply entrenched moral standard and value system when applied to their fellow citizens. I like it.

*nods*

When I was going to move there,many of my friends and family ,didn't get it .

As a foreign woman especially ,the entire ...slightly arcane way Japan deals with woman ,is also so backward sometimes ,it seemed incomprehensible ,for someone like me,to live there .

But,its things like this,that I appreciated .Just the way they handle certain things,that should be handled delicately ,are .

Hard to explain to some people ,but yes ....honor and respect,even battered as they are there now,still exists .

[Regi]

(Needless to say) if the killer brought the knife to the scene, then we can assume he intended to use it somehow, but there's no apparent motive?

No apparent motive could be revealing about who the perp is.

What stands out to me is that the son was strangled, and the rest of the family were stabbed.

Edited January 4, 2013 by regi

[Simbi Laveau]

(Needless to say) if the killer brought the knife to the scene, then we can assume he intended to use it somehow, but there's no apparent motive?

No apparent motive could be revealing about who the perp is.

What stands out to me is that the son was strangled, and the rest of the family were stabbed.

I don't know what the husband did for a living ,but the fact the computer was used,makes me think it was a work or extra martial affair thing ?

I don't know detail ,or the order they were killed in,as that might be a reason why the boy was strangled . He may have been first .

[Regi]

I've found a few articles I'd like to link to, but they don't work.

The info I've read from various places is that it appeared that the husband was working on the computer on the first floor when he was attacked. They believe it was about 11:00pm, Dec. 30th.

The front door was found locked, and so it's theorized that the perp entered the home through a second floor window, and could have used a key found in the home to lock the door when he left.

The computer was used at about 10:30 am on the 31st, and the site accessed was that of a Tokyo theater group.

The strangulation is out of line with the rest of the scene, and sometimes that can indicate more than one perp, but since I've read more about the evidence, there must have been another reason for that.

The perp left a lot behind: hat, scarf, jacket, gloves, hip bag containing cologne wrapped in a cloth, knife...

There were footprints made by an identified brand of tennis shoe.

The style of the clothing (and I'm sure other evidence) indicate to police that it's a young perp.

One article referred to the crime as "murder/robbery" and I haven't seen it reported what was missing from the home, but even if it was only cash, then I guess that was the motive.

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Suspect+stayed+at+setagaya+home+half+day+after+murders.-a076444278

Edited January 4, 2013 by regi

[Simbi Laveau]

I've found a few articles I'd like to link to, but they don't work.

The info I've read from various places is that it appeared that the husband was working on the computer on the first floor when he was attacked. They believe it was about 11:00pm, Dec. 30th.

The front door was found locked, and so it's theorized that the perp entered the home through a second floor window, and could have used a key found in the home to lock the door when he left.

The computer was used at about 10:30 am on the 31st, and the site accessed was that of a Tokyo theater group.

The strangulation is out of line with the rest of the scene, and sometimes that can indicate more than one perp, but since I've read more about the evidence, there must have been another reason for that.

The perp left a lot behind: hat, scarf, jacket, gloves, hip bag containing cologne wrapped in a cloth, knife...

There were footprints made by an identified brand of tennis shoe.

The style of the clothing (and I'm sure other evidence) indicate to police that it's a young perp.

One article referred to the crime as "murder/robbery" and I haven't seen it reported what was missing from the home, but even if it was only cash, then I guess that was the motive.

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Suspect+stayed+at+setagaya+home+half+day+after+murders.-a076444278

I was actually in japan when this happened ,that's why the article stuck out for me .

The computer usage ,and the fact they left so much behind ,always haunted me.

We discussed it at the time ,and we felt it was some sort of yakuza hit ,disguised to look like a robbery .

Probably a yakuza soldier who enjoys his work ,and either got carried away,or was trying to make a name for themself,as they usually dont kill kids ,Or hang around ?

Dunno .Its a weird one

The mom or dad had to be the target ....but why ?

[Regi]

Simbi, I doubt that because I don't know of any reason the mom or dad would be a target for a hit, and in addition, why the rest of the family would be killed.

It looks to me as though the perp entered the home to see what he could get, and then had nowhere else to go.

The location of the home is interesting...it was one of four situated between two railway stations- I think, less that a mile from either one. Evidence from the perp's clothing indicated that he was a traveler (although, it's possible the clothing could have been stolen, but even so, the other circumstances indicate he likely did travel around.)

The family was said to have been shopping in a shopping arcade near one of those stations near their home in the "early evening of the 30th" so, it's possible they could have been stalked from there, or the perp simply passed by on the way to the other station, and for some reason, chose their home to enter.

Also, the perp must have had other clothing to change into. I think it's likely he came with another bag... unless he replaced what he'd been wearing with clothing belonging to the dad.

There's info. that " while in school, (the dad) was active in producing puppeton animation and acting in theater work."

That's interesting because it's reported that the perp accessed a theater web site.

I don't know if there could be a connection there (that the perp was familiar- or had some association- with the dad through that), or if it's simply a coincidence, or if the info. is mistaken that it was the perp who accessed the site as opposed to the dad.

I think when there's nowhere to go in an investigation, then authorities should start over, and reevaluate the evidence...maybe take leads that might appeared to have dead-ended at the time, a little further.

It's possible that some little something could have been missed, or even possible that info they've gone on is actually incorrect.

Fortunately, they have DNA if and when a POI/suspect emerges.

Robbery/assault POI's/suspects should also be considered for comparison.

Edited January 8, 2013 by regi

[Simbi Laveau]

Simbi, I doubt that because I don't know of any reason the mom or dad would be a target for a hit, and in addition, why the rest of the family would be killed.

It looks to me as though the perp entered the home to see what he could get, and then had nowhere else to go.

The location of the home is interesting...it was one of four situated between two railway stations- I think, less that a mile from either one. Evidence from the perp's clothing indicated thaot he was a traveler (although, it's possible the clothing could have been stolen, but even so, the other circumstances indicate he likely did travel around.)

The family was said to have been shopping in a shopping arcade near one of those stations near their home in the "early evening of the 30th" so, it's possible they could have been stalked from there, or the perp simply passed by on the way to the other station, and for some reason, chose their home to enter.

Also, the perp must have had other clothing to change into. I think it's likely he came with another bag... unless he replaced what he'd been wearing with clothing belonging to the dad.

There's info. that " while in school, (the dad) was active in producing puppeton animation and acting in theater work."

That's interesting because it's reported that the perp accessed a theater web site.

I don't know if there could be a connection there (that the perp was familiar- or had some association- with the dad through that), or if it's simply a coincidence, or if the info. is mistaken that it was the perp who accessed the site as opposed to the dad.

I think when there's nowhere to go in an investigation, then authorities should start over, and reevaluate the evidence...maybe take leads that might appeared to have dead-ended at the time, a little further.

It's possible that some little something could have been missed, or even possible that info they've gone on is actually incorrect.

Fortunately, they have DNA if and when a POI/suspect emerges.

Robbery/assault POI's/suspects should also be considered for comparison.

You never know who's involved with the yakuza there,or why .

You can become indebted to the yakuza via a family member ,or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Family members are always the target in unpaid yakuza debts .The police are also in many yakuza pockets ,and could easily be why the case remains "unsolved".

Organized crime permeates almost everything there.

Edited January 9, 2013 by Simbi Laveau