In a homicide case, a confession that features a motive by the wrongdoer is without doubt one of the most vital parts in getting a conviction for the prosecution. Nevertheless, equally essential is the existence of a corpse.
Within the killing of Tatsunari Ito within the Nishi Kawaguchi red-light district of Kawaguchi Metropolis, Saitama Prefecture in 2016, prosecutors didn’t have a physique, as a result of the perpetrators had dismembered and burned it.
The destruction of the corpse additionally delayed the invention of the case by regulation enforcement by a number of years. The outcome was six of the seven perpetrators not being prosecuted for against the law for the reason that statute of limitations on destruction and abandonment of a corpse had expired.
The lone defendant to face prices was Kazuharu Shimada, a one-time member of the Yamaguchi-gumi legal syndicate, who was convicted of homicide in 2022.
In getting that conviction, the prosecution might not have been capable of depend on the existence of a corpse however they did have smartphone video of the incident as shot by the perpetrators.
Shukan Bunshun (Dec. 2022) was current within the courtroom for the trial proceedings on the finish of 2022. Primarily based on the reporting of the weekly tabloid, the assault of Ito was extended and ugly. Within the third installment (components one and two are right here and right here, The Tokyo Reporter editorial workforce presents in stunning element what Shimada instructed the courtroom.
Another person did it
The incident, which came about in Hawaiian Bar Lapule, was recorded on movies left on the smartphones of those that have been within the institution over the night time of March 17, 2016 and the next morning.
The named perpetrators are Shimada and Junya Motohashi, the proprietor of Lapule. The 5 others — together with Motohashi’s girlfriend, his driver and three unnamed henchmen — weren’t recognized. (As beforehand reported, Motohashi later killed himself after his arrest in 2021.)
On the trial, Shimada admitted to the assault of Ito and the mutilation and abandonment of his physique, two prices which he was not accused of. Nevertheless, he denied committing homicide, which he was indicted for. “I didn’t do it,” he stated, as Bunshun reviews.
Ito, aged 24 on the time, at one level had been courting the daughter of Shimada. As beforehand reported, the obvious motive for the crime was Ito’s use of a smartphone supplied to him by Shimada after he had reduce off a relationship with the daughter and allegations that he had been swindling prospects at Lapule.
Shimada’s protection lawyer argued, “The statements of these concerned on the investigation stage and the trial stage differ tremendously,” implying that individuals aside from Shimada had colluded to cowl up the reality, and that it was another person who killed Ito.
The prosecution claimed in any other case.
Set his head on fireplace
The assault of Ito started after Motohashi referred to as Shimada to the bar that night time. They first dragged him into the toilet and assaulted him. They then pulled him to the primary ground of the bar.
As Ito pleaded with them to cease, Shimada lit his penis with a lighter, then poured alcohol over his head, which Motohashi set on fireplace, inflicting his head to burst into flames.
In accordance with the prosecutor’s clarification of proof, one video recorded Ito’s screaming voice, “It’s scorching, it’s scorching!” As properly, there have been cheers of “Ohhh!” and chants of “Hearth, fireplace!” from these within the bar.
Subsequent, Motohashi stomped on Ito’s writhing head, and Shimada, holding a razor, shaved his hair and eyebrows. He then sprayed the identical liquid round his genital space and set him on fireplace once more.
Because the assault continued, Ito begged for forgiveness. Motohashi then demanded that he masturbate. With others within the bar current, Ito started masturbating, and Shimada started a countdown. Ito, who continued to plead for them to cease, even caught one in every of his fingers in a plastic bottle and tried to interrupt it.
“An unreasonable facet”
In the course of the trial, Shimada defined the relationships of the individuals who had gathered on the bar that night. This included Motohashi, in response to Bunshun.
“Motohashi had a variety of good factors from my perspective, however he additionally had an unreasonable facet that made him do outrageous issues,” he stated. “He was violent in the direction of younger ladies that he liked. He used medicine lots. After I arrived on the bar, there have been [the three henchmen] there, they usually have been following what Motohashi stated, so I spotted that they have been Motohashi’s ‘younger males.’ So far as I can inform, both then or afterwards, I by no means noticed the three refusing to do what Motohashi stated. One in all them used kakuseizai (methamphetamine) with Motohashi. He additionally bought [that drug] for revenue.”
Shimada stated he went to the bar as a result of “so far as I keep in mind, Motohashi referred to as me.”
The defendant instructed the courtroom: “It was late at night time and he stated, ‘I’ve one thing vital to inform you, so please come.’ It took about an hour to get to the bar from my home. Motohashi, his associates, and the sufferer have been there on the time, they usually have been all yelling and making noise.”
In accordance with Shimada, they have been speaking about Ito stealing cash from prospects. “That’s when he referred to as me,” the defendant stated, “and after I requested what they have been speaking about, that’s after they first talked about [my] daughter’s smartphone.”
“Standing there bare”
Shimada was as soon as a member of the Yamaguchi-gumi. However on the time of the incident he was now not affiliated with them. In truth, he had work at an everyday job scheduled to start out early on March 18. At one level throughout the assault, he left Lapule, contacted somebody from his firm, gave them directions on the work to be accomplished within the morning, and returned to the bar.
“[Ito] was already standing there bare,” Shimada testified. “Motohashi was kicking [him]. His girlfriend was complaining about all kinds of issues. She was saying issues like, ‘You’re utilizing ladies as toys,’ ‘You’re tricking ladies and utilizing violence on them for carnal functions,’ ‘You’re the enemy of girls,’ and he or she appeared excited…Nobody stopped her. Listening to her excited phrases, I considered my very own daughter and obtained excited, and I joined in.”
Bunshun goes on to say that at one level Shimada stated Ito was made to take a seat on the bathroom seat whereas tied up with a rope. In addition they fed him sleeping capsules. “I can’t say who it was, however somebody introduced a rope from someplace and tied up [Ito]. It wasn’t me, however I can’t say [who it was] right here.” Shimada stated.
His lawyer requested, “Was it Motohashi or one of many youthful males who was ordered by Motohashi?” Shimada stated, “In all probability somebody underneath Motohashi, who offers orders however doesn’t do something.”
After tying up the sufferer, everybody within the bar, together with Motohashi, went out to eat. Shimada stated, “I didn’t really feel like going out to eat with everybody on this scenario.” So, he stayed within the bar alone.
Motohashi returned some time later and ordered his underlings to carry Ito again to the ground. “You’re going to a homosexual bar now, you’re going to get your ass handed to you,” Motohashi declared.
At this level, Shimada felt that Motohashi’s habits had modified as a consequence of his use of methamphetamine.
“He had calmed down on the time,” Shimada stated. “However then I spotted that he had been utilizing medicine. So I went to [Ito] and instructed him to be quiet and never make a fuss, and instructed the youthful guys to maintain quiet. I referred to as Motohashi right into a sales space and began speaking to him.”
They concluded that in the event that they let Ito go he would run to the police.
Chanted a Buddhist prayer
Motohashi then approached Ito and began to push him. Ito then stated loudly, “Please cease, I received’t run away.” Pondering Motohashi would get excited once more, Shimada put duct tape over the sufferer’s mouth. “I instructed you to be quiet,” he stated.
Motohashi resumed the violence. “I assumed [the assault] had began once more,” Shimada stated, “so I turned my again on the sufferer and performed with my mobile phone.”
As for the precise homicide, Shimada stated, “I noticed [one of the henchmen] doing one thing on the orders of Motohashi, straddling [Ito]. Behind him, Motohashi was standing on the sufferer. He was doing one thing unseemly. I can’t keep in mind at what stage it was, however Motohashi was additionally strangling the sufferer.”
He added, “I didn’t attempt to cease Motohashi as a result of it will make him much more excited.”
Shimada stated that ultimately, Motohashi and his subordinates killed the sufferer, and that he was not concerned.
The prosecution instructed a unique model. They claimed it was Shimada who put a rope round Ito’s neck and strangled him with each arms. He then put his weight on the sufferer’s face and stomped on him along with his shoe.
In the course of the killing, Motohashi held Ito’s physique and chanted a Buddhist prayer, the prosecution concluded.
What are you going to do?
After the homicide, Shimada talked to Motohashi in the identical sales space. Together with his thoughts clean and almost unable to talk, he managed to say, “That is no joke, what are you going to do?”
Then, throughout the dialog, Motohashi requested, “Are you able to mince [Ito] on the negitoro manufacturing unit owned by your relative?”
“I can’t do this,” Shimada responded. However Motohashi continued. “Can’t you permit [Ito] within the firm freezer?” he requested.
“I’ll do one thing about it inside a day or two,” Shimada lastly stated.
The gamers > The sufferer > The smartphones > The witnesses > The attraction
