Yokosuka murder update
Just realised a mistake in my previous post about this murder. My title was “possible murder on the mainland”. In retrospect, I don’t think there was any doubt about whether the taxi driver was dead. Usually having a kitchen knife through the neck & going into the lung, and having a lack of pulse would indicate a case of “death”! In fact, not too sure what I meant there, but I’ll put it down to being at the end of a week. With that in mind, I don’t know how this entry will turn out as I have been working all weekend too, but I’ll give it a go!
Well the US Navy sailor who appears to be a suspect in this case has been detained by the US military, but only on account of his desertion. Japanese authorities have not even asked the military to speak to him yet, nevermind him being turned over to them. US Navy Forces Japan Commander Rear Admiral James Kelly said that they would comply fully with the investigation though, and that access to the sailor would be given if requested. “There has been no request to my knowledge at this point but my response will be immediate…if and when police investigators ask”. He also added, “The sailor…is in custody for desertion… he is not under suspicion of anything attached to the murder at this point.” Whether that is just spin and PR I don’t know. It does seem a little suspicious that the usually trigger-happy police (especially when it comes to foreigners in Japan) has not even made a request to speak to this guy, when the news stories have all been giving the “Taxi driver murder - US sailor prime suspect” kind of spiel. The sailor in question had been missing and classed as deserting since March 8th, and has denied any involvement in the murder. Whether that’s the case or not, will hopefully come out in time.
In other news in Japan (and news that has made the international feeds, as opposed to this story above), is a man going on a bit of a frenzy with a knife in a shopping centre in Ibaraki. One person has been killed and 7 injured (including a police officer). The man, 24-year old Masahiro Kanagawa was arrested by police following the incident. He was already on Japan’s wanted list on suspicion of stabbing to death a 72-year old resident in the area last Wednesday. Knife attacks seem to be the fashionable thing at the moment in Japan. I was chatting with my friend yesterday about it, and tongue firmly in cheek, we pondered how this could be linked to the US military. “Inspired by recent violent acts committed by the barbarian round-eyes…” or such headlines were possible things we came up with!
More info on both of these stories when it comes in.
or Discuss this Article
