TOCHIGI (TR) – Tochigi Prefectural Police on Sunday confirmed that a body discovered on a property in Mooka City is that of a 21-year-old woman who went missing last month, reports the Sankei Shimbun (May 24).
Police said that a DNA analysis and examination of fingerprints and teeth impressions identified the body as that of Manami Hirasawa, a resident of Utsunomiya City. An autopsy revealed the cause of death to be suffocation.
On May 18, police arrested Yasuhiro Ishizaki, 42, and Maya Tezura, 25, for removing eight million yen in cash from Hirasawa’s bank account on April 6.
The suspects have admitted to the allegations, telling police that they committed the crime to pay back debts. The pair also said they killed Hirasawa inside a car.
On May 22, police discovered the body of Hirasawa buried on the property of the parents of Ishizaki. She appeared to have been strangled with an electric cord.
