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Chile rejects request to detain man wanted in suspected murder of Japanese woman

Nicolas Zepeda Contreras is wanted by France in the killing of Narumi Kurosaki (TV Asahi)
Nicolas Zepeda Contreras is wanted by France in the killing of Narumi Kurosaki (TV Asahi)

CHILE (TR) – A Chilean judge on Friday in Santiago rejected France’s request to arrest a Chilean man wanted in the suspected abduction and killing of a Japanese student.

The Supreme Court of Chile rejected a request from French authorities to detain and hand over Nicolas Zepeda Contreras, 26, a former boyfriend of Narumi Kurosaki, 21, a Tokyo native enrolled at a university in Besancon, eastern France, TV Asahi reports (Feb. 4).

The court ruled that there was “insufficient evidence proving the male suspect’s involvement in the crime” and concluded that the “detention of the man cannot be accepted.”

The court barred Contreras from leaving the country for two months, meaning future developments will hinge on whether French authorities can submit new evidence.

Contreras, described by French authorities as an “extremely dangerous individual,” was making preparations to carry out the premeditated murder.

Authorities found that Contreras bought garbage bags, detergent and some kind of fuel at a shopping mall in eastern France prior to the alleged premeditated murder.

Kurosaki was last known to have returned to her university dormitory with the suspect on December 4 after they ate at a restaurant on the outskirts of Besancon. Several students at her dormitory told police they heard a scream late that night.

Contreras is believed to have imposed a condition on Kurosaki that she had to fulfill until September 21, 2016 for her to maintain a relationship with him.

The 26-year-old suspect can be heard saying in a video he allegedly uploaded in September 2016 that she “needs to build trust and she needs to pay a little cost for what she did…If until the 21st of September she follows all the conditions, I’m going to [forgive her]” in a video titled “Statement.”