AICHI (TR) – Aichi Prefectural Police have applied fresh charges of murder to two men in custody in connection with the death of a 28-year-old male acquaintance who went missing in Nagoya earlier this year, reports the Asahi Shimbun (June 6).
On around February 23, Yuji Noma, 30, Takuya Hattori, 22, used some unspecified means to kill Ryosuke Okada, a 28-year-old employee at a restaurant, at a residence in Nagoya. Police did not reveal whether the suspects admit to the allegations.
Police had previously accused Hirofumi Kutsuna, 25, and Hattori of destroying Okada’s corpse at a residence in Inazawa City on February 24 and 25. Police believe that the suspects cut the corpse of Okada into pieces near the residence, which is occupied by Hattori. The head and chest were packed into an oil drum which was set ablaze.
On April 25, police sent Kutsuna, Noma, Daiki Haruuchi, 29, and Kazuma Nishida, 27, to prosecutors for abducting Okada for the purpose of assault. According to the indictment, Kutsuna lured Okada to the restaurant to discuss an investment-related matter on February 23.
Haruuchi and Nishida, who were waiting at the restaurant, worked with Kutsuna in abducting Okada to the apartment in Nagoya’s Higashi Ward to assault him. Thereafter, the whereabouts of Okada became unknown, police said.
Okada referred personnel to a staffing agency operated by Noma. Okada is believed to have encountered a money-related problem with Noma, police said previously.
