SAITAMA (TR) – Prosecutors here have demanded a 13-year prison sentence for a Saitama man accused of murdering two suicidal women to satisfy his daily “murderous impulses.”
The grim crime spree that only came to light when police found a victim’s skull decorating his bedroom, reports TV Asahi (June 17).
Jun Saito is currently standing trial for “consensual murder.” His horrific crimes remained completely undetected for nearly a decade until a petty, unrelated theft tipped off authorities.
In 2022, Saito was arrested for pickpocketing a smartphone from a woman’s backpack on an escalator at Saitama-Shintoshin Station. When investigators subsequently searched his family apartment for evidence of the theft, they stumbled upon a macabre display in his bedroom: three skulls lined up on a decorative shelf.
Police determined that one skull was a wooden replica and another had been purchased online. However, the third was real and belonged to 21-year-old Kaho Miyamoto.
Second victim
Saito was subsequently charged with killing Miyamoto with her consent at his home in 2018. However, as the trial progressed, prosecutors revealed the existence of a second victim. In 2015, Saito met a Yokohama woman on an internet suicide forum. Believing he “could kill lonely people,” he had the woman write a suicide note before murdering her to make her death appear self-inflicted.
Taking the stand, Saito spoke frankly about his dark psychological state, testifying that he had experienced a clear “murderous impulse” almost every day since junior high school. “It gets to the point where I can’t think of anything else,” he told the court.
He admitted to wandering the streets to stalk random strangers, waiting for an opportunity to strike. He recounted one instance where he tackled a woman pulling a suitcase and held a knife to her. However, he let her go when she begged for her life. “I thought it wasn’t right to attack someone who is living for tomorrow,” Saito explained.
Instead, he turned his attention to those who wanted to die. Saito confessed that he modeled his disposal methods after the notorious 2017 Zama serial killings, in which a man murdered and dismembered nine suicidal people in his apartment.
When asked by prosecutors how he felt after committing the murders, Saito replied, “I felt calm.” He added that he “does not deeply regret” his actions.
Soft-spoken youth
Neighbors painted a contrasting picture of the defendant, describing him as a gentle, soft-spoken youth. Acquaintances noted that Saito became a severe recluse after his older brother died in a traffic accident during their childhood. Operating in secret, Saito kept his bedroom door strictly locked, preventing even his parents from discovering his morbid collection.
During a hearing on June 17, a heart-wrenching statement from Miyamoto’s mother was read aloud to the court. Rejecting any notion that Saito acted out of twisted mercy, she stated, “He might want to portray himself as a good Samaritan, but that is entirely wrong. My daughter’s life was stolen merely to satisfy his urges. I didn’t want a complete stranger to be the one to hold her at the end.”
Prosecutors are seeking a 13-year prison term, arguing that Saito manipulated the vulnerable women with clever words to fulfill his own violent desires. The defense has asked the court to consider the context of the victims’ consent in their sentencing.
