FUKUSHIMA (TR) – Fukushima Prefectural Police last month arrested a 27-year-old man living in Koriyama City on suspicion of abandoning the corpse of his younger sister inside his apartment, with the suspect hinting he is responsible for her death.
Sources close to Satoshi Kataoka tell News Post Seven (Sep. 1) that the suspect was saddled with debts.
Kataoka, a local bar manager, was taken into custody on August 28. The arrest followed a chilling emergency call made by Kataoka himself at approximately 2:47 a.m. the previous day.
“I left my sister at home,” he told police dispatchers, suggesting his direct involvement in the death of 23-year-old Yuri Konnai.
While Konnai’s body initially showed no visible external trauma, an autopsy revealed she likely died of asphyxiation due to neck compression.
According to investigative sources, Kataoka has made statements suggesting he killed her, though his exact timeline remains vague.
Newly built apartment
Police believe the siblings met at a local restaurant just hours before the incident, and that Kataoka strangled his sister at another location before transporting her body back to his newly built, two-story apartment about 10 minutes from JR Koriyama Station.
Neighbors at the quiet 10-unit apartment complex reported hearing no disturbances or loud noises on the night of the incident.
The grisly case has shocked the local nightlife district, where the siblings were famous for being incredibly close. In December of last year, the pair co-opened a “girls’ bar” in a commercial building near the station.
“It’s unbelievable”
Acquaintances described Kataoka as a mild-mannered, handsome man who heavily doted on his younger sister and would frequently drive her home after their shifts. He was also reportedly overjoyed by the recent birth of Konnai’s baby girl.
“He came to greet me when they opened the shop. He was boasting about his new niece, saying how cute she was,” a neighboring business owner said. “I have absolutely no idea of any dark rumors. If he really killed her, it’s unbelievable.”
However, beneath the surface of the “doting brother” facade, Kataoka appeared to be buckling under financial pressure.
A clerk at a nearby bar recalled Kataoka once drinking and complaining that “money is tight right now,” suggesting he was struggling with loans taken out to open their business. Another local restaurant employee revealed that Konnai had recently confided in them, saying, “My brother has debt.”
Terrifying temper
Signs of trouble at the siblings’ bar had also become apparent in recent weeks. The pair were rarely seen at the establishment, and days before the murder, a massive pile of uncollected wet towels was seen sitting outside the closed shop’s door.
Acquaintances also noted that despite his usually calm demeanor, Kataoka was known to have a terrifying temper when angered, and pointed out that his sister sported heavy tattoos.
Fukushima Prefectural Police are continuing to investigate the exact timeline of the murder and the underlying financial troubles that may have driven a brother to strangle his own sister.
