OKINAWA (TR) – Okinawa Prefectural Police are investigating the brutal murder of a 23-year-old woman who was stabbed to death at her apartment in in Ginowan City this week.
According to RBC (Oct. 1), the boyfriend of Rin Zamami has emerged as the prime suspect following a months-long history of stalking.
An autopsy conducted on Thursday revealed that Zamami died from exsanguination, which is severe blood loss. She sustained multiple stab wounds, primarily to her neck and surrounding areas.
Following the fatal attack on Wednesday, the suspect was located in nearby Naha City. Prior to his apprehension, witnesses reported a chaotic scene as the man fled from pursuing officers in a light passenger vehicle.
“The police tried to hold him down, but his car made a sudden turn from the road onto the sidewalk and sped toward the intersection,” one witness recounted. Another stated the vehicle drove straight down the pedestrian path before swerving back onto the street to escape.
The suspect is currently receiving treatment in a hospital for undisclosed injuries. Investigators plan to interrogate him as soon as he recovers.
Stalking
The tragic slaying marks the culmination of an escalating stalking campaign. Zamami first consulted the Ginowan Police Station on December 31 of last year, pleading for authorities to stop her ex-boyfriend from contacting her.
Despite receiving a verbal warning from police over the phone—to which he replied, “Understood”—the harassment continued. In February, police issued a formal restraining order under the Stalker Control Law, handing him a written mandate banning any contact or lingering near the victim.
The situation took a sinister turn on September 20 when Zamami discovered a location-tracking tag attached to her vehicle. She reported the finding to police, who urged her to temporarily evacuate to a safe location. However, Zamami declined, citing her work obligations. Investigators are still working to confirm if the tracking device belonged to the ex-boyfriend.
In a final twist, police had checked on Zamami’s well-being on September 29, just one day before her murder. At the time, she told officers that there had been no contact or unwanted visits from the man since the February restraining order. She was killed the following day.
