CHIBA (TR) – A 44-year-old man has been accused of fatally stabbing his father-in-law, who is an assemblyman for Kisarazu City, at the victim’s apartment building over the weekend, reports Sports Nippon (Mar. 11).
At around 8:55 p.m. on Saturday, the wife of Norihisa Ishikawa, 71, alerted police after finding Ishikawa “collapsed and bleeding” face-down at the 12th-floor residence, located in the Chuo area of Kisarazu.
Ishikawa, who had suffered several stab wounds to his abdomen and back, was later confirmed dead at a hospital, police said previously.
An examination of security camera footage by police showed a man near the residence before the incident. Police subsequently apprehended Shoichi Ishikawa in Tokyo early on Sunday. At the time, he was in possession of a knife and an unspecified blunt weapon.
Upon his arrest for murder, Ishikawa partially denied the allegations. “I did not intend to kill,” the suspect was quoted by police. He was sent to prosecutors on Monday. Police are still seeking a motive in the case.
History of domestic violence
Norihisa Ishikawa shared the residence with his wife. Based on the web site for the city, he joined what was then called the Ministry of Construction after graduating from the University of Tokyo.
In 2015, the native of Kisarazu was first elected to the assembly. Still serving his first term, he was scheduled to run in a unified local election in April.
Shoichi Ishikawa is a resident of Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture. In May of last year, his wife lodged a domestic violence complaint with police. Three months later, police deemed the matter non-problematic after speaking with his wife. They are now separated and in the middle of divorce proceedings.
Several members of the assembly told the Mainichi Shimbun that Norihisa Ishikawa arranged for several jobs for the suspect, including at a large home building and as a secretary for a politician. According to the sources, the suspect appeared to be a successor for Ishikawa. However, he moved back to Okayama in advance of next month’s election.
