CHIBA (TR) – A man in custody over the alleged murder and robbery of a female employee at a hotel in Ichihara City last month had “romantic feelings” for her, police have revealed.
On November 1, Atsushi Egawa allegedly used a knife to fatally slash the neck of 56-year-old Hitomi Saeki. He also stands accused of stealing approximately 12,000 yen in cash
According to the Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 3), Egawa, who used to work with Saeki at the hotel, said, “I went to the hotel to see Saeki. I had romantic feelings for her.”
“Stalking me”
At the time of the incident, Saeki was working alone. At around 7:30 a.m. on November 1, the female manager of the hotel found Saeki collapsed at the front desk.
Police previously said that her wrists had been tied and her face beaten. She also had a wound to her neck that appeared to have been made with a knife.
Police have also learned that prior to the incident Saeki had consulted people around her about how “Egawa was stalking me.”
Police are currently investigating the detailed motive for the crime, including what trouble existed between the two.
According to NHK (Dec. 2), an expert will conduct a 3-month psychiatric evaluation on Egawa. After that, prosecutors will decide whether to indict him or not.
