KUMAMOTO (TR) – Kumamoto Prefectural Police have launched a murder investigation after a former town councillor was found dead in Kumamoto City, reports TBS News (May 25).
At around 6:15 a.m. on Monday, the wife of Takanori Nakamura found him with his limbs bound with rope inside a bedroom of their residence in Minami Ward.
Nakamura, 74, was later confirmed dead at the scene. Police said on Tuesday that the cause of death was strangulation.
An examination of his body showed no signs of external wounds, and the interior of the residence had not been ransacked.
Nakamura’s wife sleeps in a different room. She last saw him alive at around 9:00 p.m. the day before.
Police later found a truck belonging to Nakamura with the keys inside on a road in Uto City about 4 kilometers from the residence.
Police believe an intruder strangled Nakamura sometime on Monday morning.
Nakamura served three terms as town councillor for Jonan, which today is a part of Kumamoto City.