TOKYO (TR) – The Tachikawa branch of the Tokyo District Court earlier this month sentenced a former university student to 23 years in prison for fatally assaulting and robbing an elderly woman living in Komae City last year.
In handing down the ruling on September 6, presiding judge Masaki Sugiyama described the crimes carried about Issei Nakanishi, 21, as “despicable and extremely vicious.” The prosecution had sought a 25-year term on charges of robbery resulting in death.
According to the ruling, Nakanishi conspired with three other perpetrators to break into the home of the woman, then aged 90, through the front door at around 11:30 a.m. on January 19, 2023.
Disguised delivery men, they assaulted the woman, hitting her multiple times with a crowbar and other objects, causing her death. They stole four items, including a watch, with total value of around 590,000 yen.
“There was a thorough division of roles [to conduct the crime] and it was carried out efficiently,” judge Sugiyama added. Regarding the defendant’s role, he added, “He performed acts essential to the crime, such as tying the woman’s hands with cable ties, and his active involvement cannot be denied.”
The ruling is the first judgement in the case, which garnered widespread attention due to the brazen nature in which it was conducted and the fact that it was orchestrated from overseas.
“Luffy”
The mastermind behind the robbery was based in the Philippines, and is said to have given orders to the perpetrators on social media under the name “Luffy,” whose name comes from the popular manga for boys.
“The defendant who appeared in court had a pale, thin face, black-rimmed glasses, and bangs covering his forehead,” a reporter for a newspaper tells Shukan Bunshun (Sep. 19). “Although he was wearing a black jacket and tie, he just looked like any other college student.”
At the first hearing, Nakanishi stated that he only admits “to the robbery portion of the charges,” and denied causing the woman’s death. Meanwhile, the defense argued that it was another perpetrator who hit the woman with the crowbar, and that “they did not commit any assault that resulted in the woman’s death,” and that a 13-year prison sentence was appropriate.
During the trial on August 22, Issei Nagata, 21, appeared as a witness. He had been arrested and indicted along with Nakanishi as one of the perpetrators of the robbery.
Nagata revealed that the victim did not tell them where the cash was. He testified, “Perhaps in a panic, the mastermind was yelling on the phone, ‘Do it with all your might as long as you don’t kill her.'”
He also said another perpetrator to carry out the beating.
“The other perpetrator took the end of the crowbar and swung it up high and hit the victim about 10 to 15 times,” Nagato said.
Nakanishi testified that he was “looking around in the basement” at the time.
“Shortly after the incident, National Police Agency Commissioner General Tsuyuki Yasuhiro issued a major command at an investigative conference that brought together senior officials from around the country to arrest the mastermind behind the crime. This incident was the catalyst for the police to get serious about wide-area robbery cases,” a police reporter tells Bunshun.
“Once the door is completely open, it’s okay to just punch her”
The loss of a life was enough to make the police take action, but the trial revealed even more brutality on the part of those who gave instructions to carry out the crimes.
The aforementioned newspaper reporter says that the group used the anonymous Telegram messaging app as a means of communication, chat titles for the perpetrators being like “The Fraudulent Old Lady Punishing Squad” and “Wednesday, Old Lady Case.”
“In other words, the perpetrators were falsely told that the victim had funds on hand from criminal activity,” same reporter says.
Nakanishi carried out an attempted theft in Adachi Ward the day after the Komae incident.
In the chats with “Old Lady” in the title, the person in charge called himself “Kim.” He repeatedly gave instructions, such as, “Once the door is completely open, it’s okay to just punch her.” He also wrote, “Please stay calm. Please act quickly and accurately.”
“Kim” is believed to be defendant 40-year-old Yuki Watanabe, who was based in the Philippines. His trial and that of Kiyoto Imamura, 40, will be the focus of attention in the future.
“The defendant was a different perpetrator from the one who hit the woman with the crowbar, but he was still given a 23-year sentence,” a judicial sources tells Bunshun. “The man who hit her with the crowbar is expected to receive an even heavier sentence. What’s more, the person who orchestrated the large number of crimes, including this Komae incident, could be sentenced to life imprisonment, but it’s unclear whether he will be sentenced to death.”
