HYOGO (TR) – A 45-year-old man serving a life-in-prison term for the murder of an elementary school girl in Okayama Prefecture two decades ago has hinted involvement in a second case.
In October 2007, Yuzuki Unose, then aged 7, was stabbed in the chest and stomach by an unknown assailant in front of her home in Kakogawa City, Hyogo Prefecture. The girl, who was in the second grade at elementary school, later died, reports TBS News (Nov. 7).
Since then, police have been unable to solve the case, which is being treated as murder.
However, the unnamed man has made a statement to police that hints at his involvement in the murder of Unose. He is currently serving a life term for the murder of another girl, aged 9, in Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture in 2004.
According to police, the man has also been convicted and sentenced to prison for punching other girls in the stomach in 2000 and 2009.
In addition, there is growing suspicion among investigators that the man may have also been involved in another incident in Tatsuno City, Hyogo in September 2006. In that case, another girl, aged 9, was attacked by a perpetrator with a knife and seriously injured.
Investigative sources said that voluntary police questioning began after the verdict was finalized in the Okayama case in September last year. During that session, the man initially denied involvement in the other two incidents that occurred in Hyogo Prefecture. It was later revealed that as the questioning continued, however, that he changed his statement to admit his involvement.
Police plan to arrest the man soon on suspicion of attempted murder.
