GUNMA (TR) – A 36-year-old man suspected in the murder of his girlfriend in Takasaki City earlier this week apologized to his wife and children before committing suicide, reports Nippon News Network (Oct. 20).
At around 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, the man is believed to have fatally stabbed Kanako Osawa, 30, inside a vehicle parked about 700 meters from JR Takasaki Station.
About two and a half hours later, he arrived home to his wife and two children in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture — a distance of around 130 kilometers from Takasaki.
In an interview with the network, the man’s wife said that his behavior upon his arrival was unusual. “I thought he had done something,” she says. “He just said to our children, ‘I’m sorry.’ He said the same thing to me. He then left 15 minutes later.”
After entering a hotel in Chiba City, he is believed to have killed himself. His body was found on Monday, police said previously.
Seven stab wounds to the chest
Osawa was a company employee living in Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture, which is about 220 kilometers from Takasaki. She met the man through work.
On four occasions in June, she consulted with the Niigata-Higashi Police Station about problems regarding the man.
According to TBS News (Oct. 21), an examination of her body revealed seven stab wounds to the chest, two of which penetrated the heart.
The man’s wife also told Fuji News Network, “I knew about the relationship with [Osawa]. So I knew that the apology (‘I’m sorry’) was about her.” She also offered an apology to the family of the victim.
Police are planning to send papers on the man to prosecutors on suspicion of murder.
