OKAYAMA (TR) – Okayama Prefectural Police have arrested a 66-year-old man over the alleged murder and robbery of his neighbor in the mountains of Takahashi City, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Sept. 24).
Beginning at around 12:20 p.m. on July 16, Ryoji Miyaoka wrapped the face of 59-year-old Kaoru Kawakami with adhesive tape at the victim’s residence. He also used cable ties to bind his arms behind his back
Miyaoka dug a hole to a location about 20 meters from the residence. Sometime before July 18, he allegedly tossed Kawakami inside and covered him with soil in killing him.
Miyaoka is also alleged to have robbed Kawakami of 290,000 yen in cash contained in his wallet and a bank card.
Upon his arrest, Miyaoka, an employee in the construction industry, partially denied the allegations. “I did not rob him,” the suspect was quoted.
Suffocated from being buried alive
Kawakami, who needed a cane to walk, lived alone. An officer with the Takahashi Police Station found his body on July 22.
According to police, the cause of death is not known, but he is believed to have been suffocated by being buried alive.
The arrest is the second in the case. Police first arrested Miyaoka for allegedly using Kawakami’s bank card to withdraw cash from a convenience store ATM in Kurashiki City on September 2.
During the course of the investigation, police learned that the suspect and victim had experienced financial trouble between one another.
