TOKYO (TR) – Investigators learned on Friday that the 42-year-old suspect in the fatal stabbing of Airi Sato, 22, while she live-streamed a video in Shinjuku Ward was carried out for more than one minute, reports Jiji Press (Mar. 15).
Kenichi Takano, a resident of Tochigi Prefecture, told police that he had about financial troubles with Sato. He told police that he thought that if he committed the crime the world would know what she had done to him.
At around 9:50 a.m. on Tuesday, the suspect ambushed Sato as she live-steamed alone on a street in the Takadanobaba area. He continued to stab her with a knife for more than a minute.
Sato’s body had more than 30 stab wounds and cuts, mainly on her upper body, police said previously.
The blade was a survival knife had a blade with a length of approximately 13 centimeters. Another knife was also seized from the suspect’s backpack. Takano said, “I bought it from an online shopping site two or three months ago.”
The suspect is believed to have gotten to know Sato after watching a stream of hers in December 2021. He began meeting her in person around the summer of 2022.
Takano explained that he sent Sato a total of more than 2 million yen to cover for living and other expenses. However, she never paid it back.
