TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Saturday arrested a 31-year-old male nurse over the fatal stabbing of his female colleague at her residence in Suginami Ward last week, reports Jiji Press (Mar. 31).
On March 26, Yusuke Matsuoka allegedly stabbed Tsugumi Terui, a 32-year-old nurse, in the back inside her second-floor residence, located in the Shimoigusa area.
Matsuoka, who was sent to prosecutors on suspicion of murder on Sunday, denies the allegations. “I didn’t stab [her],” the suspect was quoted by police.
On the day of the crime, officers following up on a distress call arrived at the residence and found Terui collapsed on the floor near the balcony. She was later confirmed dead at a hospital, police said previously.
A blood-stained knife was found near Terui. The front door was unlocked, and there were signs of a struggle, including knocked over furniture. There were also marks on the floor indicating that shoes had been worn inside.
A witness told police that a man wearing a long black coat quickly fled from the building at around the time the crime is believed to have taken place.
Matsuoka works at the same nursery that employed Terui. He surfaced as a person of interest after an analysis of security camera footage showed him in the area of the residence.
Officers took Matsuoka in for voluntary questioning on Saturday morning. A DNA analysis conducted on material found on the body of Terui proved to be a match for Matsuoka. As well, officers seized a black coat from his residence that he is believed to have worn on the day of the crime.
Police are now investigating the circumstances that led to the incident.
