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Woman whose corpse found in Roppongi residence had skull fracture

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have revealed that the woman whose corpse was found in a residence of an apartment building in the Roppongi entertainment district of Minato Ward died as a result of a skull fracture, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun (Oct. 19).

On the afternoon of October 18, officers working off a tip arrived at the fourth-floor residence located in the 5-chome area and found the decayed body — later identified as belonging to 29-year-old Aisha Kumi Balletta — wrapped in a sheet at the side of a bed.

The results of an autopsy revealed that Balletta died due to brain damage as a result of a skull fracture. Her body was found to have several injuries to the face and head. She is believed to have died up to 10 days before the discovery, police said.

Aisha Kumi Balletta
Aisha Kumi Balletta

The resident of the unit is believed to be a 40-year-old man. He departed Japan for Malaysia on October 13. Police are now seeking to question him about the case.

An examination of security camera footage taken in the building earlier this month showed Balletta entering the residence with a person believed to be the man. However, no such footage shows her leaving, police said.

Prior to the discovery, a person affiliated with the building found the body of Balletta and visited the police station to lodge a report.

Miss Universe Japan

Balletta, a Japanese-American, is a resident of Aoba Ward, Yokohama. She is believed to have been a regular visitor to the residence, police said.

Based on her Facebook profile, she is a freelance web designer. In 2011, she was a finalist in the Miss Universe Japan contest.