HIROSHIMA (TR) – Hiroshima Prefectural Police have arrested a 52-year-old newspaper deliveryman following the discovery of the body of a missing woman in his bathroom, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Sep. 28).
On Monday, police took Yoshiwa Kitano, an employee of the Asahi Shimbun’s ASA Yano delivery office, into custody after finding the body of Rika Aomori, a 46-year-old resident of Hatsukaichi City, in a bathtub in his residence in Hiroshima’s Minami Ward.
The body did not exhibit any signs of external injuries. Police are now awaiting the results of an autopsy to assess the cause of death.
Kitano, who has been charged with abandoning a corpse, admits to the allegations. According to the Sankei Shimbun (Sep. 28), the suspect has also hinted at involvement in her murder.
On Friday, Aomori’s father filed a missing persons report with police after being unable to contact his daughter after September 22. On Sunday, police discovered Aomori’s vehicle being driven by the suspect in Hiroshima. A subsequent search of his home by police resulted in the discovery of her body.
“We take it seriously that an employee in our sales office has been arrested,” a representative from the Asahi Shimbun’s Osaka bureau is quoted, according to the Sankei Shimbun (Sep. 28). “We will now endeavor to provide thorough guidance to the office.”
