IBARAKI (TR) – A man under investigation in the murder of a male acquaintance in Ryugasaki City has committed suicide, police said, reports TV Asahi (Feb. 3).
On Thursday, the body of the man, who was not identified, was found hanging from a rope at a water pump house in Tsuchiura City. “He was hanging from his neck by a thin white rope,” said another man who found the body.
The man had been undergoing questioning in the murder of Hideaki Yamada, 29, whose body was found in the Habaramachi area of Ryugasaki on January 25. The body was covered in a white cloth under fallen tree branches and leaves with signs suggesting he was strangled.
Several days had likely passed since the death of Yamada, whose mobile phone wasn’t found in the vicinity of the site where he was found or at his apartment. Police believe an unknown individual murdered him, dumped his body and took his mobile phone.
Beginning on January 31, the man found hanged had been questioned in the killing of Yamada. On the night of February 1, he told police that he “had an appointment at the hospital,” which he visited with members of his family.
According to Nippon News Network (Feb. 4), the man was followed by police when he later visited a convenience store to buy cigarettes. He then went missing until his corpse was found at the pump house the following day.
