KANAGAWA (TR) – Kanagawa Prefectural Police have released new security camera footage of a suspect connected to the unsolved 2015 murder and arson case in the town of Yugawara, marking the eleventh anniversary of the grisly killing, reports TV Asahi (Apr. 21).
On April 21, 2015, firefighters responding to a blaze at a local residence discovered the body of 66-year-old Mie Hirai. The home had been locked from the inside, and Hirai was found dead on a bed in a Japanese-style room, covered with a futon.
The crime scene was brutally violent. First responders found Hirai with a kitchen knife embedded in her face. She had sustained over a dozen additional stab and slash wounds, as well as blunt-force trauma to the head.
Although a pool of blood was found beneath the bed, investigators noted an absence of defensive wounds on her body, suggesting she was likely attacked in her sleep or incapacitated.
Security camera footage
On April 21, exactly 11 years after the murder, police unveiled new security camera footage showing an individual walking through the roundabout at JR Yugawara Station shortly after 5:00 a.m. on the day of the incident.
The person — believed to be a man — approached the station from the direction of the victim’s residence. The suspect is described as being roughly 170 centimeters tall with a slender build, wearing dark clothing. In the footage, the suspect carries a large paper bag in his left hand and can be seen adjusting a face mask with his right hand.
Security cameras further captured the individual passing through the ticket gates and taking an escalator up to the train platform. Because only northbound Tokaido Line trains were operating at that early hour, police believe it is highly likely the killer fled toward Tokyo.
“The person in the video has a distinctive way of walking. I hope as many people as possible will view it,” said Masayuki Suzuki, the former director of the welfare facility where Hirai worked.
Kanagawa police are continuing their efforts and appealing to the public for any information that could lead to the identification of the suspect.
Persons with information on the case are advised to call the Odawara Police Station at 0465-32-0110.
