AICHI (TR) – A court here last week sentenced a 40-year-old man a life-in-prison term over the murder and robbery of a second man in the town of Agui more than two years ago, reports Jiji Press (Feb. 24).
On February 24, the Nagoya District Court handed Masaya Otani, of no known occupation, the life term over the murder and robbery of temporary worker Haruhiko Hayashi, 53, on the grounds of the victim’s private home.
Presiding judge Yoshiji Sakamoto rejected the defense’s claim of innocence in handing down the sentence requested by the prosecution. The defense plans to appeal.
According to the verdict, on December 11, 2023, Otani broke into a private home in Agui strangled Hayashi to death as he was returning home and stole his car and other items.
He then dumped Hayashi’s body in a wooded area on the property at some point over the next several weeks.
“Unnatural, irrational and completely unreliable”
Hayashi’s body was found the following January.
During the trial, the defendant claimed he was simply helping someone flee in the middle of the night, claiming the accusations to be false.
However, judge Sakamoto noted that his fingerprints and DNA were detected on adhesive tape and other items. Based on the testimony of a female acquaintance who had overheard a discussion about the murder, the judge said, “The defendant’s testimony is unnatural, irrational and completely unreliable.”
The court also pointed out that Otani had written a “disappearance declaration” after the murder and notified the victim’s employer of his resignation. “His actions after the crime were also heinous, and his criminal responsibility is serious.”
