crime

Cell phone of murdered boy found in Fukuoka park

29 Comments

The cell phone of a 6-year-old boy who was strangled has been found in a park where the murder took place, police said Saturday. The body of Koki Tomiishi, a first-grader, was found beside a public restroom in the park on Thursday, but his cell phone, equipped with a GPS locator, had been missing.

Police have been searching for the phone, suspecting its neck strap may have been used to strangle the boy.

The boy went missing at around 3:30 p.m. Thursday when his 35-year-old mother left him for a few minutes to go to the restroom, police said. The mother tried to locate the boy with the GPS function, and the cell phone indicated a location several meters from the restroom, they said.

People at the scene helping search for the boy went to the location but could not find the boy there. The boy was then found lying on the ground behind the restroom.

The park administration office, meanwhile, said that on Thursday evening, there were many people in the park, walking with or without dogs, but earlier, around the time of the boy’s death, only a very few people were seen in the vicinity of the toilets and the athletic facilities. “At that time,” said a park spokesperson, “there was nobody who appeared suspicious.”

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

29 Comments
Login to comment

I thought she admitted it. Didn't even wait a week. Hopefully she just rots in prison. Forever. Once she kicks off due to old age, she can be considered reformed and rehabilitated.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Himajin - Yappari...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Looks like some of you were right after all.... She is a suspect in the boys murder.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I was watching TV while eating breakfast and nearly spit my coffee out--they just went to arrest the mother...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I don't see anything wrong with leaving a 6 year old out of the toilet to use the bathroom. 6 year old boys usually don't go into toilets with their mothers once they get into elementry school, and have you seen those dirty, nasty dinky squatty potties in those parks? How could a mother and a 6 year old boy even fit in one? 6 year olds are pretty big, and pretty darn independent. Many of those parks don't have "family" or handicapped restrooms. I don't understand why people are all over the edge about the fact the woman let her boy stand outside the toilet for a few minutes. Heck, my daugther is 4 years old and already trying to assert her independence about going to the toilet by herself and having her own privacy (I usually make her go with me though and if she goes into a toilet by herself, I make sure she talks to me the whole time).

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Romulus3 all you have to do is aread a Japanese Newspaper and the story is much clearer.

The Yomori News said she picked him up from school and they stopped in the park on the way home,Most 1st graders get done around 230ish and the school might be a distance from the park..

To blame the parent for the sickness of another is a strange arguement to make.... If I had to hold my child every minute of the day I wouldnt get any thing done, do you go to his/her class and hold his hand? A guy can take a kid form a school in a few seconds too... Maybe she didnt figure a pshyco would take a child in a busy park in day light while she spent 1 minute or two taking a whiz. Its nice to have 20/20 vision on everything, but in the truth of the matter its only 20/20 in hindsight...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I disagree that it is in no way the mother's fault and while leaving the child alone outside is not a crime it was certainly an irresponsible act for a parent of a young child. I live approximately 10 minutes from Odo Park and have two sons, a three year old and a 18 month old. I would never consider leaving them playing outside in that park alone –or anywhere else for that matter– while I went to the bathroom. She should have taken him with her or waited. This was a tragic death that could have been easily prevented if the mother had taken more care and showed a little more common sense.

With all of that said, I feel immense sorrow for the boy's family and friends, especially for his mother who is almost certainly wracked with guilt.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It is in no way the mother's fault, absolutely not. There are now reports of a man been seen in the play area, a 'fushinsha'.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Finger prints on the cell phone?

A mother uses a toilet and leaves a 6 year old waiting for her outside is not a crime. Daytime in a busy park after all.

This is an indictment on society not on the mother who surely along with her child is the victim here.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I am still suspicious of the time. according to the Asahi website they arrived at the park at 330pm which means she used it immediately upon arrival. I wana know where they came from. If they came from home, which is near by, then I suspect the mother because she would have used the toilet before she left home but if they came from another place it changes my perspective.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Nippon5 just answered most of the questions here - The main one being that even the guy who found the body missed it on his first look around the restroom as it had been hidden. Solution use news source which gives more than a cursory sketch of events.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

JT has a very empty story as is its practice.. Here is a link to Asahi who has a much clearer story... http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200809200048.html

0 ( +0 / -0 )

this is Japan were the TV, people and the government are more worried about some russians smoking pot then the real problems in this country. I have been here in JAPAN of 12 years now and how many children have been killed. This site because it is a Japanese based or Japanese owned site, so it CENSORS the truth about Japapn and the Japanese society.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If they lived near the park, why did mama have to use the parks toilet?

Maybe they are trying to save water in their home.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

and where exactly did they find the phone????????

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The more I think about this horrible case, the more I think we'll see a full confession by the mom in a week or so. Please don't misunderstand, I don't wish for it to have been like this, and I certainly hope it wasn't like this, but this one just smells. Mom comes out of the restroom, and doesn't see her kid lying next to it? Maybe if the article could be more specific, like were they looking for a kid running around, or was the mom worried that something was wrong, and more specifically, what EXACTLY was the "behind the restroom" scene. hidden under bushes? backed up against a steep hill? Most of the restrooms I can picture around my place you can walk around them pretty easily. This one doesn't add up.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Rjd Jr The mother left her for a few minutes? Sorry to rain on her parade but come on, anything can happen, even in Japan nowadays. And 6 year olds have cell phones nowadays?

They are a cell phone with a alarm and a gps locator on them. Here in Shinagawa we have actual alarm ones that have gps a very loud alarm, two way communication so they can talk and hear,and it calls the police Koban when activated.. Its a very useful tool for parents and kids.

I wish all towns here in Japan used this device, its called a Mamamuchi (sp?)

Very sad story to hear and as I have a 6 year old who goes to 1st grade it hits too close to home

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I live near a park. Why SHOULDN'T I use the restroom there if I'm there with my kid?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If they lived near the park, why did mama have to use the parks toilet?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"Several meters" from the toilet. No wonder it was so difficult to locate, 20 feet is a long way. Like I said before, public park, middle of the day, people coming and going, right outside the mom's toilet, and yet nobody saw or heard anything. Maybe the mom strangled the child in the restroom and dragged him behind it before calling the police.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

To Serendipity: You say "biased speculation" - speculation maybe but biased? what do you mean? The first thought I had was I wonder if the mother was involved. I'm not racist, I have lived here in Japan very happily for 12 years and have a young son. Biased towards what? And discussions promote speculation, no?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What a bunch of witch hunters you are! Your assumptions make me feel sadder than the story. All based on biased speculation and very little information. Sad indeed!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Well, jalways, ask any cop. First suspect is always the family or spouse or lover. Sad sad sad.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It is hard to imagine this type of story coming to be as it concludes in this report and the details I interpret from it points to his mother as a possible suspect. I just cannot comprehend the times when I heard about parents jumping of bridges with their children, falling from apartment building with kids, and toxicant method of death in a vehicle including stabbing, and I can go on with articles I read in newspapers and news broadcast. My point is I would not be surprised if somehow the mother in this case had something to do with her own son’s murder. It is a true shame it the verdict is just that. R.I.P.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I have my students write opinion papers and because our school doesn't allow cell phones the opinion that cell phones should be allowed because it makes them safer WAS very often the chosen topic. I've banned the cell phone issue because they just can't seem to justify the use and I always have these sad stories to tell them as far as a safety device. As seeker1 pointed out, most of the time you're only going to find the phone. I hope they catch this person.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I would almost bet this was a woman that murdered this poor boy.

I have a 7 year old this hits hard. I think the perp should have to run the national gauntlet for this heinous crime.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yet again another sad story. This illustrates something that I always thought. Having GPS in your phone is great, but you will only know where the PHONE is, not necessarily where the owner of the phone is. I'm not suggesting that everyone get a microchip implanted under their skin, like some people are in Mexico due to the high kidnapping rates. I just think people shouldn't have a false sense of security about their GPS phones.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

And 6 year olds have cell phones nowadays?

you just answered your own question, phones are a device that kids can use if they're lost, or if parents are gonna be late or whatever

anything can happen, even in Japan nowadays

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The mother left her for a few minutes? Sorry to rain on her parade but come on, anything can happen, even in Japan nowadays. And 6 year olds have cell phones nowadays?

Any rate, rest in peace to this unfortunate boy, and hopefully they catch and execute the killer.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites