Man in jail for murder rearrested for killing another girl in 2007

A man serving a life term for murdering an elementary schoolgirl was served a fresh arrest warrant on Wednesday for allegedly killing another girl in western Japan, local police said, marking a major development in a case that has remained unsolved for 17 years.

Kunihiko Katsuta, 45, is newly accused of killing a 7-year-old girl by stabbing her in the chest and stomach in front of her home in Kakogawa, Hyogo Prefecture, on Oct 16, 2007, the police said, adding he has remained silent about the case.

Katsuta, who was put behind bars for fatally stabbing a third-grader in Tsuyama, Okayama Prefecture in 2004, was also arrested earlier this month in connection with the stabbing of a fourth-grade girl in Tatsuno, Hyogo Prefecture, in 2006. The girl survived the attack.

The girl was stabbed after returning home from a nearby park and was confirmed dead at a hospital due to blood loss. Before losing consciousness, she reportedly told rescuers that her attacker was "an adult man."

A lack of eyewitnesses and evidence had long stalled investigations into the case as well as the case in Tatsuno, but police questioned Katsuta on a voluntary basis in May after identifying similarities between the incidents and the case in Tsuyama. He later hinted at his involvement in the two unsolved cases.

© KYODO