crime

Man stabs grandmother, younger brother to death in Nagano

12 Comments

Police said Wednesday they have arrested an unemployed 31-year-old man for allegedly stabbing to death his grandmother and his younger brother at their home in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture.

According to police, they received a call at around 10 a.m. Tuesday, reporting that an elderly woman and a young man were lying in the garden of their home and that they were covered in blood.

TBS reported that police found the suspect, identified as Kazuhiro Shiobara, at the scene. Shiobara's grandmother, who was in her 80s, and his brother, who was in his 20s, were taken to hospital where they were pronounced dead, police said.

Police said Shiobara has admitted killing his grandmother and younger brother, but has so far given no motive.

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12 Comments
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Stopped her charity?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

31, unemployed, and living with your grandmother? What a loser. She probably said put down the game controller and get a job. Here's a motive "I'm lazy, and want somebody to take care of me."

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

What is wrong with people now days? And why would he kill his own family there is something seriously wrong with this guy.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

darkwolf15455Apr. 03, 2014 - 02:06AM JST What is wrong with people now days? And why would he kill his own family there is something seriously wrong with this guy.

I think that it goes without saying that there's something seriously wrong with this guy. My question is whether it is something like an undiagnosed brain tumor causing violent behaviour, or an undiagnosed mental illness like schizophrenia, or whether it is just this guy being a violent killer with no reason other than a massive sense of entitlement who thought he could get away with killing his grandmother and inheriting her money.

Murder for the first two reasons (physical or mental illness) is still awful, but there's lessened culpability since the individual isn't in full control of their actions and there can be medical treatment that removes the possibility of a repeat incident.

Murder for the last reason, when it is premeditated and motivated by a world view that places everyone secondary to themselves is inexcusable, and is a good reason for life imprisonment in the good old-fashioned French oubliette style.

-19 ( +2 / -21 )

I'll be the first person to admit that there's something wrong with this guys mind. But, for the "insanity" defense to apply, the person must have not understood that what they were doing was wrong at the time they were doing it. Doesn't seem likely in this case. If he hid the bodies, albeit poorly, he knew it was wrong to kill them.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Grandmother and younger brother? jeez, I wonder why the younger sibling too? if it was something like cutting off charity as previously mentioned what did the brother have to do with it? Was he actually doing something with his life and therefore angered/shamed the man? It's such as sad and cowardly thing to do.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

You don't have to be crazy to kill. Nothing here says that he was mentally ill. If you have to be crazy to kill, then every soldier and policeman is crazy since you may need to kill. But this kind of thing seems to be increasing in Japan.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

My bad, the part about covering the bodies was from another murder. But the part about knowing right from wrong during commission of the crime still holds true. My initial comment was based on Frungy's assertion that mental illness mitigates responsibility for murder. A person can be mentally ill (wouldn't he have to be?) and still be responsible.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

sensei258Apr. 03, 2014 - 07:43AM JST My bad, the part about covering the bodies was from another murder. But the part about knowing right from wrong during commission of the crime still holds true. My initial comment was based on Frungy's assertion that mental illness mitigates responsibility for murder. A person can be mentally ill (wouldn't he have to be?) and still be responsible.

Not necessarily true. A person can be mentally ill, know what they're doing is wrong, but lack any ability to control over their impulses. For example, someone suffering from tourette's syndrome is aware that what they're saying is inappropriate, but lacks the ability to control what they say. There was recently a case where an individual had a brain tumor in the right orbifrontal cortex that made them unable to control their actions, and when the tumor was removed their behavior returned to normal. A judge ruled that the criminal acts they committed were without any premeditation or any criminal intent (they didn't mean to do them, they happened without conscious control) and so he was innocent.

In the case of schizophrenia, it is about altered perceptions rather than a lack of control. Let's say you're in your home and your brother is holding a knife and about to stab you. Would you be justified in picking up a knife and defending yourself? Most judges would say yes. However if you suffer from paranoid schizophrenia your brother might just be making a sandwich and gesturing while holding the knife, but your perceptions are messed up and you perceive it as a life-threatening situation. Are you REALLY as guilty of murder as some guy who decides to murder someone for fun or profit? No, because in the moment when you killed your brother you legitimately thought that he was trying to kill you. In this case the individual's perceptions are abnormal, but the way we perceive a situation is critical as it speaks to whether there was criminal intent or not.

I never stated that every case of mental illness mitigates responsibility for murder, but rather two specific conditions that could create conditions that would mitigate the individuals' responsibility. I've explained why, and I hope you now understand that a crime requires criminal intent, and that intent can be lacking if someone lacks the ability to control their actions or perceives the situation differently.

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

I think that it goes without saying that there's something seriously wrong with this guy. My question is whether it is something like an undiagnosed brain tumor causing violent behaviour, or an undiagnosed mental illness like schizophrenia, or whether it is just this guy being a violent killer with no reason other than a massive sense of entitlement who thought he could get away with killing his grandmother and inheriting her money.

Man, nobody is trying to hear that noise. All we see is a punk loser who deserves the worst penalty Japan has to offer.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

DudeDeuceApr. 03, 2014 - 09:35PM JST

Man, nobody is trying to hear that noise. All we see is a punk loser who deserves the worst penalty Japan has to offer.

So you're not interested in if the guy is innocent, you just want to see him hang? What a peach you are.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

Well, there has to be a motive to this. Mental illness or a motive. Something.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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