Police arrest 19-yr-old American musician over Irish student's murder

Police suspect that the man, who arrived in Japan in April to join a band, killed the victim after she refused his sexual advances,

Why do the police suspect such a specific scenario? It seems they had an argument but it could have been over cab fare or who sleeps on the couch. Why does it just have to be sexual advances?

I wonder how they got his confession.

I wonder if the guy has had access to a lawyer. Given the recent focus on the Japanese police and legal system, where foreigners are accused of a crime, they would be wise to tread carefully.

I wonder how they got his confession.

They just demonstrated on him what he described.

J-Cop: I just want to be clear. The doctor's report says the cause of death was asphyxiation. 19yo - (Silence) J-Cop: So you must have hands around her neck "like this" (Starts choking the 19yo) 19yo: Stop....cough.....stop.....cough.....yeah man whatever. I want my lawyer. J-Cop: He said "Yes". I heard "Yeah" J-Cop: We got it. Turn on the cameras again.

There's your answer.

If he's old enough to be traveling the world to work, he's old enough to be named. Enough Japan with thinking anyone under 20 is a minor. Change it is 18 and be done away with the 20 year old thing.

"The suspect has admitted having pressed her neck with his hands but insisted that he did not intend to kill the victim"

Could be true, but I've never pressed anyone's neck with my hands.

Smart to stick to the point that he lacked intent to murder but...should be an easy conviction for manslaughter without malice aforethought. I wonder how the previous charge makes sense? Buying a women drinks is perfectly legal and they get in a taxi with you and you feel them up. The taxi driver doesn't know if they are married, friends, whatever. Obviously, if she was alive she could potentially say the touching/grabbing was unwanted and actually an "assault" but how many taxi drivers see fondling in the back of their cab late at night where the women complain - must happen x200/night in Tokyo between drunks? If it goes beyond what seems a couple of some sort having a disagreement and gets violent and the woman is screaming or something wouldn't the taxi driver go straight to a koban and not drop them off at a hotel? This first part I find somewhat puzzling.

Wow, you all forgot to add...I suppose, to your statements. Well done, Sherlock.

Let me get this straight. If a foreigner supposedly commits a crime, some posters are more concerned about how the confession was extracted (assumption being that it was not legit), rather than the suspect potentially murdered somebody?

Forget the corpse, let's bash those J-Coppers instead. Well, ladies, if some guy, foreign or not, starts to molest/attack you, don't be a hypocrite and call those nasty Japanese police, okay?

If he did do it, I'm glad he's in custody.

I do hope and pray that these evil bastards burn in HELL!!! RIP poor innocent Irish girl

"i wonder how they got the confession"? and if a lawyer were present, would it matter? who cares! the guy was found with a dead chick in his hotel room. this case is sealed and done. nuff said!

I like how he was found standing beside her corpse and they suspect that he might have strangled her to death. What are the other possible options? Did she strangle herself? Why is the autopsy report so vague? Aren't they supposed to be more concise?

From what i have seen and read about the accused i must say he appears to be a repulsive individual. However, he is yet to be tried and i will await more information before passing judgement.

Really? A 21 year old woman is dead, strangled on an overseas trip, and some of you are worried that the man who clearly killed her may have been hit a little bit? I hope they broke his legs with batons.

some of these comments.. wtf? how come whenever some woman is strangled to death in a hotel room people always jump on the ~sexual play gone wrong~ bandwagon? it's somehow always turned around on either the women or the cops.

@Johnathan Hunt clearly you do not have your facts straight. She was not on an "overseas trip". She was an exchange student. Secondly, it would appear that she consented since she went back to the hotel with him. Although none of us were in their hotel room at the time, it is possible that she was down for a little S & M. Who knows? The point is the Japanese police should not simply automatically assume that she did not give into his "sexual advances." Who knows she could have had a heart attack or aneurysm?? Truly, we feel sorry that a young girl has died. However, in order to seek out real justice Japan should hand jurisdiction over to the US and Irish governments so a second investigation can be conducted. At present, the Japanese police seem to be heading down the same direction with most criminal cases - "confessions." You would think the police would get their act together after falsely imprisioning a man after 15-years and then deporting him.

Readers, please refrain from making lewd speculations.

@lachatamber

people always jump on the ~sexual play gone wrong~ bandwagon?

Unless you're considering groping someone in a taxi sexual play; yours is the first comment i see suggesting something went wrong in the room, i.e., she liked some asphyxia during sex and he got carried away.

Maybe it was an accident, maybe it was intentional. The fact remains he was found next to a corpse. Did he call an ambulance or the police?

Her autopsy would tell us everything on how she died or was killed. I think the boy probably did not know what he was doing in the room while they are all really drunk.

I am by no means defending or supporting either side. However, having this guy simply "confess" is not justice. It may be a good idea to let the Irish government handle the case. They may be the only ones objective. Just a thought.

Even if they had engaged in some kind of consensual sexual act, the fact of the matter is he still killed her. If you don't know how to perform a dangerous act without killing the other person, then you shouldn't do it.

Under Age ? That's a sick joke! Let the wanker rot with the Yaks& other unsavory types for a few dozen years!

@Johnathan Hunt & Harte:: An eye for an eye, I see. Luckily, real justice is "blind".

Well his name is probably already released in American news unless JP is keeping it quiet. But I hope they kick him out the country and back to America where he can be punished as an ADULT!

Seriously folks, it's probably not that easy to STRANGLE A PERSON TO DEATH WITH YOUR BARE HANDS (assuming that's how he killed her). But he was just having a little bit of fun under the influence of alcohol? Is this for real? HE HAS KILLED A PERSON FOR GOD'S SAKE! An action that can not be undone... maybe he should have thought about this better beforehand.

@TA: Where's the rope? Did he do it by the sheets or pillow case? What if the cause of death was a "seizure?" Make the autopsy report available to the public for scrutiny.

Murdered a fellow country-woman of mine. If this guys guilty hope they make him go down for a long time.

how come whenever some woman is strangled to death in a hotel room people always jump on the ~sexual play gone wrong~ bandwagon? it's somehow always turned around on either the women or the cops.

How about sex games gone wrong and it was an accident is much easier to swallow than "I just decided to kill her"?

If you can die for your country (Self Defense Force minimum age 18) you should be treated as an adult. Should you also give them (18 and over )) the right to vote, to smoke and drink alcohol? Anyone 18 and over who commits a serious crime should have their names and mug shots be made public.

Going to party in a respectable Hotel does not equal sex.He clearly tried to rape her,strangled her when she tried to scream for help and now appropriate action has been taken.Case closed!

Could be true, but I've never pressed anyone's neck with my hands.

Well, I guess you never heard of MP Milligan or Michael Hutchense… they should give you an idea.

How about sex games gone wrong and it was an accident is much easier to swallow than "I just decided to kill her"?

Does it matter whats easy to swallow or not? A woman is dead after a man tried to rape her. End of story.

First of all RIP Ms Furlong Now why so many people fabricating stories to protect the lad and abuse the cops. When people start writing comments like that I suspect they did something wrong or have something to hide. Its like math - Dead strangled Girl + Boy in a room = one guilty man, accident or not.

Maria:

" I wonder if the guy has had access to a lawyer. Given the recent focus on the Japanese police and legal system, where foreigners are accused of a crime, they would be wise to tread carefully. "

In principle, your concern would be valid. However, in this case, where the guy was caught literally red-handed, you are barking up the wrong tree.

I agree it must be math: dead woman + key to the door + rubber in the toilet = 15-years. Oops did we forget: - different blood type and different semen?? thank goodness for free speech. i guess we are all guilty by the numbers.

The Irish media are now reporting that CCTV from the Keio Plaza shows the suspect wheeling Nicola to his room in a wheelchair after arriving at the hotel. If true, it obviously weakens the "game gone wrong" scenarios posited by some posters above.

The Irish media are now reporting that CCTV from the Keio Plaza shows the suspect wheeling Nicola to his room in a wheelchair. If true.

Yes if true, but if you want to see his name or what she looked like, how hard is it to type in Nicola Furlong into Google Image and stop the speculation? He looks like a punk wana be rapper, but look can be deceiving.

Does it matter whats easy to swallow or not? A woman is dead after a man tried to rape her. End of story.

You missed the point, clearly. I think some were hoping it was a case of a mistake, not attempted rape and a man killing a woman when she doesn't want to have sex with him. Get it now?

I agree it must be math: dead woman + key to the door + rubber in the toilet = 15-years. Oops did we forget: - different blood type and different semen?? thank goodness for free speech. i guess we are all guilty by the numbers.

RealJapan , Yeah I know we need a lot more evidence to convict someone. I am just annoyed so many people raced to defend this dude when the odds are very much against him but yes of course innocent until proven guilty should remain

Let me get this straight. If a foreigner supposedly commits a crime, some posters are more concerned about how the confession was extracted (assumption being that it was not legit), rather than the suspect potentially murdered somebody?

Forget the corpse, let's bash those J-Coppers instead. Well, ladies, if some guy, foreign or not, starts to molest/attack you, don't be a hypocrite and call those nasty Japanese police, okay?

If he did do it, I'm glad he's in custody.

ReformedBasher those are the most intelligent words so far.

@seamus78 I agree. Simply put: "confessions" without solid evidence must cease. If we use @Mayuki's comment: If she was carried in a wheel chair into the hotel without her consent (whether voluntarily or involuntarily intoxicated) it would appear that maybe she was physically ill or incapicated prior to entering his hotel room. Assuming that the Japanese police are correct and that she did not succumb to his "sexual advances" thus she was murder. 1.) Why get a wheelchair for her in the first place? 2.) Is it possible that he "had his hands around / on her neck to check for a pulse or to perform CPR? We know he screamed thus the hotel staff entered the room. Could he have been in shock after her sudden death?

RealJapan:

" Secondly, it would appear that she consented since she went back to the hotel with him. "

Maybe you did not read the previous articles about this, but it clear that she was drunk/drugged to such a degree that she was not able to "consent" to anything. So please stop blaming the murdered girl.

You missed the point, clearly. I think some were hoping it was a case of a mistake, not attempted rape and a man killing a woman when she doesn't want to have sex with him. Get it now?

that is not the reason people assume it was some sort of sex game gone wrong.

@WilliB: I stated "appear that she consented". It does not mean she "consented". Secondly, I never said the guy was innocent nor did I say he was guilty. In order for justice to be served a fact-finding investigation should be conducted. Probably best that the Japanese, Irish, and American governments work together to find out the facts rather than saying that the guy has "murdered" the girl. Ok, let say he is guilty. Do you not want the person convicted to the fullest of the law? Why not let the evidence build up? Why simply convict? I never stated either was innocent or guilty. A young girl has died. However, leading someone to say "I had my hands on her neck" is not evidence or a real confession for that matter.

So sad...looks like her uncle was killed back in 2009, a Jim Doyle...now her mother lost a daughter and a brother.

I hope they solve this case ASAP

RIP

I doubt he will serve many years. Foreigner murder a foreigner, no Japanese citizens involved. Maybe 5 years max and that will be with parole for good behavior and of course deportation in which parole won't apply.

Hahaha............. an American minor....................

So since he's a minor, was the interrogation done with the presence of an "adult" embassy consultant?

America will no doubt demand his release if he's found guilty.

America will no doubt demand his release if he's found guilty.

You are just speculating. I cannot speak for others, but if he is released, please go ahead and drop him in the Pacific Ocean. I personally do not want him back here.

Japan's legal system is border line 3rd - 4th world. The police and other professionals are dedicated, but the system is brutal and outdated....

CrystalyleJun. 15, 2012 - 08:22AM JST

I wonder how they got his confession.

Pre-bargain maybe as he is considered as a minor under the Japanese criminal law?

Minor? Don't make me laugh! Its about Japan lowers the supposed age of these 'minors' . If your old enough to travel around the world and drug a girl before killing her. Your old enough to know the consequences of your actions and your old enough to face the punishment for people to know what you have done.

This 'minor' has killed a girl from my country and I hope the Irish government are forceful in this so that we can get a suitable punishment and also a answer for the family of this lass.

Japan's legal system is border line 3rd - 4th world.

For God's sake, the suspect is american, american! I mean he's from the country that brought to us places like: Guantanamo Bay detention camp, Abu Ghraib prison and many others. Americans are in no position to complain.

Before you look at the splinter in your neighbor's eye, take out the log in your own eye.

tokyobakayaro:

" he's from the country that brought to us places like: Guantanamo Bay detention camp, Abu Ghraib prison and many others "

Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib prioson are OUTSIDE the American justice system. Whatever you want to say in regard to comparing the Japanese justice system the the American one, your examples are totally beside the point.

This "Dick" sdniH (named backwards) wheel-chaired an innocent incapable woman into a hotel room . The brave incapable girl tried and failed to live.

Back on topic please.

Oh I know I'd wish he would be deported back to the US. But our justice system can't take the case unless the J system allows it and even then I'm pretty sure US laws can't stick well on a crime commited in a country outside of the US ofc. I surely hope the J legal system starts picking up some good tips from here especially with that "minor" bs. He's 19 for craps sake, and believe it or not he is capable of making decisions on his own apparantly, just not willing to face the consequences for his stupidity. Overall forensics need to check everything out accurately. With enough proper (and unfalsified) evidence, a confession is never needed.

** You missed the point, clearly. I think some were hoping it was a case of a mistake, not attempted rape and a man killing a woman when she doesn't want to have sex with him. Get it now?

that is not the reason people assume it was some sort of sex game gone wrong. **

How do you know that? It was exactly what I was thinking and I don't think I am the only one who was thinking it.

The unnamed 19-year-old suspect is a well known Christian musician in the Memphis area, who was in Japan to work as a backup dancer to a Japanese R&B artist.

He and 23-year-old American James Blackston had already been in custody on suspicion of molesting Furlong’s female friend, also an Irish national, inside a taxi the night of the murder.

tmarie:

" vthat is not the reason people assume it was some sort of sex game gone wrong. ** how do you know that? It was exactly what I was thinking "

Oh really? A sex game with a semi-comatose partner? What kind of "game" is that where only one party plays? You can blame the victim for drinking too much (assuming nothing was slipped in her drink), but blaming her for anything after that is simply low, imho.

Apparently the guy was seen wheeling the victim up to hIsi room in a wheelchair at the hotel It's a wonder at all how she managed to resist hi advances once in the room

Where is anyone blaming the victim? I am certainly not. I assumed when the story first came out and the story of strangulation came out that perhaps it was a sex game gone wrong. No blame. No automatic jump that the person is guilty without knowing the facts. No blame on the victim.

the toxicology reports coupled with his confession should land this creep in prison for a very long time.

The suspect has admitted having pressed her neck with his hands but insisted that he did not intend to kill the victim

apparently, he is giving her a massage on the neck

''''' RealJapan''''' There are 50 states in USA, with each different criminal justice systems. Also, each state is too busy to handle its own murder cases. The guns are all over in USA. I don't think USA government will involve in this case. Too too busy with too many murders everywhere in USA.