Suspect in Niigata woman’s murder found dead in mountains

The suspect in the murder of a 24-year-old woman has been found dead in a mountainous area of Niigata Prefecture.

Police are trying to track the movements of the 36-year-old man who was found dead in a riverbed in Onibushi City on Saturday. Police did not reveal the cause of death, Fuji TV reported. The man's car was found about 400 meters away from his body. In this car was a note which said, “I’m glad I got to know you,” which police believe refers to the dead woman.

The man had been wanted for questioning over the murder of Aimi Tani, whose partially skeletonized body, with a knife in it, was found in a mountain forest near Tokamachi City, Niigata Prefecture, on the afternoon of Aug 11. An autopsy revealed that besides several stab wounds in her back, the woman had sustained bone fractures and that she had been dead for at least a week to 10 days.

Police said street security camera footage showed Tani and the suspect getting into his car in Niigata City on Aug 1. Her car was found abandoned in the parking lot of a shopping center in Niigata City, 100 kms from Tokamachi, on Aug 4, the same day her family contacted police to report her as missing.

Police believe the suspect killed Tani on Aug 1 or the next day. Shortly after, he attempted suicide and was in hospital until Aug 6. He dropped out of sight and wasn’t seen again until his body was found on Saturday.

© Japan Today