Suspect says another man in his van killed 13-year-old girl

The timeline above is very confusing.....

Latest news says he bought a stun gun and handcuffs the day before the murder. That would explain how he kept the kids subdued in his car while he was driving around all morning. He then switched to tape, presumable because he was clever enough to figure out that handcuffs could be traced. What a piece of work.

I'm sure it's a matter of time before the truth is revealed. Whoever did it, solitary confinement for life with nothing but a noose in the room sounds reasonable to me.

Japanese law is just too lenient on criminals like these, and that's why you get repeat offenders.

And you obviously don't hold a degree in criminal psychology.

Going hard on people for lesser crimes only ensures they kill their victims to try and avoid getting punished so hard again.

This one is the exception to the rule. If you change the rule to fit the exception, you will have very bad results to show for it.

Its also worth considering that China has not eliminated crime or created a virtual utopia for putting bullets in the back of the heads of convicted criminals. Those shot in the head don't repeat their crimes. So why isn't China crime free?

The cops are finding more "CCTV" footage about the perp. Looks like he was driving around all over the place all morning, so the children must have been in his car. The windows are covered with dark foil, so you can not see inside. And from the timeline it is pretty clear that he confiscated their iphones early on, so they could not communicate. And the autopsy says they ate nothing all day until they were killed, so this was not a friendly situation (it obviously did not start with a "hey I buy you breakfast" thing). Creepier and creepier.

Can we reasonably expect them to also keep a 24-hour watch on their children as well?

I think parents of children aged between around 10 to 16 can be "reasonably" expected to keep about a 9-hour "watch on their children" (e.g. from 10pm to 7am). There might also be a legal responsibility to ensure these kids are home by 10 (I think in Japan it depends on the prefecture). Without wishing to appear "sanctimonious", I have to say if my 13-year-old daughter hadn't come home by midnight and I wasn't sure where she was, I'd be going up the wall with worry and out on the streets, with the police, searching for her.

Autopsie says the girl was beaten and stabbed many times while still alive. Then she died because he wrapped the sticky tape around her head and she could not breathe. The boy`s body was too decomposed to say for sure, but it seems to look similar. I can not get this out of my head. What an animal.

It's all on the damn parents!!! Kids those ages should been in the damn house at that hour!!! I hope he get killed in prison. One thing I absolutely hate is crime against children!!! Japan is still much much safer then the u.s. But bottom line kids shoulda been in the house.... Shame on both parents!!!!

This incident is so terrible. He grabbed sometime around 5. By 6:35 he texted from the girls phone. And around 7:00 they died. But what did he do with them between morning and evening? Around noon he bought the tape that he used to murder them (they suffocated), and he was alone. So at that time they were somewhere and still alive. The creep did not explain anything yet, I so hope the police go medieval on him until he does.

"They charge him with the only thing they are absolutely sure about so that they can hold him."

Anyone without a charge can be held for up to 30 days here.

I hope hosblife is diminished before he sees the judge

I'm not a fan of the death penalty but it's hard not to support such a punishment in this case and he may well get it actually.

@ nandakandamanda: With child predators like this unemployed 45-year-old man, the J-cops will probably find out other abductions, harassment's and near abductions may be linked in his area. Children that were afraid or embarrassed to talk about their encounters may come forth admitting contact with this coward. Since he was 32 years old at the time he was first caught, he has probably been developing ways not to be caught. Lets hope Japanese justice gives him the punishment he deserves. If there was a second perpetrator, the sentence should be doubled.

These two children's lives should of never been taken by this less than human criminal.

RIP these 2 children.

Neither of them had any money so they would not realistically be able to get to Kyoto by train or bus. Unless they were trying to hitch hike.

Japanese media is reporting a woman who says she was repeatedly stalked by this guy from September last year and although she reported it to the police each time, they do not seem to have followed it up. She says perhaps the whole thing could have been prevented if they had. Apparently there were also various complaints of attempted child abductions etc., in the vicinity of his apartment block.

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20150822-00000258-sph-soci

These two kids were both seriously stupid even for 12 year old's.

No, they were not stupid. They were 12-year-olds.

It never ceases to amaze me how sanctimonious people can be; heaping abuse one two mothers who've just had their children murdered. Many Japanese women are single mothers working one or more jobs just so that their ingrate kids have roofs over their heads and food on the table. On top of that they may be doing all the shopping, house cleaning and looking after elderly parents. Can we reasonably expect them to also keep a 24-hour watch on their children as well? Kids these days are often more concerned with hanging out with their friends, surfing the net and immersing themselves in social media than they are with even talking to their mothers, let alone helping them. And lets put some blame where it belongs. These two kids were both seriously stupid even for 12 year old's.

TonyW:

" The charge of "abandoning a body" is curious. "

Do you live in Japan? This is the standard procedure here. They charge him with the only thing they are absolutely sure about so that they can hold him. Don´t worry, they will get to the other stuff soon.

The parents are part to blame because who lets there thirteen year old stay out until 5:00am. They shall forever live with how they improperly raised their child in grief.

The charge of "abandoning a body" is curious. Does that mean that if one finds a body but then walks on that one can be committed on that charge? And does that mean in this case that it is a mere "holding" charge until the police can pin the murder on him once they can dispose of his obviously fabricated alibi? Forensics really need to be on top of their game in this case to prove he murdered them if in fact he did.

LFRAgain:

" No one who so methodically stalks then kills children, "

It does not seem like he stalked them. He came across them early morning by chance, got them into his car, and murdered them in the afternoon. What he did with them between morning and afternoon, the police is trying to find out now. I hope they don´t wear velvet gloves.

This is simply the most horrific story of human depravity I've seen in years.

I don't really care whose sensibilities the follwing offends; if his crimes are proven to be true, this man should most certainly die for his offenses. No one who so methodically stalks then kills children, for f### sake, has any right whatsoever to share this plane of reality with the rest of us. No one. If I had the opportunity, I'd pull the trigger myself.

His "friend?" More like an imaginary friend. I don't for a second buy his story.

This guy was already arrested for confining a boy in 2002. WTH. Isn't there a predator list in Japan? Japanese law is just too lenient on criminals like these, and that's why you get repeat offenders. I'm afraid if the system doesn't change there will be another tragedy like this.

I don't know where some of you got the idea that the killer used Hirata's cell phone to text a message to her friend that she and Hoshino were going to Kyoto.

Well, all of her messages were in typical Kansai ben like any Osaka person would talk in. That message was in standard Japanese and the killer is from Nagoya originally I believe.

So long as the guy won't say who did it, since all he'll say is, "Wasn't me!", then he should be the one held completely responsible for both murders, among other charges. Even if he does name names, and it can be proven, he should be charged as an accomplice and get just as severe a sentence. But I think we all know he's lying, given the premeditation that seems to be involved, and that he's kidnapped little kids before. For that, and double murder, I'd say this guy is toast. Good riddance.

Geez Davnetcat, you left out half my sentence, so it changed the meaning. Please add "...without being harmed like this." I was speaking idealistically. And if you had read the rest of my post you would have seen that I would have been up all night looking for my kids.

This maggot has form and with two pre-meditated murders will swing. Sayonara with you and your cheap trilby.

12 and 13 year old kids should not be running around the streets late at night and this is exactly why. Generally, Japan is a pretty safe country, but there are still some monsters running around preying on the defenseless. Possibly, it's not as safe as people make it out to be. If you are a middle-aged man it's ok, but if you are a child or a woman the circumstances are a lot different.

This guy's story does not make sense and I'm sure he will eventually break-down and give the details of what happened. If it was his 'friend' that killed the little girl he should have been at the cop shop immediately and not hiding. If his 'friend' story is true, is he willing to face the noose for his 'friend'?

"while junior high kids should be able to stay out as long as they want during vacation" No way! Get kids home by sunset. There is nothing they can do at night that could be "good". That could be done in the light the next day.

I believe they said on the news this morning that he spent some time in jail for it.

"Sankei Shimbun reported that Yamada was arrested in March 2002 for abducting and confining an 8th-grade male student "

Arrested?!? Well, what about convicted? Or given a jail sentence? Or found not guilty. What happened?

Why does the Japanese media always have so much half-baked info in their crime stories?

I am confused by all the time references in this article. Also, while junior high kids should be able to stay out as long as they want during vacation without being harmed like this, as a parent I would be awake all night wondering where my kids are. Kind of Tony Micelli, Who's the Boss like, but not quite. BTW, why is it that unemployed men are the usual M.O. for this kind of disgusting crime? Sad as all heck. RIP

Brainiac:

" The prevailing theory is that they were grabbed sometime during the day. That's more plausible. Why would Yamada have been out looking for a victim at that time of day anyway? He couldn't logically hope to find a child by him/herself at that time of the morning. "

I don´t think anybody suggested that Yamada was "out looking for a victim". It seems more plausible that this was a crime of opportunity. He saw his chance and took it.

The fact that that the message about going to Kyoto and not coming back was written in formal Japanese would support the theory that he wrote them. Look at the other message the kids texted (they showed them on TV). Does any of them look like a complete sentence in proper Japanese? If that is the case, he came across them early morning, got them into is car, and subdued them quickly.

But you are right, the perp should start talking.

Brainiac:

I don't know where some of you got the idea that the killer used Hirata's cell phone to text a message to her friend that she and Hoshino were going to Kyoto.>

On various news sites, such as Senkei - http://www.sankei.com/west/news/150822/wst1508220046-n1.html.

　捜査本部によると、平田さんと星野さんは、１３日午前５時すぎに山田容疑者に連れ去られた可能性が高い。これ以降の平田さんのＬＩＮＥのメッセージは、山田容疑者がなりすましたか、平田さんに指示してやり取りさせた可能性もあり、捜査本部が調べている。<

Security footage around the station shows a grey van very similar to that was found in the distribution company carpark in Takatsuki, pull up around 5:10 am, which was the last time that both children were seen in the same area.

I don't know where some of you got the idea that the killer used Hirata's cell phone to text a message to her friend that she and Hoshino were going to Kyoto. I've been reading the Japanese news and Yamada has certainly made no such statement to police, or at least, it hasn't been released to the media.

Besides, the time factor doesn't seem to bear that out. We know for a fact, from the shopping arcade camera footage, that Hirata and Hoshino were still alive at 5:09 a.m. That message about going to Kyoto was sent to Hirata's friend at 6:35 a.m. It seems improbable that Yamada grabbed the kids that early, took them somewhere, texted Hirata's friend and then kept them confined all day. The autopsy revealed Hirata was killed around 7 p.m. that night.

The prevailing theory is that they were grabbed sometime during the day. That's more plausible. Why would Yamada have been out looking for a victim at that time of day anyway? He couldn't logically hope to find a child by him/herself at that time of the morning. Furthermore, it was raining between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., which is why the kids hung out in the arcade.

NHK said camera footage showed a boy that looked like Hoshino parking his bicycle in the afternoon, but that's the only reference I found. If that's true, where were the kids from morning until the afternoon?

But anyway, we won't know for sure until Yamada starts talking.

Ichiben:

" not to mention what he did during the week between disposing of their bodies individually. "

Well, seeing that he is child molester interested in boys, I don´t really want to know graphically what he was doing with the boy after he got rid of the girl. But I do hope the cops squeeze it out if him, in any way possible.

I believe the statement in article that the boy "was seen" parking his bike is in error, unless the writer has some information that Japanese TV news does not.

WilliB

Was he? When did you hear that? The news I watched sad that someone parked his bike in that expensive paid bike parking rack, but there was no camera footage. The assumption that the murdered did that. The reason the knew the time is that the parking system registered it.>

Yeah, the last part of this article here states it: "Hoshino was seen once more, placing his bicycle in a paid parking spot outside the station at around 3 p.m. on the afternoon of Aug 13, and that is the last time he was seen. Hirata’s bike was found nearby."

I agree, it's much more likely that the murderer parked it there. Maybe it's an error. But there's still a 12-hour time lapse between the kidnapping and time of deaths that is unexplained, not to mention what he did during the week between disposing of their bodies individually.

The suspect is probably a paranoid schizophrenic. He won't see a day in jail, but you can bet he'll be in the madhouse for a long time to come.

Ichiben:

" However, if so, then why later that day was Hoshino-san seen at 3pm parking his bike outside the station? "

Was he? When did you hear that? The news I watched sad that someone parked his bike in that expensive paid bike parking rack, but there was no camera footage. The assumption that the murdered did that. The reason the knew the time is that the parking system registered it.

It seems likely that the story of running away to Kyoto was fabricated and sent by the killer, not by Hinata-san. However, if so, then why later that day was Hoshino-san seen at 3pm parking his bike outside the station? It's strange the killer would wait one week to dispose of Hoshino-san's body as well. Still very puzzling...and extremely sad.

My heart goes out to these two innocent children and their families and friends, this is just sickening and unforgivable. Rest in peace Hinata and Hoshino.

I hope the Police squeeze this mans brains till they know every last detail. Can only hope the people closely affected can find peace in life again.

I don´t believe the "other man" story, but I hope the cops squeeze the truth out of him.

Whoever did this to such young innocent kids, I hope they spend a long time in prison and one morning the executioner comes and hangs the swine(s). Do nonce's in Japan get the same treatment as other countries? I hope this too.

He had previous record of abduction of a child , arrested and released ... and he did it again this time by killing two children ... I do not know what he will do next when he is out ... !!!

The two were seen outside a convenience store at 10:30 p.m., eating ramen. A passerby asked Hirata where her parents were and she just laughed.

What the...?