Man arrested over murder of 3 family members in Saitama Prefecture

He's going to longdrop in style..

Hopefully the arrested suspect is the criminal, still 15 minutes of wait seems a terribly long time after reporting a violent crime in process.

Unfortunately, the got the psycho Saito neighbor, who got triggered for whatever reason. Trashed their car, then beat them to death, this guy must be removed from society

I hope the judge will sentence him to life in prison, he is useless to society anyways.

Reat in Peace to the innocent victims of this massacre. Unforgivable what this evil, weak coward did - regardless of any neighbourhood dispute.

The gallows will sort him out. Eradicate him, no tears will fall when it happens.

I wonder if any of the victims foreigners.

＠Tom san - As per local Japanese reports, quoting some neighbours, the victims (at least one of them) were foreigners and seemed nice people.

As previously mentioned, in an interview on a Japanese news site, a neighbor said that the victims were foreigners (but nice people).... This has been the only indication I've seen of this so it may or may not be true.

I hope the judge will sentence him to life in prison, he is useless to society anyways.

hard labor with no chance of release. Breaking rocks into gravel to build new roads maybe…

The slow release of the victims names could indicate that they are waiting until overseas relatives have been informed.

Death penalty!!...

Saitama is no longer the safe place it used to be.

Danger, now.

Saitama is a safe prefecture to live in.

Crime is increase now in Saitama-ken.

This is only tip of iceberg.

Saitama is not in the first five prefectures for the crime. I think it's about no 8. But all prefectures are safe when compared to many other countries like the US.

wallaceToday  02:09 pm JST

Saitama is not in the first five prefectures for the crime. I think it's about no 8. But all prefectures are safe when compared to many other countries like the US.

You're comparing a prefecture to 'many other countries like the U.S.' Do you really understand the difference? What if these people were foreigners, as some have posted, and, were from the U.S.? What do you say to the relatives when they say they thought Japan was a very safe country?

Mocheake

wallace

Saitama is not in the first five prefectures for the crime. I think it's about no 8. But all prefectures are safe when compared to many other countries like the US.

You're comparing a prefecture to 'many other countries like the U.S.' Do you really understand the difference? What if these people were foreigners, as some have posted, and, were from the U.S.? What do you say to the relatives when they say they thought Japan was a very safe country?

Japan is a safe country to live in. Homicide rates are the lowest in all the G7 countries. There were 878 homicides last year. Being a safe country is relative compared with other countries. Japan is the safest country I have lived in and I have lived in many.

All homicides are tragic and painful for family and friends regardless of the nationalities involved.

how did they catch him with a security camera, oh I see he wasn’t wearing a mask!

Larr Flint - I never let my neighbors inside my house or apartment, and I always lock my doors and windows at night - double check - because you never know who it might be.

I understand locking doors and windows at night. That's just common sense. But, not letting any neighbors in? That just weird.

Have you never had coffee with a neighbor? Or, exchanged home or garden advice? Or, given/received omiyagi? Or, any other normal neighborly social interaction?

I'm very curious as to the alleged murderer's alleged motives.

We will never know the reason for it. There are a number of possibilities though.

its on the tv now, wonder if Mr. Bishop yelled at saito in the past for some reason or scolded him - saito allegedly scratched bishop's car in a past incident - maybe one of them were walking on the road or something simple like that...

Japan is a safe country to live in. Homicide rates are the lowest in all the G7 countries. There were 878 homicides last year. Being a safe country is relative compared with other countries. Japan is the safest country I have lived in and I have lived in many.

> All homicides are tragic and painful for family and friends regardless of the nationalities involved

Well, Japan wasn't especially safe for this AMERICAN man and his family. Had this been a Japanese person killed in the U.S., it would be on every channel virtually non-stop for days and this board would have several hundred comments decrying the violence in the U.S. Since it's not the case, we have to get the usual ''Japan is a safe country" comments all day long and act like it didn't happen.

Mocheake

there isn't a single country in the world that is free of all crimes including homicides. This tragic crime is all over the Japanese media and TV. What is your hangups?

He has a history. Trashed the victims car, was arrested but not indicted. Now he murders the whole family with a hammer. In some cases the death penalty is the only solution. Would you want this guy moving into your neighborhood after serving time?

Burn in Hell, Saito! Whatever your beef was with the Bishop family, there is no way it rated killing all three. 40 years old and unemployed is a good first sign of a problem person. (Let the naysayers crying foul to that last sentence begin their rants on 1......2.....3......)

OssanAmerica

Today 07:17 pm JST

He has a history. Trashed the victims car, was arrested but not indicted. Now he murders the whole family with a hammer. In some cases the death penalty is the only solution. Would you want this guy moving into your neighborhood after serving time?

I can say from experience.

The police told me directly, no point in trying to file charges it will be Japanese word against my Gaijin word so regardless that I was the one in the hospital, prosecutors will not take the case for fear of losing.

And that was exactly what happened.

My mixed children were not Japanese enough as witnesses.

So know this you have a nut for a neighbour, cameras, multiple lock you doors and windows at all times.

You cannot get a weapon like a bat etc.. then you will be in trouble even if they are in your home.

I suggest a legal folding sasumata (刺股) more expensive push bottom Pop open and have your whole family trained in its use.

It is enough to hold a person at bay while other can come to your aid call the police pin the attacker down.

My family all learned how lessons from the local police training centre.

I have 3 mid size in my place also because of the nature of my business.

The victim was two elder people and a young woman - the guy targeted some vulnerable people not in a position to fight back. This was purely evil.

He has a history. Trashed the victims car, was arrested but not indicted. Now he murders the whole family with a hammer. In some cases the death penalty is the only solution. Would you want this guy moving into your neighborhood after serving time?

100% agree.

Crime does not come much more heinous - nor killing more cowardly - than what the scum Saito has done. Brutally murdering two defenseless elderly people and their beloved daughter .

He deserves nothing less than a rope around his neck. And I am praying that's what he will get.

@Larr Flint, double locking the windows isn't a perfect assurance that no one could ever enter your apartment. The pros can easily remove the gaskets in glass windows and veranda doors. Take it from what I've experienced!

That was likely premeditated since who walks around with a hammer like that? Bit of a strange time though, 7:15am, I mean who wakes up and decides to kill their neighbor?

My kids kicked a soccer ball into the neighbor's yard. When I went to apologize and ask for the ball back his aging mother got it from his room and gave it back to me. It was deflated and had knife-shaped puncture holes. I think it's hard to stab a soccer ball. My wife thinks that's normal behavior.

trinklets2 - @Larr Flint, double locking the windows isn't a perfect assurance that no one could ever enter your apartment. The pros can easily remove the gaskets in glass windows and veranda doors.

This Saito fella doesn't seem like much of a pro. Most breakins are not done by pros. They are usually crimes of opportunity that are easily prevented by simple precautionary actions. (Locking doors and windows, and shutters, if you have them; Not leaving any items of value within eyesight; Visible alarm signage/stickers; Visible cameras, real or dummy; etc. Even barking dogs are a deterrent to most would-be criminals.)

Terrible situation when you buy a house and end up with a homicidal nutcase as neighbour. I hope he hangs.

60 meters away? That’s more than half a football field. Hardly a neighbor in the sense of living 2 meters away and this snapper is fed up with his Doors music.

Japan is safe, but everyone should always be on their guard if they know someone could be a potential snapper.

Very sad.

invalid CSRF

The suburbs are full of nutjobs -- that's one reason they're so cheap. My advice is rent, don't buy -- it's easier to move if you are unfortunate enough to have a wacko neighbor. The police will do nothing to help you.

According to Kyodo News,

"Saito, who lives near to the scene, was previously arrested on suspicion of damaging a vehicle at the residence but ultimately not prosecuted."

So it appears that he was "known" to authorities before.