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Police said Saturday that the suspect arrested for the murder of a 19-year-old university student in Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture, in May is another student from the same school.
According to police, the victim, a second-year student at the Tohoku University of Community Service and Science, named Ryosuke Shitara, was found dead on May 29 at his apartment in Sakata after having been stabbed in the back by an unknown assailant. Investigators said that there was no sign of a struggle or theft at the scene, leading police to suspect the murderer was acquainted with the deceased.
NTV quoted police as saying the accused was apprehended following interviews with those closest to Shitara. Although the name of the 20-year-old suspect has not been released, police say that he is male and was aged 19 at the time of the murder.
© Japan Today
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Dennis Bauer
Anything on the motive for this murder?
sensei258
When you are 19 in Japan, you can get away with murder. You just can't smoke or have a beer in the process.
CalvinMontblanc
Well, if his being the prime suspect is based simply on interviews with other acquaintances and the fact that police think it must have been an acquaintance since nothing was stolen, I sure am glad I never met Ryosuke!
For cryin' out loud, they have no physical or eyewitness evidence?
FightingViking
I believe "InControl" was being sarcastic... (so I thumbed him/her up). When will the Japanese learn that a 19 year old is more than "old enough" to know what he/she is doing ? Even younger people are quite aware of what they're doing but because of the Japanese law, they probably think they can get away with it... I'm quite sure "Sakakibara" knew what he was doing when he beheaded a younger boy and stuck the head on a gate post... and he was MUCH younger...
InControl
But at 19 years old he is only a child in the eyes of Japan's legal system. Poor thing didn't understand the knife would hurt anyone.
CrazyJoe
Since a murder is involved, police should name the suspect and charge him as an adult in court.
sensei258
'was aged 19 at the time of the murder' Does that make it okay? Don' let this guy off just cuz he snuck in under the wire.