28-Year-Old Man Stabbed His Sister and Her Child to Death in Dozens of Places While Laughing

“As his sister called for help and the boys cried out, he repeatedly cut them while they laughed and screamed. The pain and fear of the victims are immeasurable. This was an extremely brutal and cruel act.”

The judge described the defendant’s ruthless behavior as “extremely brutal and cruel.”

On November 7, a jury trial was held at the Saitama District Court (Judge Kazuo Sasaki presiding). The defendant, Tomosuke Anbo, 28, an unemployed man accused of murder, was sentenced to life imprisonment. He was accused of stabbing his sister, a mother, and her child, who lived with him, to death. The defense argued that Yasuho was “insane” and not guilty, but the prosecution countered that Yasuho had acted rationally by searching for a way to kill them and making a plan to escape, and that he had killed them at his own discretion. The defendant was sentenced as requested.

The incident took place on December 8, 2007. Shortly after 6 p.m., a resident of a housing complex in Saitama City’s Sakura Ward called 110 and said, ‘I hear a baby crying and a man laughing. When police officers from the Urawa West Police Station arrived on the scene, there was no response from the room where the crying was said to have been heard. Then, the door suddenly opened and the defendant, holding a kitchen knife, attacked the police officers. The defendant was arrested in the act for obstruction of justice.

In the room lay Kimiko Oji (24 at the time), a younger sister who lived with him, and her eldest son Daisho (3 at the time), both of whom had dozens of cuts and stab wounds, most of them concentrated on their heads and faces. They were immediately rushed to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead. As a result of the autopsy, the cause of death was found to be blood loss.

“I’m sorry!　I’m sorry!”

In addition to the kitchen knife in Yasuho’s possession, a fruit knife with blood stains on it was found in the room, which was believed to have been used in the crime. The defendant, Yasuho, was arrested three times for the murders of Oji and Daisho as well as for obstruction of justice.

According to a neighbor, just before the incident, he was seen coming from the balcony saying, ‘I’m sorry!　I’m sorry! and a baby’s cry of “Gah! and a baby’s cry of “Gah! The dozens of cuts and other injuries indicate the defendant’s strong intent to kill.”

At trial, the defense argued that Yasuho suffered from delusional disorder and that medical observation was appropriate. However, the prosecution’s opening statement revealed a horrifying motive for the crime.

The defendant began to complain about Daisho’s laughter and crying when he was two years old. Gradually, he began to think that Daisho was bad-mouthing him. It seems that he harbored strong murderous intent toward his sister mother and son. According to the prosecution, he planned to attack Oji from behind. Yasuho has admitted to the content of the indictment.

Judge Sasaki stated the reason for the life imprisonment sentence: “The cruelty with which the lives of a 3-year-old and a 24-year-old were taken is nothing short of serious.”