38-year-old man who strangled an underground idol “because he believed he was her boyfriend” “exploded in anger when he found out about the existence of another man” and his motive for committing the crime was appalling.

I believed I was her boyfriend.”

The man’s words in court were so selfish and one-sided.

On October 11, Yuta Miyagi, 38, an unemployed man accused of murder and destruction of a corpse, was sentenced to 17 years in prison at the Tokyo District Court. Miyagi is alleged to have murdered Ms. A, then 18, an underground idol at a hotel in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, in July 2010.

Miyagi was an ardent fan of Ms. A. She attended events and gave him gifts. He went to her events, borrowed money, and gave her gifts. When Ms. A’s attitude became unfriendly, he became angry and committed the crime. At the sentencing, the presiding judge harshly pointed out that the decision was ‘self-centered and selfish.

FRIDAY Digital” reported in detail on the murder of Mr. A in an article distributed on July 14, 2010. We would like to recount Miyagi’s one-sided argument and the entire crime (some parts of the article have been corrected).

Turned himself in to a police box near his hotel.

He killed the woman by strangling her. ……

At dawn on July 11, a man surrendered himself at a police box near JR Ikebukuro Station (Toshima Ward, Tokyo). The police officers at the police box immediately began investigating. In a hotel room several hundred meters away, the body of a woman was found lying in the bathtub.

On suspicion of murder, the Ikebukuro Police Station of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department arrested Miyagi, a self-proclaimed part-time worker at a convenience store in Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture. He is alleged to have strangled Ms. A to death inside the hotel.

The defendant and Ms. A entered the hotel on the 10th, the day before the incident. When questioned by the police, Miyagi stated, “I strangled her with both arms for about 10 minutes. What is puzzling is that Miyagi stayed at the hotel for 12 hours after the crime. He told the police that he was wondering whether to turn himself in or not.

The two got to know each other about a year before the incident. Miyagi attended an event at a maid café and liked Ms. A. They met three times after that.

It appears that this was not a spontaneous incident, but a premeditated one. Mr. Miyagi had prepared a knife in advance, and there were scratches on Ms. A’s neck that looked as if she had been cut, as well as a strong strangulation mark.

“Angered by stealing a smartphone

What is appalling is the motive for the crime. The defendant Miyagi told the police, “I thought [Ms. A] was her.

I thought (Ms. A) was my girlfriend. （I stole her smartphone, and when I found out that another man existed, I exploded with anger.

If his statement is true, he killed Ms. A because of his selfish belief.

I have the impression that crimes based on assumptions are on the increase these days. The social networking services, where people exchange short messages without direct dialogue, may be having an impact. The spread of the new coronavirus has also contributed to a decrease in opportunities for face-to-face communication, as people tend to interpret short messages such as LINEs in their own way, without knowing the true intentions of the other party. The suspect in this case probably thought that the woman was doing him a favor by communicating with him.

The fact that he remained at the crime scene for 12 hours after the crime was committed is probably a sign of distorted affection. He told her that he would stay by her side even after her death. …… However, if the body is left for a long period of time, it will naturally emit a strange odor. I think he couldn’t stand it any longer and turned himself in.

Miyagi took the life of a teenage girl because of his inflexible love for her. His words in court show no signs of sincere remorse.