Chilling Obsession of 23-Year-Old Who Stabs Ex-Girlfriend with Threats

“No, no, I didn’t.”

When asked by the presiding judge if there was any mistake in the charges against him, the man answered while crying.

On June 10th, the first trial of defendant Ryuki Ito (23), who is accused of murder and other charges for fatally stabbing his former girlfriend, a university student, was held at Yokohama District Court. The incident occurred in June ’23, when Miss A (then 18 years old), who attended a private university in Kanagawa Prefecture, was fatally stabbed in the grounds of her apartment by defendant Ito, in areas such as her neck and chest.

“The prosecution opened with a statement revealing the audio recording from the drive recorder, where defendant Ito was heard saying while driving to the crime scene, ‘I must stab her. If I get caught attempting it, A (using her real name in the drive recorder) will only be happy.’ A’s mother commented in her statement, ‘I will never forgive the perpetrator. I want the harshest punishment possible.’”(National newspaper judicial affairs reporter)

An article from ‘FRIDAY Digital,’ published on July 4, ’23, extensively detailed Ito’s chilling behavior of persistently threatening and using violence against A, who wanted to end their relationship. Recounting this tragic event, caused by the man’s selfish desires, sheds light on the victimization of a young woman.

“I don’t care what happens anymore.”

“He waited for her to come out of the house and then wounded her with a knife.”

“He tried to reconcile with her but couldn’t persuade her.”

The man reportedly confessed to the police about the circumstances leading to him fatally stabbing his former girlfriend.

The gruesome incident occurred on June 29th, ’23, just after 10 AM, when Ryuki Ito, claiming to be a company employee, fatally stabbed university student Miss A as she emerged from her apartment in Tsurumi Ward, Yokohama City.

About 10 minutes after A’s mother reported “my daughter is bleeding and collapsed” to emergency services, Ryuki Ito voluntarily surrendered at the Tsurumi Police Station of the Kanagawa Prefectural Police and was promptly arrested on suspicion of murder. A had suffered multiple stab wounds to her neck and chest and was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead due to hemorrhagic shock.

 

“It appears that A and defendant Ito had been in a relationship for about two years prior to the incident. They began dating when A worked part-time at a restaurant where Ito was the manager. However, Ito exhibited an unusually strong possessive nature, leading to ongoing troubles between them.

Between October ’21 and June ’23, A and her friends reportedly called the police about four times. In December ’22, A told responding officers, ‘He said he would kill me if I tried to break up with him’ and ‘He choked me.’ According to a classmate of hers who spoke to several media outlets shortly after the incident, A described being straddled and assaulted, stating phrases like ‘He really doesn’t care if I leave him.'” (National newspaper social affairs reporter) 

About a week before the incident, on June 22nd, A and defendant Ito had another altercation.

They had a violent argument inside Ito’s car. A left behind a backpack with her house keys inside and exited the car. The following day, police recovered the backpack but found that the keys were missing. It’s possible that Ito used the keys A had forgotten to enter the grounds of the apartment complex where the incident occurred and lay in wait.

“A was known for her bright and outgoing personality, and she was popular among many friends. She had been a child actor and had even appeared in stage performances at theaters in Tokyo. However, after starting a relationship with defendant Ito, her friends found it difficult to see her. It’s possible that Ito’s strong possessiveness led him to dislike A’s close relationships with her friends.

There were also disturbances at Ito’s apartment, about 2 kilometers away from A’s residence. According to residents, they heard loud shouting at night, as well as screams from a woman. There were also sounds of things breaking or heavy impacts.” (Same source)

According to A’s family’s lawyer, A had broken up with defendant Ito about a week before the incident. However, even after the breakup, A continued to receive persistent direct messages from him, causing her significant fear.

“The police had been in contact with both families and intermittently checked to ensure Ito did not engage in violent behavior. They even set up meetings for discussions. However, tragically, the horrific incident still occurred. It raises questions about whether the police’s actions throughout were adequate.” (Same source)

Ito, who tragically took the life of his former girlfriend due to his obsessive behavior, is scheduled to receive his sentence on June 21st.