Murder of Mr. and Mrs. Nasu: Manami Manami, Eldest Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Takarajima, Arrested for “Distorted Family Relationships That Emerge” and “Motive for the Crime

Here is one group photo. In the photo, which appears to have been taken in a snowy country, the family is huddled together in a friendly manner, smiling happily. However, Ryutaro Takarajima, 55, and his wife Sachiko, 56, were murdered in April of this year and are no longer with us. Furthermore, the couple’s eldest daughter, Manami, 31, was arrested on June 27 on suspicion of murder for her involvement in their murders.

The incident came to light in April of this year when the burned bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Takarajima were discovered in Nasushiobara, Tochigi Prefecture. Subsequently, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department arrested a number of suspects, including a former child actor, Yohito Wakayama (Kirato, 20), who was believed to be the perpetrator of the murders, and Hikaru Sasaki (28), who was the instructor. Finally, six people were arrested, including the main suspect, Manami’s common-law husband, Makoto Sekine (32).

Manami had been in the line of investigation from the beginning because she was related to the main suspect, Sekine, and was the victim’s daughter. However, no conclusive evidence was found to prove her involvement in the murder. This time, the police took the time to analyze the huge amount of history left on her smartphone and other devices, and discovered that Sekine had sent messages such as “I’ll make them (Mr. and Mrs. Takarajima) disappear” to the suspect Manami. The suspect was arrested on the grounds that he was now a solid suspect.

Based on security camera footage near the scene of the couple’s murders, it is believed that Manami was not present at the scene. However, it is believed that she may have been consulted by Sekine, the suspect’s common-law husband, about the murder plan in advance.

Did Manami really have her hands on her parents? The investigation revealed a special family relationship.

To begin with, Manami is not Ryutaro’s biological child. Sachiko was remarried, and Manami is her stepdaughter. However, this does not seem to have caused the family to have a particularly bad …… relationship. The suspect Manami also frequently uploaded family photos on her SNS. Furthermore, the staff at the izakaya owned by Mr. and Mrs. Takarajima also said that they did not have such an impression.