The unsolved murder of an elderly couple in Tsukuba, Japan: The bereaved family’s wish for a prize of 1 million yen

Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, December 30, 2005 – January 1, 2006

There have been several calls for information in recent months, but so far there has been no concrete information.” (Ibaraki Prefectural Police Tsukuba Police Investigation Division)

Between December 30, 2005 and January 1, 2006, an elderly couple was murdered in a private house surrounded by a wooded area in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture.

The deceased couple, Koichi Kobayashi (77) and Ageko (67), used to run a karaoke bar on the first floor of their house. They closed it a long time ago, but it was quite popular, with the wife doing business over the phone. While there were many farmers around, that couple stood out with their innocent look.

Koichi and Ageko were both remarried, and when Ageko’s sons became suspicious that they had not been heard from since New Year’s, they visited their home and found them murdered on the second floor of their living space.

The walls of the room were covered with blood, and there was a puddle of blood under the futon. Koichi’s body had a mark on his forehead that looked as if he had been hit with a hammer, the back of his head was cracked and his nose was smashed, and half of Ageshi’s face was smashed.

There were no signs of ransacking the room, and no purses or precious metals were stolen. Therefore, the investigation team has been looking into the possibility of a grudge.

A neighboring farmer said, “We have foreign trainees harvesting our crops, and one of the investigators came to us and asked if he could take DNA samples.

The case is now listed as a “private bounty case” with a bounty of one million yen, and a sign asking for information has been placed in front of the house where the case took place, and the case is also introduced on the website of the Ibaraki Prefectural Police.

Six relatives from both sides of the family decided to pool their money together to offer a bounty. However, four years have passed since then, and I have a feeling that it will be difficult to solve the problem.

It is hoped that the stalemated situation will be resolved.

From the January 7-14, 2022 issue of FRIDAY