Defendant Teacher Claims Innocence in First Trial of 63-Year-Old Man’s Stabbing Murder

“I have no memory of this. I am not the criminal.”

On January 16, during the initial trial at the Tokyo District Court, defendant Kousuke Omoto (38), who is charged with murder and home invasion, made this statement, pleading not guilty. Omoto, a public middle school teacher from Edogawa Ward, Tokyo (currently on leave), is accused of breaking into a house near the school in February 2023 and killing a male resident, Mr. A (63 at the time).

“In the opening statement, the prosecution argued that the appearance of the perpetrator captured on a security camera near the crime scene matched the defendant’s characteristics. They also claimed that Omoto changed his school departure time to a later hour than the time of the crime, suggesting an attempt to create an alibi. On the other hand, the defense argued that Omoto was at home at the time of the incident and had no involvement in the murder,” said a reporter from a national newspaper’s legal affairs department.

Our reporter interviewed local residents right after the incident, and they shared surprising opinions about Omoto. Before introducing the residents’ stories, it is necessary to review the dispute.

There was a bloody man lying on the ground

“On the evening of the incident, around 6:30 PM, the home that Omoto is said to have broken into was located about 150 meters from the middle school where he worked. At that time, the house was unlocked. According to the police, the motive was theft. However, the perpetrator ran into Mr. A, who had just returned home. It is said that the perpetrator stabbed him around 20 times in the face and neck, killing him.

Mr. A’s mother, in her 80s and suffering from dementia, sought help. A passerby who saw a bloodied person lying on the ground called 110, and the incident was reported. Security cameras in the area show a figure resembling Omoto, dressed entirely in black. According to the police, the perpetrator was in Mr. A’s home for about 10 minutes,” said a reporter from the national newspaper’s social affairs department.

Omoto was hired as a teacher by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in April 2010. He had been working at the middle school where he was employed at the time of the incident since April 2022 but was reportedly struggling financially, with issues like a mortgage.

However, when our reporter spoke to local residents shortly after the incident, an unexpected side of Omoto emerged, one that did not align with the image of someone arrested for such a heinous crime.

 

“Good morning!”

This is a testimony from a local resident at the time:

“(At that time), he lived with his wife and three children. He used to ride a sporty bicycle to school every day. He would greet us with a friendly ‘Good morning!’ and was a pleasant person. He even helped with snow shoveling once. Hearing that he was involved in a murder case, I couldn’t believe it.”

Teihei Ogawa, a former detective in the Kanagawa Prefectural Police and a crime journalist, gives his outlook on the upcoming trial.

“The prosecution likely proceeded with the indictment based on circumstantial evidence, as the defendant has not given a clear confession. These days, it’s common for defendants to either remain silent or deny the charges, often advised by their attorneys. Whether the defendant is found guilty or not will depend on the strength of the circumstantial evidence presented by the prosecution.”

The decision regarding the middle school teacher, who had a good reputation among local residents, will be of great interest as the lay judge trial unfolds.