Three Questions Remaining in the Murder Case of a 27-Year-Old Woman in Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture
Why were her clothes undisturbed and were there any signs of ransacking? What was the trouble she was talking to the police about?
“I remember that she was a member of the table tennis club in junior high school, but she wasn’t the type to stand out. I guess none of my classmates knew what she was up to these days. I was surprised to learn that she was living in Kumagaya, my hometown.”
So said a classmate of Hidemi Miyazaki, 27, who was found dead in her apartment in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture on September 6. The incident was discovered when a male acquaintance, who became suspicious when he could not reach Ms. Miyazaki, visited her home. It is known that Mr. Miyazaki was strangled and murdered by someone, but no suspect has been caught yet (as of September 14). There are three questions that have prolonged the investigation into this case.
1. The body had no disarrayed clothes and there were no signs of ransacking in the room.
In other words, there is a high possibility that sexual assault or theft was not the purpose of the crime. The motive for the crime is not clear.
2 What was the trouble she was talking to the police about?
“It is known that from ’17 to ’19, Ms. Miyazaki consulted with the police multiple times. The details of what he was discussing are unknown, but it is believed to be a problem in the opposite sex relationship.
3 What was the “male voice speaking in a foreign language” heard from the victim’s house?
A resident said, “I heard a male voice speaking in a foreign language from Mr. Miyazaki’s room. There are many foreign residents in the neighborhood, but there is no information that Mr. Miyazaki was in a relationship with such a man. It is possible that the man knows something about the situation.
Mr. Shigenori Tano, a crime critic and former member of the First Investigation Division of the Chiba Prefectural Police, said.
“There were no signs of disarray in the clothes or ransacking of the room, and other than pressure marks on the neck, there were no significant external injuries. There is no evidence of disarray in the clothing, no signs of damage to the room, and no obvious injuries other than the pressure marks on the neck. If the victim’s friendships are small, it is possible that he met her through social networking sites.
Is this a tragedy caused by a tangle of heterosexual relationships, or was the crime triggered by social networking sites? The case must be solved as soon as possible.
From “FRIDAY” October 1, 2021 issue
Photo： Shinji Hasuo
