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2d ago

Japan Executes ‘Twitter Killer’ Takahiro Shiraishi

Ordered by Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki, the execution marks Japan’s first use of capital punishment in three years under a system criticized for its secrecy.

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Takahiro Shiraishi leaves a police station in Hachioji, suburbs of Tokyo, in November 2017.
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A court sketch by Masato Yamashita dated September 30, 2020 shows Takahiro Shiraishi (C), on trial

Overview

  • Takahiro Shiraishi, 34, was hanged at Tokyo Detention House on June 27 after his 2020 death sentence for murdering and dismembering nine people he met online was finalized.
  • He preyed on vulnerable individuals expressing suicidal thoughts on Twitter, luring mostly women aged 15 to 26 by offering to assist them in dying.
  • Police uncovered human remains concealed in three cooler boxes and five containers in Shiraishi’s Zama apartment during a 2017 investigation into a missing woman.
  • Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki said he ordered the execution following careful consideration of Shiraishi’s “selfish” motives and the societal shock caused by the crimes.
  • Japan remains one of two G7 countries to retain capital punishment, facing criticism over its use of hanging, last-minute inmate notifications and prolonged stays on death row.