Overview

• Victim Katayama Megumi, 24, was stabbed in her apartment building elevator on Aug. 20 and died of blood loss from chest wounds that reached the lung.
• Security footage shows she was followed for more than 10 minutes on her way home, and a man resembling the suspect slipped in after her through the building’s auto-lock.
• Hyogo police say Masashi Tanimoto, 35, boarded a Tokyo-bound shinkansen from JR Shin-Kobe soon after the attack and was later detained near JR Okutama by multiple plainclothes officers.
• After his arrest, Tanimoto told investigators he stabbed her about once or twice and said he did not know whether he had murderous intent.
• Police report no prior stalking complaint from the victim; her family said they feel relief at the arrest, thanked investigators, and requested privacy.