Overview

• An autopsy found Kobe resident Megumi Katayama, 24, died from blood loss after chest stab wounds that reached a lung.
• Security footage captured a man entering the Kobe building before the auto‑lock door closed and a struggle inside the elevator, with residents reporting screams.
• A blood‑stained knife recovered in a nearby parking lot is being tested as the possible murder weapon, according to investigative sources.
• Blood traces on external stairs and a witness who encountered a descending man support police belief that the attacker fled via the stairwell toward the north; the man is described as in his 20s to 30s with black hair and blonde highlights.
• In Hiroshima, Sumiko Mochida, 61, was found fatally wounded at home, and police are investigating a homicide and have questioned her adult son.