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Takahiro Shiraishi

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Takahiro Shiraishi
白石隆浩
Born (1990-10-09) 9 October 1990 (age 34)
Zama, Kanagawa, Japan
Other names"The Twitter Killer"
Criminal statusIncarcerated
Conviction(s)Murder (9 counts)
Criminal penaltyDeath
Details
Victims9
Span of crimes22 August – 17 October 2017
CountryJapan
State(s)Kanagawa
Date apprehended31 October 2017

Takahiro Shiraishi (白石隆浩, Shiraishi Takahiro, born 9 October 1990) is a Japanese serial killer and rapist. He is also known as the "Twitter Killer", which he was labeled as in most media reports at the time of his sentencing. In Zama, Japan, between August and October 2017, he murdered nine people, mostly young women including three high school girls.

Background

Takahiro Shiraishi was living in an apartment in Zama, a city in central Kanagawa Prefecture. Reportedly, he stalked Twitter and contacted suicidal people asking them to come to his house so he could watch them commit suicide. He offered to either assist, or watch them kill themselves. A friend of his indicated that he had indulged in choking games with school friends, and signs of his later victims indicated that they had been strangled to death. Each one of his 9 victims showed signs of defensive injuries.

Before his move to Zama, Shiraishi had worked as a scout who lures women into brothels to work in the sex industry in Kabukicho, Tokyo's biggest red-light district. At this stage, people had started warning locals about him, describing him as a "creepy scout". Shiraishi then moved from Tokyo into an apartment in Zama in August 2017.

Investigation and arrest

The apartment complex where the bodies were found

One of the missing women's brothers started an investigation on his own to find his sister. A woman known only as 'Yumi' assisted him by contacting Shiraishi, and setting up a fake appointment. They both involved the police.

The police then arrived at the apartment and asked where the missing woman was. Shiraishi indicated she was in the freezer. Police found nine dead bodies in the house, all of which had been dismembered. In three cooler boxes and five large storage boxes, police found heads, legs and arms from his victims. Neighbors corroborated the events by confirming that foul smells of rotting flesh had come from the house. Shiraishi had discarded elements of the people into his bin, which had been taken away in the recycled garbage. The nine victims were eight women and one man, all of whom were between the ages of 15–26.

Police investigation had confirmed the missing woman had been walking with Shiraishi on 23 October.

Shiraishi confessed to killing and dismembering the nine people. Before he committed the murders, Shiraishi had told his father his life had no meaning.

Shiraishi claimed his motive was sex. He wanted to use his victims’ vulnerable states to manipulate and sexually assault them, fulfilling his fantasies and not having to worry about them denying his advances.

On 1 October 2020, Shiraishi pled guilty to nine murders. On 15 December 2020, he was sentenced to death. He has indicated he will not appeal his sentence.

Shiraishi's death sentence was finalized in January 2021, and he is currently awaiting execution.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Zama 9 people murder case first trial ". NHK News (in Japanese). NHK. 30 September 2020. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. ＜平成2年10月9日＞ 神奈川県内で出生。
  2. ^ Tetsuya Shibui (27 November 2020). ""Is my way of raising bad? Why can he do this?" 9 people killed, Shiraishi defendant, mother's sorrowful shout Zama 9 murder case trial hearing report". Bunshun Online (in Japanese). Bungeishunjū. p. 2. Archived from the original on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021. 平成2（1990）年10月9日、隆浩を出産しました。
  3. "「カネ」に執着 座間９遺体事件から１年、白石被告の素顔". The Sankei News (in Japanese). 28 October 2018. p. 1. Archived from the original on 7 November 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  4. Ramsland PhD, Katherine (29 December 2017). "Notable Crimes of 2017". Psychology Today. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  5. ^ "How Japan's suspected serial killer went from quiet child to sex trade scout". SBS News. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  6. Rich, Motoko (1 November 2017). "Suspect in Japan Serial-Killer Case Sought Out Suicidal People (Published 2017)". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  7. ^ Sim, Walter (5 November 2017). "Inside the mind of the Japanese serial killer who killed 9 people". The Straits Times. Straitstimes. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  8. "Serial killer who hid nine heads in his house 'offered suicide pacts to women'". The Independent. 1 November 2017. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  9. "Takahiro Shiraishi". Generation Why Podcast. Generation Why Podcast. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  10. "Japan 'Twitter killer' pleads guilty to murders". BBC News. October 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  11. "Japan 'Twitter killer' Takahiro Shiraishi sentenced to death". BBC News: Asia. BBC News. 15 December 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  12. Wakatsuki, Yoko; Cheung, Eric (15 December 2020). "Japanese 'Twitter killer' sentenced to death for murders of nine people". CNN. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  13. "Death sentence finalized for Japan's 'Twitter killer'". 6 January 2021.
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