2 More Men Arrested over Burned Bodies Found in Japan's Tochigi

   Tokyo, May 1 (Jiji Press)--Japanese police arrested two more men Wednesday as part of their investigation into the burned bodies of a Tokyo couple found in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture.
   The two men--a 20-year-old South Korean national and Kirato Wakayama, 20--are suspected of burning and damaging the bodies of the couple near a river in Nasu between the early hours and the morning of April 16.
   Any links between the two men and the victims--Ryutaro Takarajima, then 55, and his wife, Sachiko, then 56--have not been confirmed. Investigators believe the two are aware of the circumstances surrounding the couple's death, according to people familiar with the investigation.
   The South Korean national was detained at a hotel in Yamato, Kanagawa Prefecture, Tuesday afternoon, while Wakayama was detained at the home of an acquaintance in the city of Chiba Tuesday night.
   The two suspects borrowed a sedan from Ryoken Hirayama, a 25-year-old construction worker, at a convenience store in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward on the night of April 15. They later contacted the couple at an unoccupied house in the ward and transported them to Nasu in the sedan, according to people familiar with the investigation.

(2024/05/01-10:59)

To read a full story, please click here to find out how to subscribe.