The Japan Twitter killer, as he is called popularly, has finally received a death sentence. The case of Takahiro Shiraishi is one of the most high-profile cases in Japan to date. Moreover, he gets the unique title of Japan Twitter killer because of his method of serial killing. The 30-year-old man is called so because he met his victims on Twitter and then killed them eventually.
Back in 2017, the police arrested Takahiro after they found the body parts of young women. They were all his connections on social media platforms. Soon after the serial killings were becoming viral, the factor of suicide discussion on social media became a point. On Tuesday, January 15, 2020, over 400 people were present in court when the Japan Twitter killer received his death sentence.
The media reports that there are originally only 16 seats for the public in court, but there were no restrictions on Tuesday. Japan is one of the very few countries in the world that still consider capital punishment valid. Moreover, the people of the country support the death penalty for such heinous crimes to date. In the case of Takahiro Shiraishi, he was a cold-blooded murderer, and his punishment is totally deserving.
How did Japan Twitter killer find the victims?
Takahiro Shiraishi somehow found suicidal women on social media platforms such as Twitter. Within a few days, he called them home by telling them that he could help people die. Sometimes, he also told the victims that he also wants to die along with them.
Soon, his victims were falling into his trap. Moreover, he successfully dismembered one man and eight women after strangling them. All of them were between the ages of 15 and 26. All the incidents took place from August 2017 to October 2017. The Kyodo media agency in Japan came up with the news first.
Takahiro Shiraishi was living in Zama city, which is very close to Tokyo. Here, news spread worldwide after the local police found body parts in the killer’s house on Halloween 2017. This happened when the police forces searched for a 23-year-old woman who also seems to be one of Takahiro’s victims.
Soon after the woman was missing from home, her brother gets access to her Twitter account. There, he finds a very suspicious handle connected with his sister and informs the police. That is how the police were able to trace the resident of Takahiro Shiraishi on October 31, 2017 morning.
The Japanese media was going crazy after discovering the psychopath, and the headlines stated that the man was living in the “horror house.” The term is correct because police were totally taken aback after finding nine heads and several legs and arm bones. The killer was hiding everything inside toolboxes and cooler tanks.
The trial of the Japan Twitter killer
On the day of the trial this week, while the judge sent Takahiro to death, his attorney was still arguing. According to his appeal, the killer does not deserve the ultimate penalty because his victims were willing to die already. As per the attorney’s report, the incident was of consent killing and not murder. However, Shiraishi finally confessed in court that the murdering was not in the consent of his victims.
Finally, Judge Naokuni Yano, while announcing the death sentence, says that the crime was both cruel and cunning. He also finds that the killer was incomplete consciousness while committing the murders one after the other. The public broadcaster announces that none of Takahiro’s victims wanted him to kill them in any way. Besides, it is unfortunate that nine innocent people lost their lives like that.
Last month Shiraishi told the court that he does not want to contest the judge’s decision even if he receives a sentence. While his decision was not clear, then, he does not have any option now. The death penalty in Japan means death by hanging. However, years pass after a criminal receives a death sentence. The worst part is that no one tells them about when they can face the hanging.
What about the victims?
The names of all the young victims will remain a secret to keep their dignity and privacy intact. The 25-year-old woman’s father says that it was impossible to forgive Takahiro even if he is dead. The man becomes emotional, stating that he misses his daughter badly whenever he sees someone of that age. Although he wants better revenge, there is no way that the victim’s families can do anything.
The serial killing and the trial of the Japan Twitter killer arose a storm in Japan. Now, the government and other officials are considering rethinking the suicide trends and mental health of people in the country. The judge says that social media is a great influencer when it comes to the young generation’s life. Therefore, everything must be monitored well. Japan was once a country with one of the highest suicide rates in the world.
