15-Year-Old Murderer Who Made A Chilling Confession About His Victim Sentenced

On May 11, police were called by a passerby who found an injured woman lying in the street. She was unconscious and bleeding from wounds to her back and her head that had been inflicted by a 15-year-old assailant.

The call was made in Chiba, Japan, at around 5:10 p.m. after what appeared to be a random stabbing in Wakaba Ward. The woman, 84-year-old Takahashi Yayoi, died approximately 90 minutes after she was transported to a hospital for treatment. She and the culprit were strangers.

The culprit, who lives near the crime scene, was spotted on surveillance camera footage taken near the place where Takahashi was stabbed. After initially being detained for voluntary questioning, he was arrested on May 12 on suspicion of fatally stabbing Takahashi. In addition to this, he was later charged with violating the Firearms and Swords Control Law.

According to police, the 15-year-old has a history of delinquent behavior, including trouble with classmates and a complicated home life, having run away once. After his arrest, the culprit told the police that he committed murder as a way to escape his living situation. It didn’t matter to him who he killed; he chose Takahashi at random. After spotting her walking near the crime scene, he decided to follow her and kill her.

I targeted someone weaker than me so I could go to a juvenile detention center.

— Suspect

On July 18, the Chiba Public Prosecutor’s Office referred the culprit, whose name has not been released due to his age, to the Chiba Family Court after he underwent a psychiatric evaluation. On September 10,  the Chiba Family Court ruled in favour of sending the culprit to a juvenile detention center.