Japan - Miyazawa family of 4 murdered, Setagaya, Tokyo, 30 Dec 2000

[FacelessPodcast]

The available fingerprints and DNA were from only one person? Maybe, if that is what they found. But remember the killer brought gloves. Didn't use them. What if the other killers had their gloves on and they never had any injuries. The reasoning for my theory stems from the fact. The killer spent considerable amount of time in the young boy's room. There were too many footprints left by the killer in the young boy's room. He lurked around before wreaking havoc. Also, there was a tip from cabbie that he picked up 3 passengers well past the midnight on the day of the murders. The cabbie recalled seeing one of the passengers had bandages on his hand. The Japan police did not take this account seriously.
You can read about it here . The Setagaya Murders — Unresolved

It is nearly impossible for a killer who was mere 5'6-5'7 , slim build , carrying only a knife, which is not well suited to kill humans massacring a family of 4 in 10 minutes. The house does not look easier to navigate. Were the lights turned off where the woman and the girl were sleeping in the second floor? The killer turned on the lights? There are too many difficulties the a single killer has to overcome. There are reports that the lady in the house used the first aid kit during the attacks. Why didn't she simply lock the door in the room? There is no way the killer could have gotten into the room. The theory of more than killer seems more plausible. One of the killers is in the boy's room while another one goes after Mikio and the other goes after the woman and the girl. The small window in bathroom looks like a big window for even a middle aged person to break in. The killers must have cased the house beforehand during daytime before making the move. They knew they had to break in later in the night. They were aware of the neighborhood. Lurking in the house alone after the massacre is not something anyone would want to do unless the killer had company. Killers usually flee the scene of the crime immediately out of fear they might get caught. A gang of killers would always feel emboldened to stick around because they look after each other. I read a report that killer even slept on the couch. Again, there are lot of speculations. Nobody knows what really took place after the murders.
The police are not sure if there was only one killer.

The killer(s) took some money for expenses and did not bother to take more. This looks like more of crime of passion not robbery.

This one case is very disturbing to say the least. A family of 4 including 2 kids were slaughtered and their property was desecrated and their hard earned money stolen. The perpetrator(s) have/has walked away scot-free. It is astounding to imagine that with enough fingerprints , DNA and material evidence they could not find a single suspect. Why don't they get the best detectives in the world to investigate? Scotland Yard, CIA? They have to run fingerprints search in global database to find a match. It is depressing that the Japanese police have not been competent enough. Justice has to be delivered before the killer(s) dies/die. Hoping there would be a breakthrough with the advancement in science and technology through the years. 22 years is way too long.

Thanks for your reply, ck. And yes -- totally agree. An entire family murdered in their home this way, and seemingly for clear reason, is rare enough anywhere in the world. Let alone in Japan. I, too, very much am hoping there will be a breakthrough and I agree at this point, technological advances are the most likely avenue for this.

However, in my opinion that Unresolved article you link to contains inaccuracies. That's not me blaming the author. It's simply what happens when you run old, recycled information through Google translate. This is the same with all such similar articles. They're often regurgitating and rewording news pieces, already translated from Japanese, and rewording so as not to copy. This means that misunderstandings, inaccuracies, and mistranslations have been propagated down the years in terms of the English-language media. Even major podcasts with actual researchers and millions of listeners have tossed out these inaccuracies in episodes about this case. I'm not saying my podcast (mentioned in the previous post) will be totally free of error or anything like that, only that we actually tried to contact the people and institutions involved. As for your points above, there is a lot I can't yet confirm to you because it will feature in the podcast. But here is what I can say:

*As I understand it, the Tokyo MPD only found one trace of an assailant -- the killer. Is it *possible* other people entered the home? They would have needed to not only wear gloves but also leave behind zero other DNA evidence. While stabbing people to death. In a small, confined space. I suppose anything is possible. But that just doesn't sound likely.

And why would the police not mention the possibility of other criminals if they had reason to suspect it? This also ignores the fact that the other assailants would need some magical way of floating over all the blood in the house to leave zero footprints. It also doesn't explain why only the killer's fingerprints would be on the sashimi knife and the kitchen knife he uses to kill the family members. So, in short, is this possible? Maybe if there were other intruders in the house who weren't stabbing anyone and who were somehow not leaving behind any footprints, hairs, etc.

*I also don't think that it's impossible for someone who is 5'6 to murder two adults and two children (using two separate knives). Why is that impossible? The sashimi knife was inappropriate, which is why it broke. It's also why the killer went to get a second knife from the kitchen.

*I can't answer your question about which lights were on at the time. But it does look like Yasuko (or Niina) tried to use the first aid kit at the bottom of the ladder. This is because the killer stops stabbing them with the broken sashimi knife while in the attic, and then goes downstairs. It's entirely possible here Yasuko assumes he's fleeing. Plus, she might well have been confused, almost certainly in shock. Sadly, he did not leave, he only went to get a different knife.

*The cabbie who spoke of the three men leaving blood in his back seat -- the police looked into it and it turned out to be chocolate. That's as I understand it, anyway. Even if it was blood, it would have been easy to compare to the killer's blood in the house. This only shows us that there were various witnesses who came forward at the time. Many of them saw things that were immaterial to the case or simply wrong. That's just the nature of human recall. If any of them DID see the killer, the TMPD weren't able to gain any leads from the sighting (at least that they've made public).

*'Lurking in the house alone after the massacre is not something anyone would want to do unless the killer had company' -- Why not, though? How can you be sure of that? Because that's clearly what this killer seems to have done. For how long, we can't be sure. But the computer usage among things seems to point to a few hours, at least.

*RE: this being a crime of passion vs a robbery. I totally agree that it's more likely these murders were personally-motivated rather than financial. I've spoken to experts in robbery and they don't agree that his actions match up with what a burglar would do. Starting with the obvious choice: if you go to rob a family home, why do you break in when you know they'll be there? And why do you hang around afterwards? Your objective is the money, not the family.

*As for bringing in outside police forces. You would think that at this stage they have nothing to lose. However, there are also complicated privacy laws in Japan that affect the way in which DNA breakthroughs can be applied to this case. If you look at what happened with Sierra Bouzigard, as an example, there are many steps LE took in that case that would not be legal in Japan.

*Finally, from the Tokyo MPD people I've spoken to, I definitely wouldn't use the word 'incompetent'. As I understand it, they still have around 40 detectives working on this case full-time. It's very unlikely you'd see that kind of figure two decades down the line in the UK (where I'm from), or the US (where I lived for years). Obviously, I don't have a window into the day-to-day investigation and it's quite possible mistakes have been made and the numbers tell us that the TMPD just wouldn't have the same exposure to this kind of violent homicide as an equivalent police force in America, for example. But I just don't agree that any of that would have been for lack of competence.

 

[ck932]

Thanks for your reply, ck. And yes -- totally agree. An entire family murdered in their home this way, and seemingly for clear reason, is rare enough anywhere in the world. Let alone in Japan. I, too, very much am hoping there will be a breakthrough and I agree at this point, technological advances are the most likely avenue for this.

However, in my opinion that Unresolved article you link to contains inaccuracies. That's not me blaming the author. It's simply what happens when you run old, recycled information through Google translate. This is the same with all such similar articles. They're often regurgitating and rewording news pieces, already translated from Japanese, and rewording so as not to copy. This means that misunderstandings, inaccuracies, and mistranslations have been propagated down the years in terms of the English-language media. Even major podcasts with actual researchers and millions of listeners have tossed out these inaccuracies in episodes about this case. I'm not saying my podcast (mentioned in the previous post) will be totally free of error or anything like that, only that we actually tried to contact the people and institutions involved. As for your points above, there is a lot I can't yet confirm to you because it will feature in the podcast. But here is what I can say:

*As I understand it, the Tokyo MPD only found one trace of an assailant -- the killer. Is it *possible* other people entered the home? They would have needed to not only wear gloves but also leave behind zero other DNA evidence. While stabbing people to death. In a small, confined space. I suppose anything is possible. But that just doesn't sound likely.

And why would the police not mention the possibility of other criminals if they had reason to suspect it? This also ignores the fact that the other assailants would need some magical way of floating over all the blood in the house to leave zero footprints. It also doesn't explain why only the killer's fingerprints would be on the sashimi knife and the kitchen knife he uses to kill the family members. So, in short, is this possible? Maybe if there were other intruders in the house who weren't stabbing anyone and who were somehow not leaving behind any footprints, hairs, etc.

*I also don't think that it's impossible for someone who is 5'6 to murder two adults and two children (using two separate knives). Why is that impossible? The sashimi knife was inappropriate, which is why it broke. It's also why the killer went to get a second knife from the kitchen.

*I can't answer your question about which lights were on at the time. But it does look like Yasuko (or Niina) tried to use the first aid kit at the bottom of the ladder. This is because the killer stops stabbing them with the broken sashimi knife while in the attic, and then goes downstairs. It's entirely possible here Yasuko assumes he's fleeing. Plus, she might well have been confused, almost certainly in shock. Sadly, he did not leave, he only went to get a different knife.

*The cabbie who spoke of the three men leaving blood in his back seat -- the police looked into it and it turned out to be chocolate. That's as I understand it, anyway. Even if it was blood, it would have been easy to compare to the killer's blood in the house. This only shows us that there were various witnesses who came forward at the time. Many of them saw things that were immaterial to the case or simply wrong. That's just the nature of human recall. If any of them DID see the killer, the TMPD weren't able to gain any leads from the sighting (at least that they've made public).

*'Lurking in the house alone after the massacre is not something anyone would want to do unless the killer had company' -- Why not, though? How can you be sure of that? Because that's clearly what this killer seems to have done. For how long, we can't be sure. But the computer usage among things seems to point to a few hours, at least.

*RE: this being a crime of passion vs a robbery. I totally agree that it's more likely these murders were personally-motivated rather than financial. I've spoken to experts in robbery and they don't agree that his actions match up with what a burglar would do. Starting with the obvious choice: if you go to rob a family home, why do you break in when you know they'll be there? And why do you hang around afterwards? Your objective is the money, not the family.

*As for bringing in outside police forces. You would think that at this stage they have nothing to lose. However, there are also complicated privacy laws in Japan that affect the way in which DNA breakthroughs can be applied to this case. If you look at what happened with Sierra Bouzigard, as an example, there are many steps LE took in that case that would not be legal in Japan.

*Finally, from the Tokyo MPD people I've spoken to, I definitely wouldn't use the word 'incompetent'. As I understand it, they still have around 40 detectives working on this case full-time. It's very unlikely you'd see that kind of figure two decades down the line in the UK (where I'm from), or the US (where I lived for years). Obviously, I don't have a window into the day-to-day investigation and it's quite possible mistakes have been made and the numbers tell us that the TMPD just wouldn't have the same exposure to this kind of violent homicide as an equivalent police force in America, for example. But I just don't agree that any of that would have been for lack of competence.

Thank you for the thoughtful response. While I agree with you on some points, I find it hard a 5'6" ,slim build young man could just overpower Mikio. He was the second person to be murdered. There is no sign of the woman and the girl making it to the stairs during this assault. Mikio never made it upstairs. It led me to believe there was another attacker handling the woman and the girl. Have the police declared that there was only one killer? Again, I read articles online about this case. It is possible the translations are inaccurate. Most articles I read mentioned the police were not very sure that there was only one killer. About the DNA evidence, one person bled and the other two did not bleed because they didn't sustain any injuries. Why is it not a plausible scenario? Shoeprints doesn't necessarily point to only one person. These are my opinions. Probably, you researched more on this case more than me. It seems strange the killer chose a young boy first and strangled him to death. The boy must have screamed. His parents did not hear him at all until he was dead? The police found 4 icecream wrappers. Only one person ate all 4 icecream packs? The woman had time to use the first aid kit but not lock up the room while the killer went to the kitchen to get a kitchen knife is hard to believe.

 

[dalsglen]

4) I can't get into too much detail here but it's not correct that an old lady lived next door alone. There was actually another family directly next door. Including Yasuko's sister and mother (the old lady).

I trust that the other family next door were properly ruled out?

Looking forward to the podcast, you've done a brilliant job here

 

[FacelessPodcast]

I trust that the other family next door were properly ruled out?

Looking forward to the podcast, you've done a brilliant job here

Thanks so much for your comment, dalsglen. Appreciate it!

As for the family next door, that consisted of the maternal grandmother and sister. My previous post makes it sound like there was another separate family, but I did just mean direct blood relatives of the Miyazawa.

 

[ck932]

Thanks so much for your comment, dalsglen. Appreciate it!

As for the family next door, that consisted of the maternal grandmother and sister. My previous post makes it sound like there was another separate family, but I did just mean direct blood relatives of the Miyazawa.

FacelessPodcast, Are you hopeful this case is going to be resolved anytime soon? If yes, what is your expectation on the timeline? They have to catch the killer before he ages and dies. He is likely in his 40's right now. That is if he is still alive somewhere. Most people are fingerprinted all over the world. They couldn't match his fingerprints in the worldwide database?

 

[FacelessPodcast]

FacelessPodcast, Are you hopeful this case is going to be resolved anytime soon? If yes, what is your expectation on the timeline? They have to catch the killer before he ages and dies. He is likely in his 40's right now. That is if he is still alive somewhere. Most people are fingerprinted all over the world. They couldn't match his fingerprints in the worldwide database?

Thanks for your post, ck932! The TMPD actually revised the age of the killer just a few years ago. They believe he was between 15-mid-20s on the night of the murders. I suppose he could be as young as 36-37 right now. So, assuming he's not dead, he's probably out there somewhere, living his life. And if he died, it certainly wasn't of old age.

I try to keep the faith that he'll be caught eventually! As for a timeline, I just don't know. DNA and technological advances are being made all the time (though as I've mentioned before, this can be tricky in Japan given tight privacy laws and possible incompatibility with stuff like familial DNA use, a low uptake level on stuff like public DNA databases like GEDMatch etc). That said, having spoken with people connected to the case, I have every belief that the Tokyo MPD won't ever stop looking for him and will leave no stone unturned. This is one of their most notorious unsolved murders.

On the fingerprints, there is, of course, Interpol. But this would be dependent on 1) the killer being in a nation that actually searched their database (it's always possible they didn't) and 2) the killer's prints being on record. He wasn't in record in Japan and it's very unlikely he was on record in countries that get a lot of traffic to and from Japan -- or friendly nations such as the USA. I'm not saying it's impossible, it just seems highly unlikely.

I can't get into whether or not this was done for sure -- we do answer this in the podcast though -- but if you go back to my earlier point about the TMPD, you can probably make an assumption.

So, as ever, this goes back to the murderer being a paradox. Either he has a criminal record but is living in some remote place and just been very lucky that the TMPD haven't been able to match him up. Or, he has no record. He certainly didn't have one in Japan before the murders, or to this day. Therefore, are we talking about a person who just, one fine day, decides to slaughter and entire family with no previous behaviour in terms of violence? It seems unlikely. My best guess is that he acted out violently before and it was just simply never discovered. Where this happened or how he got away with it, we just don't know.

All that said, he could very well be dead. That would be a good hiding place. But even then, the podcast will get into why it wouldn't be the PERFECT hiding place either...

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Just wanted to say thank you, guys, for all the fantastic comments and questions. I really do appreciate your interest. And an update on the Faceless Podcast. I can't yet reveal the exact launch date but I can tell you that it will be soon -- hopefully within the next few weeks. Here's hoping you'll all tune in!

Thanks again,
Nic

 

[ck932]

Just wanted to say thank you, guys, for all the fantastic comments and questions. I really do appreciate your interest. And an update on the Faceless Podcast. I can't yet reveal the exact launch date but I can tell you that it will be soon -- hopefully within the next few weeks. Here's hoping you'll all tune in!

Thanks again,
Nic

FacelessPodcast,
I don't know if this is helpful in your research. This is a news story that was published on January 8, 2001. It looks like Mikio had business clothes on while other familiar members were in pajamas on the night of the murders, leading the investigators to believe that the killer killed the rest of the family after Mikio left the home and waited for Mikio to arrive to attack him last. But investigators might have changed their story after finding more clues. Anyway, it is a good read of what investigators believed happened a month after the murders.

Bloodstained sweatshirt found at scene of Tokyo family murders. - Free Online Library

Free Online Library: Bloodstained sweatshirt found at scene of Tokyo family murders. by "Japan Weekly Monitor"; Business Business, international

www.thefreelibrary.com

This story is from July 2,2001

Suspect stayed at Setagaya home half day after murders. - Free Online Library

Free Online Library: Suspect stayed at Setagaya home half day after murders. by "Japan Policy & Politics"; Business Business, international Government

www.thefreelibrary.com

 

[FacelessPodcast]

FacelessPodcast,
I don't know if this is helpful in your research. This is a news story that was published on January 8, 2001. It looks like Mikio had business clothes on while other familiar members were in pajamas on the night of the murders, leading the investigators to believe that the killer killed the rest of the family after Mikio left the home and waited for Mikio to arrive to attack him last. But investigators might have changed their story after finding more clues. Anyway, it is a good read of what investigators believed happened a month after the murders.

Bloodstained sweatshirt found at scene of Tokyo family murders. - Free Online Library

Free Online Library: Bloodstained sweatshirt found at scene of Tokyo family murders. by "Japan Weekly Monitor"; Business Business, international

www.thefreelibrary.com

This story is from July 2,2001

Suspect stayed at Setagaya home half day after murders. - Free Online Library

Free Online Library: Suspect stayed at Setagaya home half day after murders. by "Japan Policy & Politics"; Business Business, international Government

www.thefreelibrary.com

These links are super interesting, thank you ck! I'd never considered the possibility of Mikio being outside of the house at the time of the murders.

Of course, this report is only 4 days after the murders themselves so the information coming out would have been raw.

And I have a problem with this line here:

"Police suggested Wednesday that Miyazawa may have been out when the three others were assaulted sometime after Saturday evening and he was fatally stabbed when he returned home later because a car usually used by Miyazawa was not at the house around 6:30 p.m. Saturday."

We know that Mikio accessed a work document at around 10:30pm. So for that to be true, he would have to somehow enter the house but not suspect all the dead bodies (or hear a killer moving around) just upstairs. Technically possible, I suppose.

As for the computer, it's always been a bit of a mystery. There are conflicting reports on this -- some say the phone line was cut meaning the internet was unlikely to be working for the killer to access that website the second article mentions. Others say the theatre website was in Mikio's favourites tabs list. Others say the computer simply activated 'by mistake' when Haruko, the grandmother next door, entered the house.

En fin, I suspect even if the killer is found and the core mystery is solved, many of these little ones probably never will be!

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Hi guys,

At last! We have a release date: OCTOBER 4th. And the trailer is in the link!

USG Audio Launching ‘Faceless’, True-Crime Podcast About Bizarre, Cold-Blooded Japanese Murder

If you're interested in listening, I would absolutely appreciate it if you could hit SUBSCRIBE. Later on down the line, would be happy to answer any outstanding questions we couldn't cover before.

Thank you so much again for sticking with this thread, folks.

Nic

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Folks, my Setagaya Murder Mystery original podcast is released TOMORROW. Here is the trailer:

‎Faceless: Trailer on Apple Podcasts



Cannot wait for you to listen. Once it's out, I would love to answer any pick-up questions you guys have.

 

[FacelessPodcast]

First two episodes now released!

facelesspod | Spotify | Linktree

In Episode 1, I talk to a former police chief at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police about the case, the mother of Mikio Miyazawa, and an investigative psychologist about the killer's motives.

 

[ck932]

Great job, Nic. Love it.

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Great job, Nic. Love it.

Thank you, ck! Much appreciated.

Hopefully by the end of the series, some of the misconceptions about the case will be cleared up. No doubt there will be OTHER avenues to go down as of course we couldn't cover everything within the format of 30ish minute episodes.

 

[ck932]

Thank you, ck! Much appreciated.

Hopefully by the end of the series, some of the misconceptions about the case will be cleared up. No doubt there will be OTHER avenues to go down as of course we couldn't cover everything within the format of 30ish minute episodes.

Hope this podcast results in more tips or ideas which eventually lead to the arrest of the killer. Also, you will be discussing the "more than one killer theory" in the next episode, which we discussed in this thread. Looking forward to it.

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Hope this podcast results in more tips or ideas which eventually lead to the arrest of the killer. Also, you will be discussing the "more than one killer theory" in the next episode, which we discussed in this thread. Looking forward to it.

Thank you so much, ck!

Yes, I knew that it would always be a long shot bringing this case to WebSleuths or an English-speaking audience. It seems more likely that anybody with relevant information would be in Asia. But still, nothing like this existed before except a few episodes on podcast platforms (including various mistakes and misconceptions) so I just had to do it.

Very much hope you enjoy it

 

[fridaybaker]

I fully believe that a 5'6" man would be able to kill 4 people in a house. There are a few concepts in play here.

One is the element of surprise.

Another is the element of "some people, criminals, are ready and able to initiate severe violence. Most of us aren't and especially when we aren't expecting it, can barely muster the strength and wits to respond with severe violence. We are wired that way. The people who are willing to not only use tremendous violence, but who are willing to initiate it, have the upper hand.

Thirdly, two of the people were children, one of whom, at least, was likely asleep (the six year old boy).

And, the perp being 5'6" really doesn't mean much. If he was young, he likely had greater strength, at least upper body strength than all of the victims. He also came prepared with a knife. That more than evens out the score, in my book.

 

[FacelessPodcast]

I fully believe that a 5'6" man would be able to kill 4 people in a house. There are a few concepts in play here.

One is the element of surprise.

Another is the element of "some people, criminals, are ready and able to initiate severe violence. Most of us aren't and especially when we aren't expecting it, can barely muster the strength and wits to respond with severe violence. We are wired that way. The people who are willing to not only use tremendous violence, but who are willing to initiate it, have the upper hand.

Thirdly, two of the people were children, one of whom, at least, was likely asleep (the six year old boy).

And, the perp being 5'6" really doesn't mean much. If he was young, he likely had greater strength, at least upper body strength than all of the victims. He also came prepared with a knife. That more than evens out the score, in my book.

I quite agree, fridaybaker.

I believe his height has also been extrapolated from his clothes, which I don't think is an exact science. I might wear an XL or L shirt and have a broad chest, it doesn't necessarily follow that I'll be 6 ft.

Another element is that it wasn't like it was a 4 vs 1 situation, even if it were 4 adults and ignoring the fact it's two small children. They were all in different parts of the house and it's quite possible that up to three of the family were asleep. I genuinely cannot imagine how terrifying and surreal it would be in the moment to see a stranger holding a knife in your own home in the middle of the night.

 

[Snoopster]

I quite agree, fridaybaker.

I believe his height has also been extrapolated from his clothes, which I don't think is an exact science. I might wear an XL or L shirt and have a broad chest, it doesn't necessarily follow that I'll be 6 ft.

Another element is that it wasn't like it was a 4 vs 1 situation, even if it were 4 adults and ignoring the fact it's two small children. They were all in different parts of the house and it's quite possible that up to three of the family were asleep. I genuinely cannot imagine how terrifying and surreal it would be in the moment to see a stranger holding a knife in your own home in the middle of the night.

I agree about the height estimate....that it is just an estimate. I don't think they found his pants did they? I would think that using his pant inseam would have been helpful to a small degree. But then again people have all kinds of different proportions. The men in my family all have short legs and long bodies. They also have relatively small feet. But their overall height is more than those measures would indicate.

Regarding shoe size, the perpetrator wore a size that was on the large size for Japanese males (and I assume that that was why that size wasn't available in Japan). This would cause me to lean toward the belief that he wasn't super small compared to the Miyazawa family members.

On a more personal note, I've listened to the first episode and I LOVE your podcast Nic. Well done! You've got an engaging style and great production values. Congratulations. (I'm off to listen to episode 2 now.)

 

[FacelessPodcast]

I agree about the height estimate....that it is just an estimate. I don't think they found his pants did they? I would think that using his pant inseam would have been helpful to a small degree. But then again people have all kinds of different proportions. The men in my family all have short legs and long bodies. They also have relatively small feet. But their overall height is more than those measures would indicate.

Regarding shoe size, the perpetrator wore a size that was on the large size for Japanese males (and I assume that that was why that size wasn't available in Japan). This would cause me to lean toward the belief that he wasn't super small compared to the Miyazawa family members.

On a more personal note, I've listened to the first episode and I LOVE your podcast Nic. Well done! You've got an engaging style and great production values. Congratulations. (I'm off to listen to episode 2 now.)

Thanks for your lovely message, Snoopster

Yes, the height is a tricky thing to pin down. Because on the one hand, it's unlikely he was tiny as if you look at the window vs the fence and so on, he must have had some decent strength to get in through the bathroom window. But by that same token, he can't have been massive to fit through it. His clothes have been described as baggy or loose but again, that doesn't really tell us much about the person wearing them.

There is some detail on the waist but then again, if his waist were 60" he could still have been pretty short so just because the waistline is slim, it doesn't follow that he wasn't tall etc. Ultimately, and I don't want to get too much into this yet given the podcast isn't all released yet -- but one of the things that has always puzzled me is: are the TMPD sure about certain elements in this case based on more than the information they have released (his height and age for example). Or are these just best guesses. In which case, we're looking at much more of a blank canvas that you might first assume.

You are correct -- he didn't leave his pants behind, nor his shoes. That much tells us that if he's willing to wear Mikio's clothes to leave the house, he probably would have taken his shoes if they fit. We'll get into more detail about the shoes the killer wore down the line. But as I say in episode 2, (slight spoilers here) just because the shoes weren't technically available in Japanese stores in that size, it doesn't mean there would be no way to buy them in Japan. Plus, the shoes weren't actually at the scene. I don't want to say much more about that but you can imagine, if the shoes aren't there, I might go back to my previous question: are they certain about the size? Or is this just a best guess?

And thank you again, Snoopster. So glad you're enjoying the podcast! Here's hoping you liked ep 2. From next week onwards, we pick up more and more detail.