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

[Captain Hastings]

The window as the point of entry makes the most sense in light of Rei and Dad’s final locations. Not that it couldn’t have happened another way, but I think there is a good amount of weight behind that theory because of where they were found and how Rei in particular was killed.

I sure wish they would just permit ancestral dNA to be used to attempt to solve this case, although AIUI it is difficult because most Japanese do not voluntarily upload their dNA to any database anyway.

I think the entry point being the window is possible. But in my view unlikely. The climb would be very difficult, I'm not sure if the police ever actually replicated it, and to do so in silence, still possible but I have serious doubts. Especially when you look at the lack of forensic evidence around the window.

Its a logical assumption to think that because of Reis killing the entry point must have been the window and the killer must have come across him first. I just think it's a pretty big assumption to make when the only evidence for it is the lack of blood on Reis body.

 

[Captain Hastings]

Is this the case where Korean clothes where found, as well as a backpack with sand from a near a military base in California?

If this is that case, I think the culprit was a United States military dependant. Most likely a teenage male.

Yeah it's a possibility. The DNA evidence points to a Korean/Chinese/Japanese paternal and a European maternal line, I'm not sure how common that is with US servicemen. The killer also seemed to have a good understanding of Japanese, again I'm not sure how likely that would be with a US dependant, nor how long postings to Japan last. It's possible it could be the son of someone posted over there for an extended period, someone who grew up in the country but knew they would be leaving. It would require the killer to have hidden the serious hand injury we think he sustained, or for the US authorities to have looked the other way.

 

[lonewanderer]

Yeah it's a possibility. The DNA evidence points to a Korean/Chinese/Japanese paternal and a European maternal line, I'm not sure how common that is with US servicemen. The killer also seemed to have a good understanding of Japanese, again I'm not sure how likely that would be with a US dependant, nor how long postings to Japan last. It's possible it could be the son of someone posted over there for an extended period, someone who grew up in the country but knew they would be leaving. It would require the killer to have hidden the serious hand injury we think he sustained, or for the US authorities to have looked the other way.

Many service members are stationed overseas due to their skills with the language and the ability to blend in.

I think it’s very possible that a military members (probably son) was responsible for this.

Mix in Japans very high privacy rules, a United States military installation hospital, AND the culprit being a minor and the hand injury may not be as easy to spot.

 

[Maclane]

Browsing the articles on this case and seems there are no real leads at all. An innocent family just slaughtered. The most baffling cases are the ones that are random or have no real sense. Rare but possible. Japan has its fair share of loners and misfits. I read somewhere that they had all been out shopping that day. What if this unhinged, unhappy person, at war with society, decided to murder a family. He spotted an unlucky target in the crowds and followed them home. No connections, so no leads. The only hope is a DNA match one day, and if he was a young guy at the time, there's a chance.

 

[Frankie Hellis]

it sure would help if they allowed ancestral dNA to be used, notwithstanding the fact that most Japanese people don’t upload their dNA to any of the repositories. Maybe the perp is partly some other nationality who does participate in ancestral dNA.

 

[sunnybree]

Every now and then I check to see if there have been any updates to this baffling case, so I was glad to see a podcast has been released. It almost seems as though there is too much evidence - there is so much of it, it includes exculpatory evidence for just about any theory.

For me, I think the motive was for the offender’s own psychological gratification - he wanted to commit murder for the thrill of the sense of power and control. I think he planned the crime, but that does not mean that everything went exactly according to plan. He’s not a criminal mastermind or Jason Bourne type figure, he just got “lucky”, maybe because he is a stranger to the family, who saw them and chose them at random. I think it’s a bit like the murder of the Otero family - first victims of BTK (Dennis Radar). He also selected them at random to target, primarily because he saw the little girl Josie. He didn’t know them. He stalked them for a little while to learn their routine. Before BTK was identified, a lot of sleuths theorised that he was very clever. But he wasn’t, he just chose victims who were strangers to him.

I have also wondered if the behaviour post crime of eating his victim’s food, rifling through their personal possessions, using their toilet etc might also be about psychological gratification. He just established the ultimate power and control over his victims, and now he can get into all their stuff, which only further establishes control. An example is Golden State Killer (Joseph De’Angelo). He would also rifle through personal possessions of his victims, eat their food etc before finally leaving the crime scene, even though doing so increased his risk of being caught.

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Hi WS,

Apologies for radio silence. Would appreciate your advice tonight as something has come up. Maybe nothing but also potentially quite exciting.

Following my podcast, a listener reached out. Someone involved in the legal system in Asia. We've spoken for a little while now and he's given me a name. Now, this person is of course innocent of any crimes until proved otherwise. And to say up front there is no evidence of any wrongdoing at all on his part. But after 22 years of zero clear leads, I'm willing to speculate and bark up the wrong trees. I also don't want to break any house rules so I'm not giving out names or making any kind of unfounded accusations here. I just want your opinions.

Long story short, we are discussing a man who would've been inside Yokota US Air Base in or around the time of the Miyazawa murders. He was involved in various clubs and school sports teams. Including the tennis team. Note the killer wore tennis shoes. There is also a potential DNA match in terms of the killer's ethnicity. Now I've spoken at length about us simply not knowing what background the killer had in terms of race. But it seems as if this guy would have been Korean American. He was also young at the time of the murders. And finally, when asked about the death of a classmate in the local newspaper, he made it all about himself saying how nice and "tolerant" she had been about his <insert hobby>...

Like I say, I know this isn't by any means a smoking gun. But I would like to know more about this man.

1) What do you guys make of this?

2) How would you follow this up? (I have many names of people who would've been with him on base)

Complicating the issue somewhat is that his name is a very common one.

 

[lonewanderer]

Hi WS,

Apologies for radio silence. Would appreciate your advice tonight as something has come up. Maybe nothing but also potentially quite exciting.

Following my podcast, a listener reached out. Someone involved in the legal system in Asia. We've spoken for a little while now and he's given me a name. Now, this person is of course innocent of any crimes until proved otherwise. And to say up front there is no evidence of any wrongdoing at all on his part. But after 22 years of zero clear leads, I'm willing to speculate and bark up the wrong trees. I also don't want to break any house rules so I'm not giving out names or making any kind of unfounded accusations here. I just want your opinions.

Long story short, we are discussing a man who would've been inside Yokota US Air Base in or around the time of the Miyazawa murders. He was involved in various clubs and school sports teams. Including the tennis team. Note the killer wore tennis shoes. There is also a potential DNA match in terms of the killer's ethnicity. Now I've spoken at length about us simply not knowing what background the killer had in terms of race. But it seems as if this guy would have been Korean American. He was also young at the time of the murders. And finally, when asked about the death of a classmate in the local newspaper, he made it all about himself saying how nice and "tolerant" she had been about his <insert hobby>...

Like I say, I know this isn't by any means a smoking gun. But I would like to know more about this man.

1) What do you guys make of this?

2) How would you follow this up? (I have many names of people who would've been with him on base)

Complicating the issue somewhat is that his name is a very common one.

I have always felt like this was most likely.

A minor, who may have dual citizenship, on a US military installation, overseas, in a country known for its strict privacy laws. Perfect storm for sharp right turns in investigative red tape.

I don't know how severe the cut to his hand was, but being a military brat, sometimes they know tips and tricks to at least hold it off for a visit to the doctor.

 

[StarrChance]

Hi WS,

Apologies for radio silence. Would appreciate your advice tonight as something has come up. Maybe nothing but also potentially quite exciting.

Following my podcast, a listener reached out. Someone involved in the legal system in Asia. We've spoken for a little while now and he's given me a name. Now, this person is of course innocent of any crimes until proved otherwise. And to say up front there is no evidence of any wrongdoing at all on his part. But after 22 years of zero clear leads, I'm willing to speculate and bark up the wrong trees. I also don't want to break any house rules so I'm not giving out names or making any kind of unfounded accusations here. I just want your opinions.

Long story short, we are discussing a man who would've been inside Yokota US Air Base in or around the time of the Miyazawa murders. He was involved in various clubs and school sports teams. Including the tennis team. Note the killer wore tennis shoes. There is also a potential DNA match in terms of the killer's ethnicity. Now I've spoken at length about us simply not knowing what background the killer had in terms of race. But it seems as if this guy would have been Korean American. He was also young at the time of the murders. And finally, when asked about the death of a classmate in the local newspaper, he made it all about himself saying how nice and "tolerant" she had been about his <insert hobby>...

Like I say, I know this isn't by any means a smoking gun. But I would like to know more about this man.

1) What do you guys make of this?

2) How would you follow this up? (I have many names of people who would've been with him on base)

Complicating the issue somewhat is that his name is a very common one.

Could he have been a student of Yasuko?

 

[citizen_sleuth]

Hi WS,

Apologies for radio silence. Would appreciate your advice tonight as something has come up. Maybe nothing but also potentially quite exciting.

Following my podcast, a listener reached out. Someone involved in the legal system in Asia. We've spoken for a little while now and he's given me a name. Now, this person is of course innocent of any crimes until proved otherwise. And to say up front there is no evidence of any wrongdoing at all on his part. But after 22 years of zero clear leads, I'm willing to speculate and bark up the wrong trees. I also don't want to break any house rules so I'm not giving out names or making any kind of unfounded accusations here. I just want your opinions.

Long story short, we are discussing a man who would've been inside Yokota US Air Base in or around the time of the Miyazawa murders. He was involved in various clubs and school sports teams. Including the tennis team. Note the killer wore tennis shoes. There is also a potential DNA match in terms of the killer's ethnicity. Now I've spoken at length about us simply not knowing what background the killer had in terms of race. But it seems as if this guy would have been Korean American. He was also young at the time of the murders. And finally, when asked about the death of a classmate in the local newspaper, he made it all about himself saying how nice and "tolerant" she had been about his <insert hobby>...

Like I say, I know this isn't by any means a smoking gun. But I would like to know more about this man.

1) What do you guys make of this?

2) How would you follow this up? (I have many names of people who would've been with him on base)

Complicating the issue somewhat is that his name is a very common one.

As you stated, given the fact that 22 years have gone by without any leads, I think it is definitely worth investigating this man (I'll call him 'John'), at the very least to rule him out as a suspect.

I think the first logical step would be to reach out to the people who would have been with John on base and start to try and get a feel for the type of person he is (or was, as a lot can change in 22 years).

Some questions I can think of which John's associates/acquaintances might be able answer are:

- Where did John's (extended) family live? From what you said in your post, it sounds like one parent was Korean and the other American -- did John spend time with his Korean relatives? If so, where did they live? Where did John's American relatives live? Did he ever live/visit with them?

- Was John known to venture off-base by himself? If so, were there any areas/places he was known to visit?

- What languages did John speak? Was he fluent/proficient in Japanese?

- Was John considered to be a 'loner'? Did he have any close friends on or off base? Girlfriends?

- How long did John live on Yokota AFB? If his family moved elsewhere, where did they move and when?

Beyond these questions, it might also be worthwhile to see if it would be possible to 'reverse engineer' John's life by searching for him/his family members using newspaper archives. Obituaries are often a great source of information for identifying other relatives.

 

[dotr]

Maybe not unlike this unrelated situation?
Did someone denied, or perceived to have been denied justice, in any other cases there, later take vengeance in Japan?
speculation, imo fwiw ribbm.

UNITED STATES v. COREY (2000) | FindLaw

Case opinion for US 9th Circuit UNITED STATES v. COREY. Read the Court's full decision on FindLaw.

caselaw.findlaw.com

November 20, 2000​

C, a United States citizen, lived abroad with his family while working for the U.S. Air Force as a civilian postmaster.   From 1993 to 1996, C ran the post office at the American Embassy in Manila, the Philippines, and for several years before, he managed the office at the U.S. Air Force Base at Yokota, Japan''

''Prior to trial, the district court granted the government's motion to preclude C from contesting jurisdiction.2  C argued then, as he does now, that crimes committed on foreign soil fall outside the reach of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2241 and 2242.   Both provisions proscribe sexual assault within the “special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States,” a phrase defined by 18 U.S.C. § 7. While C lived in Japan, he and his family resided on the Yokota Air Force Base.''

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Could he have been a student of Yasuko?

Possible... but so far no direct link between him and the family.

Only that he lines up with various factors

 

[vls12345]

Someone mentioned in an earlier post about dna from the perp possibly remaining on things that were left to the family. If so, is it possible to get that from a family member and you (@FacelessPodcast) run it through dna testing in the US? (I don't know how all the dna databases, testing and searching work. Can you only submit your own unless you are LE?) Could you work with a PI in the US who could help with that?

I would also do as @citizen_sleuth mentioned and try to reverse engineer this person's life. Where have they been? What have they done? Were there other unsolved crimes (esp. stabbings) in the area where the person lived? What is his history? Where is he now? Again, with a PI, could you get a dna sample from this potential suspect? If you could get one and run it, could you provide a copy of the report/details to LE in Japan to see if it's a match with what they have? Would they be willing to accept a potential clue such as that? I would also try to contact the many people who knew him but I would think you need to be careful of that as you don't want to alert him ahead of time if he is indeed the suspect? (Of course, who knows, maybe he is reading here anyway?)

Perhaps you could contact a few WSers offline with whom you could share the identity; they would be well-versed in helping sleuth people and records. Maybe Tricia or mods would know who might be helpful for assisting? I'm thinking of that because of the Stephen Lee Murphy thread on here and there are a few people who have really investigated and found good information, had lots of good ideas of leads or places to search, etc.

OK - OK - Stephen “Steve” Lee Murphy, last seen in Claremore sometime in 1976, not reported missing until July 2022

Hello Sleuthers, Earlier today a friend sent me a message asking for help doing research on a missing person (the father of her friend). He was last seen in Claremore Oklahoma sometime in 1976. For a multitude of reasons, a missing persons report was not filed until last week in Tulsa...

www.websleuths.com

(I'm nosy and would like to know but I'm just a casual WS member and don't know that much about actual sleuthing of crimes, ancestry, personal history, etc. So, I'm not suggesting myself for being in the loop but I definitely feel like there are a few qualified folks on here who might be of great help.)

And, of course, is there a contact in the Toyko LE group that you know and trust? Could you share this info with that investigator for them to look into?

MOO. (And, IANAL, so some of these may not be feasible, legally. Caveat emptor.)

Wow. It would be great if you had an actual lead that led to some resolution in this case. Wishing you a lot of success.

 

[citizen_sleuth]

Someone mentioned in an earlier post about dna from the perp possibly remaining on things that were left to the family. If so, is it possible to get that from a family member and you (@FacelessPodcast) run it through dna testing in the US? (I don't know how all the dna databases, testing and searching work. Can you only submit your own unless you are LE?) Could you work with a PI in the US who could help with that?

I would also do as @citizen_sleuth mentioned and try to reverse engineer this person's life. Where have they been? What have they done? Were there other unsolved crimes (esp. stabbings) in the area where the person lived? What is his history? Where is he now? Again, with a PI, could you get a dna sample from this potential suspect? If you could get one and run it, could you provide a copy of the report/details to LE in Japan to see if it's a match with what they have? Would they be willing to accept a potential clue such as that? I would also try to contact the many people who knew him but I would think you need to be careful of that as you don't want to alert him ahead of time if he is indeed the suspect? (Of course, who knows, maybe he is reading here anyway?)

Perhaps you could contact a few WSers offline with whom you could share the identity; they would be well-versed in helping sleuth people and records. Maybe Tricia or mods would know who might be helpful for assisting? I'm thinking of that because of the Stephen Lee Murphy thread on here and there are a few people who have really investigated and found good information, had lots of good ideas of leads or places to search, etc.

OK - OK - Stephen “Steve” Lee Murphy, last seen in Claremore sometime in 1976, not reported missing until July 2022

Hello Sleuthers, Earlier today a friend sent me a message asking for help doing research on a missing person (the father of her friend). He was last seen in Claremore Oklahoma sometime in 1976. For a multitude of reasons, a missing persons report was not filed until last week in Tulsa...

www.websleuths.com

(I'm nosy and would like to know but I'm just a casual WS member and don't know that much about actual sleuthing of crimes, ancestry, personal history, etc. So, I'm not suggesting myself for being in the loop but I definitely feel like there are a few qualified folks on here who might be of great help.)

And, of course, is there a contact in the Toyko LE group that you know and trust? Could you share this info with that investigator for them to look into?

MOO. (And, IANAL, so some of these may not be feasible, legally. Caveat emptor.)

Wow. It would be great if you had an actual lead that led to some resolution in this case. Wishing you a lot of success.

Some really good thoughts here!

Faceless, if you ever want some help sleuthing 'John,' I'd be happy to help - I have a background in archival research and genealogy and have access to digitized newspaper databases.

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Some questions I can think of which John's associates/acquaintances might be able answer are:

- Where did John's (extended) family live? From what you said in your post, it sounds like one parent was Korean and the other American -- did John spend time with his Korean relatives? If so, where did they live? Where did John's American relatives live? Did he ever live/visit with them?

- Was John known to venture off-base by himself? If so, were there any areas/places he was known to visit?

- What languages did John speak? Was he fluent/proficient in Japanese?

- Was John considered to be a 'loner'? Did he have any close friends on or off base? Girlfriends?

- How long did John live on Yokota AFB? If his family moved elsewhere, where did they move and when?

Beyond these questions, it might also be worthwhile to see if it would be possible to 'reverse engineer' John's life by searching for him/his family members using newspaper archives. Obituaries are often a great source of information for identifying other relatives.

Thank you, Citizen. This is very helpful. He actually lived on more than one US air base throughout Japan...

 

[dotr]

US Air Force in Japan - USAF bases - Japan U.S. Military Program

The US Air Force in Japan operates from Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture, Yokota Air Base in Western Tokyo, and Kadena Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture.

www.jumprogram.org

rbbm.
''The US Air Force in Japan operates from three bases: Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture, Yokota Air Base in Western Tokyo, and Kadena Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture. Misawa Air Base, home to USAF’s 35th Fighter Wing, is the only joint-service installation in the Western Pacific, serving the U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy, as well as the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). Yokota Air Base is the headquarters of U.S. Forces, Japan and home to the 374th Airlift Wing and the 5th Air Force, with a base population of over 11,000 people. Kadena Air Base hosts the 18th Wing, the U.S. Air Force’s largest combat wing. Altogether, the U.S. Air Force in Japan presence supports U.S. interests in the Pacific during peacetime and wartime, and aids in the U.S.’s defense of Japan.''


''USAF bases in Japan are also active in creating and maintaining the people-to-people ties that reinforce the U.S.-Japan alliance. JASDF join U.S. troops in the 374th Airlift Wing for a bilateral exchange program that takes place three times a year at Yokota Air Base, improving interoperability between the forces and allowing USAF to meet their JASDF counterparts. At Misawa Air Base, the Pacific Partners Air Festival is another platform for cross-cultural exchange, bringing together Japanese and American aircraft enthusiasts and pilots for a day of performances and community engagement.''

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Someone mentioned in an earlier post about dna from the perp possibly remaining on things that were left to the family. If so, is it possible to get that from a family member and you (@FacelessPodcast) run it through dna testing in the US? (I don't know how all the dna databases, testing and searching work. Can you only submit your own unless you are LE?) Could you work with a PI in the US who could help with that?

I would also do as @citizen_sleuth mentioned and try to reverse engineer this person's life. Where have they been? What have they done? Were there other unsolved crimes (esp. stabbings) in the area where the person lived? What is his history? Where is he now? Again, with a PI, could you get a dna sample from this potential suspect? If you could get one and run it, could you provide a copy of the report/details to LE in Japan to see if it's a match with what they have? Would they be willing to accept a potential clue such as that? I would also try to contact the many people who knew him but I would think you need to be careful of that as you don't want to alert him ahead of time if he is indeed the suspect? (Of course, who knows, maybe he is reading here anyway?)

Perhaps you could contact a few WSers offline with whom you could share the identity; they would be well-versed in helping sleuth people and records. Maybe Tricia or mods would know who might be helpful for assisting? I'm thinking of that because of the Stephen Lee Murphy thread on here and there are a few people who have really investigated and found good information, had lots of good ideas of leads or places to search, etc.

OK - OK - Stephen “Steve” Lee Murphy, last seen in Claremore sometime in 1976, not reported missing until July 2022

Hello Sleuthers, Earlier today a friend sent me a message asking for help doing research on a missing person (the father of her friend). He was last seen in Claremore Oklahoma sometime in 1976. For a multitude of reasons, a missing persons report was not filed until last week in Tulsa...

www.websleuths.com

(I'm nosy and would like to know but I'm just a casual WS member and don't know that much about actual sleuthing of crimes, ancestry, personal history, etc. So, I'm not suggesting myself for being in the loop but I definitely feel like there are a few qualified folks on here who might be of great help.)

And, of course, is there a contact in the Toyko LE group that you know and trust? Could you share this info with that investigator for them to look into?

MOO. (And, IANAL, so some of these may not be feasible, legally. Caveat emptor.)

Wow. It would be great if you had an actual lead that led to some resolution in this case. Wishing you a lot of success.

Thank you so much, vls. This is very helpful!

 

[Frankie Hellis]

Firstly, we need to find out about his known addresses. Has he been to the place where the sand came from? What can we find out about his military career? I am currently working with a PI on another investigation who has access to subscription-type data and many OSINT tools, if you want any help.

 

[lonewanderer]

Firstly, we need to find out about his known addresses. Has he been to the place where the sand came from? What can we find out about his military career? I am currently working with a PI on another investigation who has access to subscription-type data and many OSINT tools, if you want any help.

He, as in the suspect?

My money is on this person being a minor, and if not a minor, and military dependent under the age of 25.

And....oh crap!

What if in addition to this person potentially being a minor, who may have dual citizenship, on a US military installation, overseas, in a country known for its strict privacy laws....

Is also adopted

 

[Frankie Hellis]

He, as in the suspect?

My money is on this person being a minor, and if not a minor, and military dependent under the age of 25.

And....oh crap!

What if in addition to this person potentially being a minor, who may have dual citizenship, on a US military installation, overseas, in a country known for its strict privacy laws....

Is also adopted

How could he possibly be a minor now?