Japan’s ‘Twitter Killer’ Admits to Murders as Sensational Trial Begins

A Japanese man dubbed the “Twitter killer” has confessed to killing nine people he met through the social networking site, according to multiple reports, in a case whose lurid details and uncertain outcome have gripped the public imagination. 

Hundreds lined up for a limited number of seats to attend the first hearing on Wednesday in the trial of Takahiro Shiraishi, 29, who faces the death penalty after allegedly luring male and female victims aged 15 to 26 to his home over Twitter, killing them, and hiding some remains under cat litter.

Prosecutors said he convinced them he could help in carrying out their plans to take their own lives. But the defence argued Shiraishi deserved a lower sentence because the victims consented to die after expressing suicidal thoughts, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK.

His lawyers claimed he suffered from mental illness and the more appropriate charge was “murder with consent,” which carries a maximum sentence of seven years. 

Shiraishi was arrested three years ago on Halloween when police found as many as 240 bones in coolers and toolboxes in his apartment, some reportedly sprinkled with cat litter.

Detectives found him after following the trail of his ninth victim, a 23-year-old woman, who had posted suicidal thoughts on Twitter.

Prosecutors allege he first strangled his women victims and also sexually assaulted them.

A 28-year-old officer worker who listened to the trial told NHK he feared Shiraishi could have killed more were he not caught.

But the trial has also shone a spotlight on the problem with mental health in Japan. The country has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, although a record low of less than 20,000 cases was reported in 2019.