Japan executes 'Twitter killer' who murdered nine

TOKYO — Japan has executed a man who murdered nine people in 2017, the first time since 2022 that the country has enacted capital punishment.
The serial killings by Takahiro Shiraishi, dubbed the "Twitter killer", had shocked the country and triggered debate over how suicide was discussed online.
Shiraishi, then 30, lured his victims - most of them young women between the ages of 15 and 26 - to his apartment, before strangling and dismembering them.
The killings came to light in October 2017, when police found body parts in the Japanese city of Zama, near Tokyo, when they were searching for one of the victims.
Warning: Readers may find some details in this story distressing.
Shiraishi later admitted to murdering nine suicidal victims and revealed that he got acquainted with them on Twitter, the social media platform now known as X.He then told them he could help them die, and in some cases claimed he would kill himself alongside them.His Twitter profile contained the words: "I want to help people who are really in pain. Please DM [direct message] me anytime."Nine dismembered bodies were found in coolers and tool boxes when officers visited his flat, which was dubbed by media outlets as a "house of horrors".While prosecutors sought the death penalty for Shiraishi, his lawyers argued for the lesser charge of "murder with consent", claiming his victims had given their permission to be killed.They also called for an assessment of his mental state.Shiraishi later disputed his own defence team's version of events and said he killed without the victims' consent.Hundreds of people showed up at his verdict hearing in December 2020, when he was sentenced to death.The murders also prompted a change by Twitter, which amended its rules to state users should not "promote or encourage suicide or self-harm".Japan's justice minister Keisuke Suzuki, who said he ordered Shiraishi's execution, said the killer acted "for the genuinely selfish reason of satisfying his own sexual and financial desires", according to an AFP report.The case "caused great shock and anxiety to society", Suzuki said. — BBC

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Saudi Gazette

7 hours ago

Saudi Gazette

Japan executes 'Twitter killer' who murdered nine

TOKYO — Japan has executed a man who murdered nine people in 2017, the first time since 2022 that the country has enacted capital punishment. The serial killings by Takahiro Shiraishi, dubbed the "Twitter killer", had shocked the country and triggered debate over how suicide was discussed online. Shiraishi, then 30, lured his victims - most of them young women between the ages of 15 and 26 - to his apartment, before strangling and dismembering them. The killings came to light in October 2017, when police found body parts in the Japanese city of Zama, near Tokyo, when they were searching for one of the victims. Warning: Readers may find some details in this story distressing. Shiraishi later admitted to murdering nine suicidal victims and revealed that he got acquainted with them on Twitter, the social media platform now known as then told them he could help them die, and in some cases claimed he would kill himself alongside Twitter profile contained the words: "I want to help people who are really in pain. Please DM [direct message] me anytime."Nine dismembered bodies were found in coolers and tool boxes when officers visited his flat, which was dubbed by media outlets as a "house of horrors".While prosecutors sought the death penalty for Shiraishi, his lawyers argued for the lesser charge of "murder with consent", claiming his victims had given their permission to be also called for an assessment of his mental later disputed his own defence team's version of events and said he killed without the victims' of people showed up at his verdict hearing in December 2020, when he was sentenced to murders also prompted a change by Twitter, which amended its rules to state users should not "promote or encourage suicide or self-harm".Japan's justice minister Keisuke Suzuki, who said he ordered Shiraishi's execution, said the killer acted "for the genuinely selfish reason of satisfying his own sexual and financial desires", according to an AFP case "caused great shock and anxiety to society", Suzuki said. — BBC

Brad Pitt's Los Angeles home 'ransacked', police say

Saudi Gazette

7 hours ago

Saudi Gazette

Brad Pitt's Los Angeles home 'ransacked', police say

LOS ANGELES — Actor Brad Pitt's home in Los Angeles has been ransacked by a trio of thieves. Three suspects broke into the home in Los Feliz late on Wednesday through a front window and "ransacked the location," according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Police did not confirm the home belonged to the Oscar-winning actor, but the address matched that of a home Pitt purchased in 2023. Authorities said the suspects fled with stolen items, though it's unclear what was taken. The actor was not home at the time of the burglary, US media reported. Pitt was in the UK earlier this week for the London premier of his new film F1, which is released on Friday. He was accompanied by fellow Hollywood star Tom Cruise and Lewis Hamilton, who has seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles. Authorities said the burglary happened around 22:30 local time on police would not confirm the value of items stolen. The BBC also contacted representatives for the large three-bedroom home sits just outside Griffith Park — which is home to the famous Hollywood Sign. It is surrounded by a large fence and greenery that shields the home from public burglary follows others reported in the city targeting other celebrities, including Nicole Kidman and Keith month, a man was also arrested on stalking and vandalism charges after he allegedly rammed his vehicle into the gate of the home of Pitt's ex-wife, Jennifer Aniston. — BBC