Latest news with #Shiraishi
Hindustan Times
43 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Who was Takahiro Shiraishi? Japan hangs ‘Twitter Killer' who murdered and dismembered nine
Japan has executed a man named Takahiro Shiraishi after he was convicted of murdering nine people, including eight women. This is the first capital punishment in the country since 2022, Reuters reported. The 34-year-old was hanged at the Tokyo Detention House on Friday, June 27, Japan's Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki said. This file photo taken on November 1, 20217 shows suspect Takahiro Shiraishi covering his face with his hands as he is transported to the prosecutor's office from a police station in Tokyo.(AFP) Shiraishi was arrested by police in 2017 for strangling and dismembering nine people at his apartment in Zama city, which is located near Tokyo. Post his arrest, he came to be known as the 'Twitter killer,' since he contacted all the victims through the social media platform. According to The New York Times, after searching his residence, officials discovered heads and other body parts of the victims in coolers. These were allegedly filled with cat litter to mask the odor. The discovery horrified Japan, which has low crime rates. Several of the nine victims were young women and girls contemplating suicide. They were lured to his apartment through social media. After bringing them to his house, Shiraishi strangled them and sexually assaulted some of the victims. He even robbed them and cut the corpses to hide them at different locations, The Washington Post reported. Among the female victims, there were also girls aged 15 and 17. Shiraishi murdered the male acquaintance of one victim after the person confronted him about her disappearance. All these incidents took place in a two-month killing spree in 2017. On one of his accounts on X, previously known as Twitter, Shiraishi identified himself as '@hangingpro'. He offered to help out people who were in pain. 'If you cannot help yourself, I can help you,' public prosecutors read one of his posts during the trial. Justice minister Keisuke Suzuki said the execution order was signed on Monday, but he did not witness the hanging on Friday morning. He added that the capital punishment was carried out after 'careful and deliberate consideration.' A major piece of evidence against Shiraishi was found when the brother of one of his victims saw his messages on her Twitter account. As per local media reports, Shiraishi told police during the trial that he was not interested in suicide and targeted people who wrote about it on social media. He stated that it was 'easier' for him to 'manipulate' them to his 'way of thinking.' FAQs: 1. When was the last capital punishment carried out in Japan? In July 2022, a man was executed after he went on a stabbing rampage in Akihabara in 2008. 2. How many death row inmates are there in Japan? Japan's justice minister Keisuke Suzuki said 105 people remain on death row in the country. 3. When was Takahiro Shiraishi sentenced to death? A Tokyo court had in December 2020 sentenced Shiraishi to death after finding him guilty of murdering nine people, who were between 15 and 26 years of age.
Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Toronto Sun
Japan executes man convicted of murder for killing and dismembering 9 people in his apartment
Published Jun 27, 2025 • 2 minute read Takahiro Shiraishi leaves a police station in Hachioji, suburbs of Tokyo, in November 2017. Photo by Takuya Inaba / AP TOKYO — A man convicted of murder for killing and dismembering nine people in his apartment near Tokyo was executed Friday, Japan's Justice Ministry said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Takahiro Shiraishi, known as the 'Twitter killer,' was sentenced to death in 2020 for the killings in 2017 of the nine victims, most of whom had posted suicidal thoughts on social media. He was also convicted of sexually abusing female victims. Police arrested him later that year after finding the bodies of eight teenage girls and women as well as one man in cold-storage cases in his apartment. Investigators said Shiraishi approached the victims via Twitter, offering to assist them with their suicidal wishes. He killed the three teenage girls and five women after raping them. He also killed the boyfriend of one of the women to silence him. 'The case caused the extremely serious outcomes and dealt a major shockwave and unease to the society,' Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki told an emergency news conference. He said he signed the execution earlier this week, but did not witness Shiraishi's hanging. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The execution was carried out as calls grow to abolish capital punishment or increase transparency in Japan after the acquittal of the world's longest-serving death row inmate Iwao Hakamada last year. Suzuki justified the need for the execution in Japan, noting a recent government survey shows an overwhelming majority of the public still supports capital punishment, though opposition has somewhat increased. 'I believe it is not appropriate to abolish execution,' Suzuki said, adding there is growing concern about serious crime. Shiraishi was hanged at the Tokyo Detention House in secrecy with nothing disclosed until the execution was done. Japan now has 105 people on death row, including 49 seeking retrials, Suzuki said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Executions are carried out in secrecy in Japan, where prisoners are not even informed of their fate until the morning of their hanging. Since 2007, Japan has begun disclosing the names of those executed and some details of their crimes, but disclosures are still limited. Japan and the U.S. are the only two countries in the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations that retain capital punishment. Japan's most recent execution, in July 2022, was of a man who killed seven people in a vehicle crash and stabbing rampage in a crowded Tokyo shopping district of Akihabara in 2018. Japan's crime rate is relatively low, but it has seen some high-profile mass killings in recent years. Toronto Raptors Sunshine Girls Canada Celebrity Sunshine Girls
Tokyo Reported
4 hours ago
- Tokyo Reported
Japan executes ‘Twitter Killer' Takahiro Shiraishi
TOKYO (TR) – The Ministry of Justice on Friday announced the execution of Takahiro Shiraishi, an inmate on death row over the murder and dismemberment of nine men and women. In 2020, a court convicted Takahiro Shiraishi, 34, of robbery, non-consensual sexual intercourse, murder and destruction of a corpse, reports Nippon News Network (June 27). In 2017, he killed the eight women and one man, aged 15 to 26, whom he had met on Twitter and other outlets at his apartment in Zama City. He also stole their valuables. He sexually assaulted the eight women before the murders. The one man was the boyfriend of one of the female victims who had gone looking for her. Some media outlets dubbed him the 'Twitter Killer.' Takahiro Shiraishi (X) During his trial, the main issue at trial was whether the victims had consented to being killed. However, the Tachikawa branch of the Tokyo District Court ruled that all nine victims had 'not consented.' Shiraishi was sentenced to death and the sentence was finalized. Following the execution, Keisuke Suzuki, the Minister of Justice, held an emergency press conference to explain the reasons for the execution. 'This has resulted in extremely serious consequences, with the young and precious lives of nine victims taken in the space of about two months, causing great shock and anxiety in society,' Suzuki said. 'I ordered the execution after extremely careful consideration.' This is the first execution in Japan in two years and 11 months. With this execution, the number of death row inmates in prisons nationwide is now 105.
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Japan executes ‘Twitter killer' who murdered and dismembered 9 people in his apartment
A man convicted of murder for killing and dismembering nine people in his apartment near Tokyo was executed Friday, Japan's Justice Ministry said. Takahiro Shiraishi, known as the 'Twitter killer,' was sentenced to death in 2020 for the killings in 2017 of the nine victims, most of whom had posted suicidal thoughts on social media. He was also convicted of sexually abusing female victims. Police arrested him later that year after finding the bodies of eight teenage girls and women as well as one man in cold-storage cases in his apartment. 3 Takahiro Shiraishi was executed after pleading guilty to murdering nine people at his apartment in Japan. Investigators said Shiraishi approached the victims via Twitter, offering to assist them with their suicidal wishes. He killed the three teenage girls and five women after raping them. He also killed the boyfriend of one of the women to silence him. 'The case caused the extremely serious outcomes and dealt a major shockwave and unease to the society,' Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki told an emergency news conference. He said he signed the execution earlier this week, but did not witness Shiraishi's hanging. The execution was carried out as calls grow to abolish capital punishment or increase transparency in Japan after the acquittal of the world's longest-serving death row inmate Iwao Hakamada last year. Suzuki justified the need for the execution in Japan, noting a recent government survey shows an overwhelming majority of the public still supports capital punishment, though opposition has somewhat increased. 3 Takahiro Shiraishi (C) covering his face with his hands as he is transported to the prosecutor's office from a police station in Tokyo on Nov. 1, 2017. JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images 'I believe it is not appropriate to abolish execution,' Suzuki said, adding there is growing concern about serious crime. Shiraishi was hanged at the Tokyo Detention House in secrecy with nothing disclosed until the execution was done. Japan now has 105 people on death row, including 49 seeking retrials, Suzuki said. Executions are carried out in secrecy in Japan, where prisoners are not even informed of their fate until the morning of their hanging. 3 Investigators said Shiraishi approached the victims via Twitter, offering to assist them with their suicidal wishes. JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images Since 2007, Japan has begun disclosing the names of those executed and some details of their crimes, but disclosures are still limited. Japan and the US are the only two countries in the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations that retain capital punishment. Japan's most recent execution, in July 2022, was of a man who killed seven people in a vehicle crash and stabbing rampage in a crowded Tokyo shopping district of Akihabara in 2018. Japan's crime rate is relatively low, but it has seen some high-profile mass killings in recent years.
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Serial murderer ‘The Twitter Killer' who dismembered 9 victims he snared on social media is executed by hanging in Japan
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) JAPAN has executed the man who brutally murdered eight women and one man - aged between 15 and 26 - after luring them to his flat. Takahiro Shiraishi, dubbed the "Twitter killer", raped, strangled and dismembered his victims - in a chilling case that shook one of the world's safest countries. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Takahiro Shiraishi was recently executed for murdering nine people in 2017 Credit: ANN News 5 The 'Twitter killer' in a 2020 court sketch when he was sentenced to death Credit: AFP 5 Japan's Minister of Justice Keisuke Suzuki announced on Friday that Shiraishi had been executed Credit: AFP Shiraishi, who committed the crimes in 2017, was executed by hanging - marking Japan's first execution since 2022. Then 27, the serial killer lured young women to his home, where he raped them before murdering them. Three of the eight women were schoolgirls. He also killed the boyfriend of one of the women to silence him. Read more world news FLOWER POWER Radioactive soil to be used outside PM's office in Japan in divisive PR stunt Authorities made the disturbing discovery in October 2017 while investigating the disappearance of a 23-year-old woman last seen walking with Shiraishi. Cops found the victims' body parts in Shiraishi's flat in the Japanese city of Zama, near Tokyo. One resident told The Japan Times in 2017: 'I thought it smelled like sewage. It was something I never smelled before.' Another neighbour said they noticed a 'nasty smell' coming from the flat. Nine dismembered bodies were found in three coolers and five large storage boxes inside the flat - dubbed the "house of horrors" by the media. The serial killer had discarded parts of his victims in the bin, which was collected with the recycled garbage. Inside the hellish prison dubbed 'Indonesia's Alcatraz' which executes death row inmates with a firing squad It later emerged that he had searched online for how to mutilate bodies before buying a saw and a meat cleaver. Shiraishi pleaded guilty to murdering nine victims in October 2020. The killer revealed he met them on the social media platform Twitter, now known as X. He told the victims he could help them die, even claiming in some cases he would kill himself alongside them. His Twitter profile wrote: "I want to help people who are really in pain. Please DM [direct message] me anytime." Prosecutors demanded the death penalty for Shiraishi, while his lawyers argued for a prison sentence, claiming his suicidal victims had consented to their deaths and that he should be charged with "murder with consent". They also called for his mental state to be assessed. But Shiraishi later disputed his own defence team's version of events, revealing he killed without the victims' consent. 435 people showed up to watch the 2020 verdict sentencing him to death - despite the court having only 16 public seats - Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported. The murders also prompted Twitter to change its rules to state users should not "promote or encourage suicide or self-harm". Shiraishi was hanged at the Tokyo Detention House in secrecy, with nothing revealed until the execution was done. Japan's Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki, who ordered Shiraishi's execution, said on Friday that Shiraishi acted "for the genuinely selfish reason of satisfying his own sexual and financial desires", according to AFP. The case "caused great shock and anxiety to society", he said. Japan currently has 105 people on death row, Suzuki added. The country has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. What is Japan's death penalty? JAPAN'S justice system allows the death penalty for serious crimes like murder, typically carried out by hanging. The nation's death penalty dates back to the Meiji era - with the current legal framework established under the Penal Code of 1907. Executions are rare and usually follow a lengthy appeals process. The justice minister must sign the execution order. Inmates are often told just hours before, and the executions are carried out in total secrecy. Between January 2000 and June 2025, 99 inmates have been executed in Japan. Who has recently been executed? July 2022: Tomohiro Kato, 39, was executed for a rampage in a Tokyo shopping district in 2018, where he killed seven people in a car crash and stabbing spree. December 2021: Yasutaka Fujishiro, 65, was executed for killing seven relatives in 2004. December 2021: Tomoaki Takanezawa, 54, and Mitsunori Onogawa, 44, were executed for the 2003 murders of two employees at separate pachinko parlours. August 2019: Koichi Shoji, 64, was executed for multiple rape-murders in Kanagawa Prefecture in 2001. August 2019: Yasunori Suzuki, 50, was executed for murdering three women - and raping one of them - in Fukuoka Prefecture between 2004 and 2005. 5 Cops found nine dismembered bodies in his flat in Zama, south of Tokyo, Japan, in October 2017
