I'm part wat through reading Thread One; what a case.
Some initial thoughts from me:
Bucket Hats - huge in 1999 & 2000. Hip Hop and Pop. Britney Spears and Justin Timerlake frequently photograped wearing many, many different colours/versions, and on many a varied occasion, of bucket hats through these two years. Japanese Pop Culture Moment: Britney Spears does a special showcase to release her 2nd album in Japan, "Ooops I did it again", on 02 May 2000. So, needless, bucket hats were very
trendy at that point in time with youth culture.
My thoughts on the ironed hankie & folded clothing (as a military member): as a single and living in singles military quarters, even our underwear kept in the locker were startched and folded to specific dimensions (unreal, I know). Even after basic training, the singles quarters were subject to random, unannounced inspections so they were always kept top-notch for cleanliness, clothing folded & placed neatly away etc. It's a habit that still follows me decades later.
Entry to/from foreign nations. It depends on the SOFA (Status Of Forces Agreement) between the 'guest' nation (GN) and the 'host' nation (HN) (host being the country where the base etc is geo-located) that is signed off by both countries. Every nation differs. A single nation may differ in differing nations. IE: What the US has in place as SOFA in Japan may be different from that in place in Germany etc simply because the SOFA
must be acceptable to both host and guest nation. In Germany, I landed at a civilian airport but utilized my Green passport to pass through HN which took probably 2 minutes. When entering/exiting on leave (non-duty travel) I used my blue passport and had o do the normal customs routine etc. Isreal/Syria/Lebanon I used my green passport similarily --- even when exiting/entering on leave. UAE: I landed at the military base ... no passport required to enter/exit even on leave (although I always had my green one handy); just my military ID. Likewise Afghanistan etc.
My initial thoughts seeing the hints given in the evidence that I have so far read about: Military Member or dependant who travels via the USAF base located close to the scene to through/via or to other USAF Bases on leave where they might also have been stationned or that are close to their families at home in the US (Mojave sand for example). The USAF also Operates Osan Air Base in South Korea which has direct flights for USAF members and their familes between Osan AB and Yoloa AB in Japan. I take this to mean that the OFA for both nations (Lorea and Japan) allows US military members to enter & exit directly through their USAF bases without undergoing the usual HN customs and entry requirements. These direct flights between Korea and Japan are called "The Patriot Express" which utilizes contracted commercial aircraft for flying but exit/enter through USAF bases directly.
I note that both Kunsan and Osan Bases in South Korea offers "Leave Centers" where military members and their families may travel to/from on leave to enjoy time off. There is also a leave center in Yokota so it's entirely possible that it was a military member stationed in Korea who went home to the US on course or leave, then travelled to Yokota to see the sights on leave, BUT I tend to rule that out given the purcashes of clothing in Japan, the knife etc.
To me, it's entirely possible that the perpatrator is/was a military member or dependant stationned in Japan who travelled back to the US on leave or course ('official' business as it were) and to/from Korea on leave (perhaps on the way home to Japan from the US) in the few months leading up to the murders.
Wound to hand apparently treated in a military style. We carry and use field dressings on wounds as an immediate first aid measure prior to seeking pro help. Kind of like slapping a large sanitary napkin over the wound, wrapping a long bandage tightly around the limb/over the pad and tying off the long bandage directly on top of the pad. The ensures pressure is applied directly onto the wound to help stem/clot the bleeding/preserve life. If the pad and bandage soak through with blood, we apply yet another pad etc on top of the one already in place and so on. We do not remove the old dressing as it may cause the wound to unclot and re-bleed. If this guy did that then continued to use both hands or pick up something with the injured hand, that know impression etc may have been recognizable in the blood print of whatever he touched or picked up - especially so if the wound was on the palm or sides of the hand.
May change my mind after reading more.
@FacelessPodcast - you are a fountain of information on this case!!
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en.wikipedia.org