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

[FacelessPodcast]

I have several questions:
1. You've stated several times that the blood and feces were tested for drugs and alcohol and came up negative. However, it's my understanding that each substance needs to be tested for specifically. Do you know which drugs the police tested for? If, for example, the perpetrator were an American, he could have been under the influence of an American pharmaceutical (Adderall, Ritalin, Xanax)
2. Were all of Haruko's family members seen by police immediately after the murders? Were their hands visible?
3. Ann refuses to submit possible evidence for DNA testing, from what I understand. Is she the only person is legal possession of that evidence? What about Haruko and Mikio's mothers?

Thanks for your questions, Kitsey. I'll answer as best I can:

1) I don't know exactly how or what the TMPD tested re: drugs and alcohol. Nor do I know what kind of re-testing they've done. I do know that as of 2020, there were still between 30-40 detectives on this case full-time and the TMPD has essentially unlimited resources with a full scientific campus in Chiba. So it's not beyond their wit to test for benzos etc.

2) Haruko, Ann, her husband, and her son -- they were all next door at the time of the murders. The Chief told me they were interviewed soon after. I can't tell you in detail exactly what was discussed or look at during that time but I can say that the Chief ruled them out from direct involvement. I take that to mean their fingerprints did not match, nor were they displaying any kind of injuries.

3) As I understand it, Ann *was* the sole owner of the house after the death. That house now belongs to the City of Tokyo. The City was in the process of buying all 200 houses in the complex (built in the 80s, I believe) and there were only a handful left at the time of the murders. Presumably, the pay outs were not insignificant. Haruko has since passed away. Setsuko is in her 90s. I believe she received nothing re: the house sale.

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Great question about the drugs, because, customs

List of prohibited medications in Japan | Japan Luggage Express

List of prohibited medications in Japan A Guide to Prohibited Medications in Japan for Tourists When traveling to Japan, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the country’s regulations regarding medications. Japan has strict rules concerning the importation and use of certain drugs, and...

www.jluggage.com

(In general, tourists might not have as many issues as one might think, having read this list, because, say, Prozac is not prescribed in Japan (some drug company-related-bureaucratic issues), but treating a tourist who got off his Prozac for the trip and is now depressed will eventually cost Japan way more. So I doubt that customs would always give tourists hard time, but in 2000, the adherence to laws might have been way more strict. JMO.)

However, I expect the list of prohibited drugs to have been way wider in Japan in 2000. Adderall is not prescribed in Japan. Ritalin is. Xanax, is, but many painkillers are not.

The court case of a New Zealander living in Japan indicates than in 2000, benzodiazepines were freely prescribed in Japan, so finding Xanax or Xanax-liked substances in the perp’s blood would not be surprising. Adderall or painkillers, or maybe, even Tylenol, could be unexpected for a local. I think if every drug in his blood was checked, one could get a hint of a local/tourist vs “living on a base”. (Am I right to assume that base residents don’t go through regular Japanese customs? Or maybe they do, but their meds could be shipped to the base from the US?).

On the other hand, imagine that the man was on an antipsychotic, and, say, Zyprexa was unavailable in Japan in 2000 and Abilify was. (A totally arbitrary example). Finding Zyprexa in the blood of the perpetrator would be of huge interest…only how would Japanese police know all legal substances they had to look for?

I have no idea what the situation re: benzos or painkillers in Japan was in 2000. Residents would still have to pass through customs, though. I'm almost certain.

Side point: if the killer were entering Japan via Yokota Air Force Base, he would not be subject to Japanese customs or passport control. It is, for all intents and purposes, a domestic flight within America. Now, of course, it's still a military base. I'm not saying anyone could just waltz in with a half kilo of heroin in their backpack. Only that it's entirely possible for an American on that base --whether professionally or as a family dependent-- to be walking around the streets of Tokyo with their own medication in their system that's entirely beyond the checks or knowledge of Japanese LE.

Similarly, Covid protocols for entering Yokota during Japan's full travel lockdown made for interesting reading. From speaking with family dependents on base, it essentially seemed that the policy for vaccinations on base was different to that under Japanese law...

 

[FacelessPodcast]

The definition of a serial murderer is imprecise, but the latest one says “serial murder involves at least two different murders that occur “over a period of time ranging from hours to years.”
So we have four murders in a period of time of several hours. I think, it fits. The true issue is: 1) with this level of violence, he might kill more if not stopped, or 2) he could have already killed more and possibly, was not stopped.

The Gilgo Beach and Portland killings amply illustrate an important paradigm shift in the way the society views the victims. It could have started in bourgeois Setagaya, but if he is here, we don’t care who is his preferred victim. In a couple of hours, he killed a man, a woman, a girl and a boy. No one would be thrilled to have this charmer unapprehended here.

The murders happened one after another. We know that at 10:38pm, Mikio is still alive and the 'banging' sound happens sometime around 11pm. This later turned out to be the noise of the fold-down ladder to the attic being shoved back into place. So, there's very little break in between the killings. But anyhow, this is getting into semantics.

I agree that he could have killed before, or certainly that he has the capacity to kill again. Though, if he did kill before in Japan, certainly that murder went undiscovered because the TMPD would be all over it - you would think.

The debate over who is 'desired target' was in the house goes on. Was it one particular person or the whole family? Some have suggested that Yasuko was his true target, thus he saved her for last and the most violence was directed at her. Others say it was Rei, thus he was first. It's just empty speculation. His actions can be argued one way or another. Maybe the increased violence against Yasuko was simply because he knew that there was nobody else in the house to stop him. Maybe he has a hatred of women. But then it's equally as valid to guess he had a hatred against families...

The Gilgo Beach case does give me renewed hope that the man who killed the Miyazawas will one day be forced into the light.

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Indeed but it is more in keeping with a spree murder I think as no others have been identified as attributed to the same killer as far as we know. Then again, he may have become neater, more precise about covering his tracks.
It's down to his motive with this one, I feel.

Local person having consumed far too many hard drugs and got a sudden notion that this would be a rational act to carry out?
I don't know.

I think you're right -- the fact that there still isn't even a working theory about his motive... It's at the heart of why this case is paradoxical.

To me, that's why the sand grains matter. If the TMPD would ever reject on confirm them as coming from California, that would give us his movements. And his movements speak to choice. Why is he walking around in the Mojave? Because he likes camping? Because he's a military son? Because he's hiding out?

At the moment, there's very little that speaks to his life choices. Sure, we know that wore French aftershave. Sure, we know that maybe he played tennis or squash. Sure, we know that he'd eaten string beans before killing the family. Sure, we know that liked M/X and Uniqlo. Sure, we know there's like a 1 in 4 chance he was ethnically Korean. But something that points to his *movements*... I think that would be really valuable. He didn't just vanish after walking out of that house. He went home, in one way or another. And he probably had to get medical attention. And probably had to have some kind of excuse for his injuries. And probably had to have prayed that those close to him somehow ignored the news in the coming days.

 

[fridaybaker]

So it would seem that the city now owns the house, precluding Ann, it’s original owner after the murders, from being able to submit DNA to foreign entities for analysis, even if she could at some point be convinced to do so. Right? We’re now back to having to rely on TMPD to do so, which they won’t, due to Japanese DNA laws. (And maybe wouldn’t anyway, for other reasons.)

 

[fridaybaker]

I think it would be easier to hide after the murders if the killer were an adult. Call in sick, take a trip, etc. if a teenager, it would almost require an adult to go along with it. (Unless he’s emancipated or homeless -not likely, considering his clothing.)

There’s the case a few years ago here in the U.S. of Aiden Fucci, whose mother went along with it. She actually helped him hide evidence of his murder, washing blood out of his clothes. I’m sure there are others, too. Maybe our suspect was a spoiled kid like Aiden, whose parents would cover up the most vicious of crimes for their precious cherub?

 

[FacelessPodcast]

So it would seem that the city now owns the house, precluding Ann, it’s original owner after the murders, from being able to submit DNA to foreign entities for analysis, even if she could at some point be convinced to do so. Right? We’re now back to having to rely on TMPD to do so, which they won’t, due to Japanese DNA laws. (And maybe wouldn’t anyway, for other reasons.)

Exactly so. Though Ann still has keys. Perhaps it's a grey area or simply that it's too awkward for the City to ask for the keys back / for Ann not to return to it.

As far as I know, nobody had entered the house for many years until early 2020 when the news that the City wanted to demolish it came through. Ann was so incensed, she gathered the nation's press and gave them a tour of the house. She brought them into the kitchen and pointed to the height chart of Niina and Rei. Their final height measurement was taken in November 2000. The footage from this event can be found easily online, it's very moving. She gives off the impression she would talk to any press, give any interview, anything to help solve these murders.

I wrote her a personal letter saying that I could never hope to understand what she had been through, her suffering, but that I had lost people I loved in life too. That I would never fetishise or exoticise these murders. That I would always have respect for the Miyazawa family. That I would not sensationalise one single word. That I would even show her the script for her approval before we released the episode. That all I wanted to do was bring this case to the attention of the English-speaking world as there was a chance the killer might be hiding in that world. Imagine my surprise, then, when she declined to talk to us multiple times. Even the translator was surprised with her tone in the rejection.

To be clear, I am not accusing her of anything. Nor do I pretend to say there's a right way or a wrong way to grieve or process this kind of victimisation. But the facts are that Universal / USG stood ready with essentially unlimited resources for DNA testing / any kind of forensic examination of that house she wanted. That the killer's trace DNA is quite possibly still in that house, waiting to be explored. That even if she wanted nothing to do with me / the podcast, she could've privately tested that DNA. So far as I know, she has not done that. If you find her on twitter, she rails frequently agains the press and their 'grief p*rnography'.

 

[FacelessPodcast]

I think it would be easier to hide after the murders if the killer were an adult. Call in sick, take a trip, etc. if a teenager, it would almost require an adult to go along with it. (Unless he’s emancipated or homeless -not likely, considering his clothing.)

There’s the case a few years ago here in the U.S. of Aiden Fucci, whose mother went along with it. She actually helped him hide evidence of his murder, washing blood out of his clothes. I’m sure there are others, too. Maybe our suspect was a spoiled kid like Aiden, whose parents would cover up the most vicious of crimes for their precious cherub?

You're right. My best guess is that the killer (which fits with my person of interest btw) had no way of hiding it from his father. The father (who was a doctor, incidentally) is faced with a choice. Keep his mouth shut or give his son over to a foreign police force. The son was a few days away from turning 18 so it's quite possible he would've been treated as a juvenile and therefore not eligible for an adult prison sentence, much less the death penalty (multiple murders / the murder of children is almost an automatic death sentence in Japan). So, how could he have been sure?

My guess is that he decided to protect his son. The person of interest left Japan not long after the murders and, so far as I can make out, never returned (despite spending much of his childhood / adolescence there).

 

[cenazoic]

RE: a profile, there was an Asahi TV documentary with an FBI profiler who said he believes the killer acted out of resentment. Ann Irie promptly sued the channel and the documentary went away

Random, based in this and other comments about Ann’s unwillingness to speak/have DNA tested:

Do we know the genealogies of the Miyazawa or Yasuko’s families?

 

[fridaybaker]

So Ann is not opposed to using the press herself when she desires and is able to direct/control the narrative, but rails against it otherwise. Interesting.

Faceless, do you know how old Ann’s son was at the time? Could he have been a compatriot of the young man you suspect?

My understanding of life on foreign U.S. military posts/bases, is that often the soldiers and their families, and I suppose civilian workers as well, have little interaction with the general population. Children go to separate schools, etc. However, maybe I’m off base on that. Could Ann’s son have gone to school with your suspect?

 

[fridaybaker]

I seem to recall reading/hearing somewhere that An Irie is not Yasuko's sister's real name? That it's an anagram of the two childrens' names. Yet, that is the only name I see anywhere associated with Yasuko's sister, even on Wikipedia and in various news articles. If this is true, I wonder why? I've never heard of a victim's family member using an alias.

Also, I've tried to find her Twitter account. Faceless, can you tell me if it's in English or Japanese? (If Japanese, perhaps Google will help -or not help, as is usually the case!)

 

[AC4RD]

So Ann is not opposed to using the press herself when she desires and is able to direct/control the narrative, but rails against it otherwise. Interesting.

I agree, "interesting"--but I can understand her feeling that way, and I can see how I might well feel that way myself, under the circumstances. I entirely agree about "grief *advertiser censored*."

I think possibly the family might feel embarrassed at having been victims, explaining their reticence about speaking frankly, but I'm baffled by the lack of information from the police. And I don't see why they don't release the information about the sand--if it HAS been carefully tested. It seems to me to be a very significant issue. MHO, of course. --ken

 

[Charlot123]

You're right. My best guess is that the killer (which fits with my person of interest btw) had no way of hiding it from his father. The father (who was a doctor, incidentally) is faced with a choice. Keep his mouth shut or give his son over to a foreign police force. The son was a few days away from turning 18 so it's quite possible he would've been treated as a juvenile and therefore not eligible for an adult prison sentence, much less the death penalty (multiple murders / the murder of children is almost an automatic death sentence in Japan). So, how could he have been sure?

My guess is that he decided to protect his son. The person of interest left Japan not long after the murders and, so far as I can make out, never returned (despite spending much of his childhood / adolescence there).

But, he should have gone to the state with good services in place for the kid’s condition. Especially if he knew/guessed that the kid was not OK. How it would look to me: the kid goes to college and disappears in the body of students, or, the kid is left with the relatives, or, likely, the kid settles in the state where services for his diagnosis are easier to get. Because they truly vary from one state to another. And the father gets back to the base.

Also - just came to my mind from the time spent on 23@me. NPE (non-paternity event) cannot be excluded, what with more and more people coming forward with this information about own origins. So in the unlikely event that your poi’s paternal uncle has his Y in Gedmatch, it might still lead to nothing.

 

[fridaybaker]

I agree, "interesting"--but I can understand her feeling that way, and I can see how I might well feel that way myself, under the circumstances. I entirely agree about "grief *advertiser censored*."

I think possibly the family might feel embarrassed at having been victims, explaining their reticence about speaking frankly, but I'm baffled by the lack of information from the police. And I don't see why they don't release the information about the sand--if it HAS been carefully tested. It seems to me to be a very significant issue. MHO, of course. --ken

Your thoughts are interesting. I have no experience with the press directly, so I appreciated the insight.

I don't really understand the "might feel embarrassed at having been victims", but perhaps it's a cultural difference?

 

[fridaybaker]

You're right. My best guess is that the killer (which fits with my person of interest btw) had no way of hiding it from his father. The father (who was a doctor, incidentally) is faced with a choice. Keep his mouth shut or give his son over to a foreign police force. The son was a few days away from turning 18 so it's quite possible he would've been treated as a juvenile and therefore not eligible for an adult prison sentence, much less the death penalty (multiple murders / the murder of children is almost an automatic death sentence in Japan). So, how could he have been sure?

My guess is that he decided to protect his son. The person of interest left Japan not long after the murders and, so far as I can make out, never returned (despite spending much of his childhood / adolescence there).

"The father (who was a doctor, incidentally)....." Ah, so no need for a hospital, then?

 

[Charlot123]

Hmmm. If MY sister or brother were murdered and the killer left behind his DNA, I would definitely want to have the DNA sent anywhere in the world to be analyzed. I just don't know about other people, though. People always surprise me. And people can be very selfish.

Perhaps there is a fear that the DNA will indicate someone close to them as the suspect. A friend? A relative?

Could be totally opposite. Fear.

Imagine an unlikely, but not impossible, situation.

There is 1/4 chance that the perp could be Korean but still 1/13 chance he could be Japanese. (And in general, I wouldn’t make much out of ethnic attribution of his Y.)

What if it was a case of misplaced revenge? Very easy for a foreigner to confuse between two families. When I first read the story, I thought the perp, with his mixed ethnicity, suspected he was a NPE, killed out of revenge, and was looking for some documents in Miyazawa’s house to prove it. Obviously, from the minimum we know about DNA tests, he could not find something in Miyazawa’s house, and overall was mistaken.

But: his mistake could have been about the family in general. Or, the killings could have been random, but the family thinks they were not, and is still scared.

 

[fridaybaker]

Could be totally opposite. Fear.

Imagine an unlikely, but not impossible, situation.

There is 1/4 chance that the perp could be Korean but still 1/13 chance he could be Japanese. (And in general, I wouldn’t make much out of ethnic attribution of his Y.)

What if it was a case of misplaced revenge? Very easy for a foreigner to confuse between two families. When I first read the story, I thought the perp, with his mixed ethnicity, suspected he was a NPE, killed out of revenge, and was looking for some documents in Miyazawa’s house to prove it. Obviously, from the minimum we know about DNA tests, he could not find something in Miyazawa’s house, and overall was mistaken.

But: his mistake could have been about the family in general. Or, the killings could have been random, but the family thinks they were not, and is still scared.

You think they fear for their own lives? Interesting.

I have to ask, though: Can you enlighten me as to what an "NPE" is? TIA!

Okay, I just looked it up. Are you referring to "Non-Parent Event" or something like that? The killer suspected that his father was not his actual father, and somehow mistook Mikio Miyazawa for his biological father? Killed out of rage (but why the whole family?) and the rummaging through the place was him looking for paternity documents. I don't know......

 

[Kitsey]

But, he should have gone to the state with good services in place for the kid’s condition. Especially if he knew/guessed that the kid was not OK. How it would look to me: the kid goes to college and disappears in the body of students, or, the kid is left with the relatives, or, likely, the kid settles in the state where services for his diagnosis are easier to get. Because they truly vary from one state to another. And the father gets back to the base.

Also - just came to my mind from the time spent on 23@me. NPE (non-paternity event) cannot be excluded, what with more and more people coming forward with this information about own origins. So in the unlikely event that your poi’s paternal uncle has his Y in Gedmatch, it might still lead to nothing.

I have been wondering about NPE or adoption as well.

 

[Kitsey]

Thanks for your questions, Kitsey. I'll answer as best I can:

1) I don't know exactly how or what the TMPD tested re: drugs and alcohol. Nor do I know what kind of re-testing they've done. I do know that as of 2020, there were still between 30-40 detectives on this case full-time and the TMPD has essentially unlimited resources with a full scientific campus in Chiba. So it's not beyond their wit to test for benzos etc.

2) Haruko, Ann, her husband, and her son -- they were all next door at the time of the murders. The Chief told me they were interviewed soon after. I can't tell you in detail exactly what was discussed or look at during that time but I can say that the Chief ruled them out from direct involvement. I take that to mean their fingerprints did not match, nor were they displaying any kind of injuries.

3) As I understand it, Ann *was* the sole owner of the house after the death. That house now belongs to the City of Tokyo. The City was in the process of buying all 200 houses in the complex (built in the 80s, I believe) and there were only a handful left at the time of the murders. Presumably, the pay outs were not insignificant. Haruko has since passed away. Setsuko is in her 90s. I believe she received nothing re: the house sale.

Thank you for your replies. For question #2, I did not mean only Ann’s immediate family - I was also thinking of extended family members, who possibly were aware of the uneasy relationship between Mikio’s immediate family and Ann’s. I’m wondering if Ann intuited that extended family could possibly have involvement, and that’s why she seems to resist further DNA testing

 

[fridaybaker]

Thank you for your replies. For question #2, I did not mean only Ann’s immediate family - I was also thinking of extended family members, who possibly were aware of the uneasy relationship between Mikio’s immediate family and Ann’s. I’m wondering if Ann intuited that extended family could possibly have involvement, and that’s why she seems to resist further DNA testing

Kitsey,

This is something I’ve missed here: An “uneasy relationship between Mikio’s family and Ann’s”. How do we know this and what was it about? TIA.