Takahiro Shiraishi is also accused of dismembering victims and keeping body parts in coolers. (File)
Tokyo:
A Japanese man dubbed the “Twitter killer” for luring his victims on social media admitted in court Wednesday to murdering nine people, local media reported.
But lawyers for Takahiro Shiraishi, 29, argued the charges had to be reduced because the victims – who had expressed suicidal thoughts – had given their consent to be killed.
Shiraishi, who is also accused of dismembering his victims and storing body parts in coolers, did not dispute nine counts of murder, saying they “were all right,” reported the public channel NHK.
He also faces rape charges, according to media reports.
Shiraishi is accused of using Twitter to contact victims between the ages of 15 and 26 who posted online about committing suicide, telling them he could help them with their plans – or even die alongside them.
If convicted of murder, Shiraishi faces the death penalty, which is executed by hanging in Japan.
But his lawyers want the charges against him reduced to “murder with consent,” carrying a prison sentence of six months to seven years.
In an interview with the Mainichi Shimbun daily, Shiraishi said he disagreed with his lawyers and would tell prosecutors that he had “killed without consent”.
“There were bruises on the back of the victims’ heads. It means there was no consent and I did it so that they would not resist,” he said. in comments posted Wednesday.
Shiraishi was arrested three years ago by police investigating the disappearance of a 23-year-old woman who allegedly tweeted that she wanted to kill herself.
After his disappearance, his brother apparently gained access to his Twitter account and noticed a suspicious handle.
Police discovered a horrific house of horrors behind Shiraishi’s front door on Halloween morning in 2017.
Nine dismembered bodies, with up to 240 bone parts stored in coolers and tool boxes, had been sprinkled with kitty litter in an attempt to hide the evidence.
Shiraishi told the Mainichi Shimbun that he “had no intention of getting caught” and bragged about not being identified until his final murder.
More than 600 people lined up for 13 seats in the public gallery to attend the first hearing on Wednesday, NHK said.
Japan has the highest suicide rate among the industrialized countries of the Group of Seven, with more than 20,000 people committing suicide each year.
However, the suicide rate has been declining since its peak in 2003.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
