Zama Suicide Pact Slayings

The Zama Suicide Pact slayings was a multiple homicide occurring in Zama, Japan, in November 2017, in which nine people were killed by a 27-year-old man, Takahiro Shiraishi.

Background

Takahiro Shiraishi was living in an apartment in Zama, a city southwest of Tokyo. Allegedly, he put out an advertisement asking people to come to his house so he could watch them commit suicide. He offered to either assist, or watch them kill themselves.^[1] A friend of his indicated that he had indulged in choking games with school friends, and signs of his later victims indicated that they had been choked to death.^[2]

Before his move to Zama, Shirashi had worked as a "Kaori Scouto" (a scout who lures women into brothels to work in the sex industry) in Kabukicho, Tokyo's biggest red light district. At this stage, people had started warning locals about him, describing him as a "creepy scout".^[3] Shiraishi then moved from Tokyo into an apartment in Zama in August 2017.^[4]

Investigation and arrest

One of the missing women's brothers started an investigation on his own to find his sister. A woman assisted him by contacting Shiraishi, and setting up a fake appointment. They both involved the police.

The police then arrived at the apartment and asked where the missing woman was. Shiraishi indicated she was in the freezer. Police found nine dead bodies in the house, all of which had been dismembered. Neighbour's corroborated the events by confirming that foul smells of rotting flesh had come from the house. Shiraishi had discarded elements of the people into his bin, which had been taken away in the recycled rubbish. Police investigation had confirmed the missing woman had been walking with the alleged murdered on 23 October.^[5]

Shiraishi, confessed to killing and dismembering the nine people. Shiraishi had told his father his life had no meaning, before he committed the murders.^[6]

References