Death Penalty Sought for Man over Quadruple Murder in Nagano

Nagano, Sept. 24 (Jiji Press)–Public prosecutors Wednesday sought the death penalty for Masanori Aoki, 34, who has been accused of murdering four people in Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, in May 2023. Aoki has been indicted on charges of fatally stabbing two local women and killing two police officers with a knife and a hunting gun in the city of Nakano on the evening of May 25, 2023. The women were walking. In their closing arguments at Nagano District Court, prosecutors said that Aoki attacked defenseless victims with highly lethal weapons, describing his actions as persistent and cruel. They also said that Aoki committed the crimes in a fit of anger, acting hastily and selfishly, and that he deserved the death penalty. Aoki’s defense claims that he was in a state of diminished capacity due to schizophrenia at the time. The defendant has remained silent during court hearings. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]