By AZUSA KATO/ Staff Writer
December 23, 2020 at 16:50 JST
Takahiro Shiraishi is handed the death sentence for murdering nine people in 2017 at the Tokyo District Court’s Tachikawa branch on Dec. 15. (Image drawn by Kageyoshi Koyanagi)
Convicted serial killer Takahiro Shiraishi dropped the legal appeal filed by his defense lawyers against the death sentence on Dec. 21, paving the way for him to be eventually hanged.
Shiraishi, 30, was found guilty of murdering nine people in 2017 at his apartment in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture.
He was indicted on multiple counts of murder, robbery and forcible sexual intercourse in connection with the dismembered bodies of eight women and one man, aged 15 to 26, found in his home.
The Tokyo District Court’s Tachikawa branch handed down the death sentence on Dec. 15, which defense lawyers appealed to the Tokyo High Court on Dec. 18.
Under the Code of Criminal Procedure, a defense lawyer cannot appeal a case against the defendant’s will.
During his trial, Shiraishi expressed a wish to be executed as quickly as possible to expiate his actions and bring some form of closure to the victims’ bereaved family members as well as his own relatives.
Shiraishi filed the documents dropping the appeal.
During the trial, Shiraishi admitted to the charges. However, his defense lawyers argued that the victims had consented to be killed by Shiraishi and sought a lighter sentence.
But the court ruled otherwise.
His death sentence will be finalized on Jan. 5.
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