Photo/Illutration Rin Takai, a suspect in the murder of Naoko Takai (The Asahi Shimbun)

OSAKA--A murder suspect changed his clothes several times, including into women’s clothing, on the way to and from his Tokyo home and the victim’s house on the day she was killed, video footage has revealed.

The victim was found dead in her home in Takatsuki, Osaka Prefecture, in July last year.

According to investigative sources, security cameras captured the suspect’s odd behavior on the day of the crime.

Rin Takai, 28, who now resides in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, with no occupation, was arrested on Aug. 25 on suspicion of murder in the death of Naoko Takai, 54, who worked for a group company of a major bank.

Rin became Naoko’s adopted son in February 2021.

Life insurance policies worth about 150 million yen ($1.1 million) had been taken out on Naoko and Rin is suspected of naming himself as their beneficiary.

Paperwork bearing Naoko’s forged signature was submitted to change the beneficiary from her mother to Rin in May last year.

Police said that luggage containers full of clothing and other items had been left at various places near Rin’s home. A man believed to be Rin picked them up on the morning of the murder, according to investigative sources.

Osaka prefectural police believe that Rin made detailed preparations to disguise himself by changing clothing several times while traveling to and from the murder scene.

Naoko Takai was found dead in a bathtub at her home. Prefectural police suspect Rin drowned her in the bathtub on the afternoon of July 22 last year.

Rin did not receive the insurance benefits, but he inherited Naoko’s savings and money from other sources worth around 100 million yen.

According to investigative sources, on the morning of the day Naoko died, a security camera captured a man who resembled Rin in women’s clothing leaving an apartment building where Rin lived at that time in Tokyo’s Minato Ward.

The man then changed clothing and bought four items, including a tote bag, at a large retail store in the ward at around 9:15 a.m. that day.

A man believed to be the same individual traveled to Takatsuki Station by taking the Shinkansen and local trains.

Security camera footage shows the man cycling to Naoko’s home.

The Asahi Shimbun saw the security camera footage captured near Naoko’s home.

It showed a man who looked like Rin wearing a pair of sunglasses, a hat and a facemask walking down the street. He wore a glove on his right hand and carried something that looked like a roll of adhesive tape in his left hand.

According to prefectural police, the security camera footage shows the man heading to Naoko’s home just after 4 p.m. and leaving from the place just before 6 p.m. on July 22 last year.

Police said the man returned to his apartment in Tokyo by the end of the day.

Prefectural police also obtained security camera footage showing a man resembling Rin holding a knife near Naoko’s home.

Rin has refused to speak to police since he was arrested on Aug. 25, according to investigative sources.

Police discovered that a scheduled email was sent from Naoko’s mobile phone to Rin’s email address on July 23 last year, the day after she died.

Police analyzed Naoko’s mobile phone records and believe that after she died, Rin sought to make it appear that she had sent the email to hide the actual date and time of her death.

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