Photo/Illutration Police officials take Masanori Aoki to the Nagano Central Police Station on Nov. 8. (Okuto Ko)

NAGANO--A 32-year-old farmer was indicted Nov. 16 on charges of murdering four people, including two police officers, in May.

The Nagano District Public Prosecutors Office announced the indictment against Masanori Aoki after a three-month psychiatric assessment determined that he was mentally fit to stand trial.

According to the indictment, Aoki fatally stabbed Yukie Murakami, 66, and Yasuko Takeuchi, 70, as they were walking in front of his home in Nakano, Nagano Prefecture, on May 25.

Aoki then killed the two police officers, Takuo Ikeuchi, 61, and Yoshiki Tamai, 46, who rushed to the scene, the indictment said.

According to investigative sources, Aoki shot the two officers with a rifled slug gun and killed the two women with a Bowie knife.

Aoki told investigating officers that he did not know the two women but lashed out at them because he thought they were making fun of him as they were on their daily walk.

Although Aoki has admitted to killing the four, his responses have changed during questioning, the sources said.

He occasionally tells investigators that he cannot remember certain facts related to the crime, they said.

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