Photo/Illutration Ryoken Hirayama, who was first arrested on suspicion of destroying two corpses, in Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward on April 22 (Shota Tomonaga)

A man suspected of setting fire to two bodies on a riverbed said he “accepted a large sum of money for the job” and sought help for the “disposal” work, investigative sources said.

However, the suspect, Ryoken Hirayama, 25, has not named the person who hired him, they said.

Hirayama, a resident of Koshigaya, Saitama Prefecture, who works in the construction business, was arrested on April 21 on suspicion of destroying corpses.

Police believe Hirayama burned the bodies of Ryutaro Takarajima, 55, a company executive and his wife, Sachiko, 56, of Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward, in a mountainous area of Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture, on April 16.

Hirayama bought gasoline, fuel cans, igniting agents, adhesive tape and other items at a home improvement center in Koshigaya, two to three days before the bodies were found, the sources said.

Hirayama was also quoted as saying, “I asked two other people to do the job.”

He was observed giving his car to two people at a convenience store in Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward on the night of April 15.

Around midnight, the car was driven to a residence in the same ward where the Takarajimas were at, the sources said.

Police found blood in the garage of the residence. They said the couple were likely attacked there, and the car was taken to Tochigi Prefecture.

After confiscating the car, police discovered Sachiko’s blood and her driver’s license, as well as zip ties and adhesive tape.

As of April 25, police had not confirmed any unusual cash deposits in Hirayama’s bank account nor at his home, the sources said.

(This article was written by Minami Endo, Shomei Nagatsuma and Hiromichi Fujita.)

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