World · East Asia & Pacific · 1 hr ago
Prosecutors seek death penalty again in Japan killings retrial
Prosecutors again sought the death penalty for Keita Shimazu in a retrial in Toyama, Japan.
Shimazu, a former member of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, was convicted of killing a police officer and a security guard in 2018.
He stabbed the officer at a police box, took his handgun and used it to shoot the guard near an elementary school.
His first trial ended in a life sentence, but a high court overturned that ruling and sent the case back for retrial on the basis that robbery-murder had been established.
Prosecutors say Shimazu intended to kill more police officers and argue that autism spectrum disorder had only a limited effect on his actions.
The defense is due to give its closing arguments next Monday, before the Toyama District Court delivers its ruling on Dec.
8.
Prosecutors again sought the death penalty for former Self-Defense Forces member Keita Shimazu in his retrial over the 2018 killings of a police inspector and a security guard.
They argued the killings showed a high disregard for human life and that Shimazu took the officer’s handgun to kill another police officer.
The prosecution said autism spectrum disorder had only an indirect and limited impact on the crime.
The Toyama District Court is scheduled to rule on Dec. 8.
The defense is due to present closing arguments next Monday.
- Who
- Keita Shimazu, a 30-year-old former Self-Defense Forces member, is on trial.
- What
- Prosecutors again sought the death penalty in his retrial over the killings of a police inspector and a security guard.
- When
- The killings took place on June 26, 2018. Prosecutors renewed their request on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026.
- Where
- Toyama, Japan.
- Why
- Prosecutors said Shimazu intended to kill as many police officers as possible and took the officer’s handgun to kill another officer.
Prosecutors
Defense
Robbery-murder charge
Prosecutors
Prosecutors argued Shimazu took the handgun so he could kill another police officer.
Defense
The defense argued autism spectrum disorder affected Shimazu’s actions.
Impact of autism spectrum disorder
Prosecutors
Prosecutors said the disorder had only an indirect and limited impact on the crime.
Defense
The defense argued the disorder had affected Shimazu’s actions.
Shimazu fatally stabbed a police inspector in Toyama, took the officer’s handgun and fatally shot a security guard.
A court rejected the robbery-murder charge and sentenced Shimazu to life imprisonment for murder and theft.
The Nagoya High Court’s Kanazawa branch overturned the ruling and sent the case back for a retrial on the premise that robbery-murder had been established; the Supreme Court upheld that decision.
Prosecutors again sought the death penalty in Shimazu’s retrial.
The defense is scheduled to present its closing arguments.
The Toyama District Court is scheduled to deliver its ruling.
- Defendant
- Keita Shimazu, 30
- First victim
- 46-year-old police inspector at the Okuda police box
- Second victim
- 68-year-old security guard near an elementary school’s main gate
- Crime date
- June 26, 2018
- Court
- Toyama District Court
- Scheduled ruling
- Dec. 8
3 sources
What people are saying
an extremely malicious crime showing a high disregard for human life
it was natural for him to seek to rob the handgun in order to kill the next police officer