Asian Political News

November 17, 2007

TOKYO - The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed an appeal by a 42-year-old man who has been sentenced to death for murdering the parents of his estranged wife and his 12-year-old stepson in Yokohama in 2002, finalizing his penalty.

In handing down the ruling to Tomoyuki Furusawa, Presiding Justice Tatsuo Kainaka said the defendant killed the three, who were totally blameless, simply because he thought they might hinder his plan to take away his wife Masako who was seeking to divorce him and staying at her parents' home at that time.

Man to hang for three murders

Kyodo News

Friday, November 16, 2007

TOKYO — The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed an appeal by a 42-year-old man who has been sentenced to death for murdering the parents of his estranged wife and his 12-year-old stepson in Yokohama in 2002, finalizing his penalty.

According to rulings given by the Yokohama District Court and the Tokyo High Court, Tomoyuki Furusawa stabbed to death his wife's parents — Masayoshi Ujigawa, 71, and Fumiko, 63 — and his stepson Yuki in the predawn hours of July 31, 2002, at their house in Yokohama after breaking in. He also forced Masako into a car, drove to Toyama Prefecture and beat her in the face, according to the rulings. The defense counsel had claimed that the death sentence is too severe on the grounds that he did not plan to kill the victims.

Death penalty upheld

Japantimes.co.jp

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

The Tokyo High Court on Tuesday upheld the death penalty for a man convicted of murdering his 12-year-old stepson and his estranged wife's parents.

The court was told that Tomoyuki Furusawa, 40, fatally stabbed his stepson, Yuki Furusawa, the boy's grandfather, Masayoshi Ujikawa, 71, and grandmother, Fumiko Ujikawa, 63, in the predawn hours of July 31, 2002, at the victims' home in Yokohama after he broke in from a balcony.

Furusawa also forced his wife, Masako, into a car, drove to Toyama Prefecture and beat her in the face, according to the court.

The woman had taken her son and moved in with her parents in June 2002 while seeking a divorce on grounds Furusawa had abused her.

A panel of judges dismissed the defense argument that Furusawa did not have any intent to kill, noting that evidence showed he had aimed at critical parts of the victims' bodies with a weapon.

"It was an extremely cruel crime in which the accused murdered three people who had done nothing wrong. We have no choice but to hand down capital punishment," presiding Judge Fumio Yasuhiro said.

The defense also argued that Furusawa was in a state of reduced responsibility due to a serious disorder at the time of the crime.

However, the judge concluded that Furusawa was "fully competent mentally," saying he had a clear memory of what he had done when he was questioned by police.

Brutal triple murderer only wanted to discuss divorce

Mainichi Shimbun

Aug. 5, 2002

YOKOHAMA -- A man under arrest for murdering his wife's parents and his son has admitted he committed the crime after unsuccessfully attempting his wife to leave their apartment to discuss a divorce, investigators said Monday.

The man, Tomoyuki Furusawa, 37, then abducted his wife and drove recklessly between Kanagawa Prefecture and Tokyo before heading for Toyama where he was arrested. Investigators are grilling him over how far he premeditated the crime after finding a knife and rope in his possession.

Furusawa is accused of murdering Masayoshi Ujigawa, 71, his 63-year-old wife, Fumiko, and the suspect's 12-year-old son, Yuki, at their apartment in Tsuzuki-ku, Yokohama. Furusawa's wife, Masako, 38, who was with him when he was arrested, was taken into protective custody.

Between late Tuesday night and the predawn hours of Wednesday, Furusawa, who was living apart from his wife and son, sneaked into the Tsuzuki-ku apartment in a bid to take out Masako to discuss a divorce, police said.

He was carrying the knife and rope in a bid to threaten her, he was quoted as telling investigators. However, after Yuki and the Ujigawas woke up and screamed, he stabbed them.

The suspect then stuffed his wife's mouth with cloth and forced her into a car he had borrowed from an acquaintance and fled. He drove recklessly between Kanagawa Prefecture and Tokyo, and then headed for Toyama, a place he had never lived before. He apparently had not determined his destination in advance.

Furusawa married Masako two years ago, and began to live with her and Yuki at an apartment about 500 meters away from the Ujigawas' apartment. Three months ago, Masako and Yuki left the apartment and began to live with her parents.

Masako visited Tsuzuki Police Station on July 15 and complained to officers that her husband beat her up two years earlier.

Furusawa quit a Yokohama-based real estate company late last month, his boss said. "He didn't specify the reason why he quit. He was a hardworking salesman."