Key Facts
• August 20: A 24-year-old woman, Megumi Katayama, was fatally stabbed in Kobe.
• The suspect, Masashi Tanimoto (35), followed the victim for over 10 minutes before the attack.
• The victim was stabbed in the chest, with injuries reaching her lungs; cause of death was blood loss.
• A blood-stained knife, matching the victim’s DNA, was found 40 meters from the crime scene.
• Within an hour of the attack, Tanimoto boarded a bullet train from Shin-Kobe Station to Tokyo.
• August 22: Tanimoto was arrested in Okutama, Tokyo, approximately 370 kilometers from the crime scene.
• Police tracked him using surveillance footage and narrowed his location to a residential area.
• Tanimoto was found carrying snacks and walking 6 kilometers from Okutama Station.
• He partially denied the charges, admitting to stabbing the victim but disputing intent to kill.
• Police are investigating the motive and any connection between Tanimoto and the victim.
Summary
A 24-year-old woman was fatally stabbed in a Kobe apartment elevator on August 20. The suspect, Masashi Tanimoto, followed her for over 10 minutes before the attack. He fled the scene, discarding the weapon nearby, and boarded a bullet train to Tokyo within an hour. On August 22, police arrested him in Okutama, 370 kilometers from the crime scene, after narrowing his location through surveillance footage. Tanimoto partially denied the charges, admitting to stabbing the victim but disputing intent to kill. Authorities are investigating his motive and any prior connection to the victim.
