MIE (TR) – On the night of June 13, 1997, Yuko Kitayama, then 17, completed her part-time job and headed to a good friend’s home to check. She was by no means heard from once more.
The case stays unsolved, with police persevering with to hunt the assistance of the general public.
On the morning of June 13 this yr — the twenty eighth anniversary of Kitayama’s disappearance — law enforcement officials handed out leaflets in entrance of Matsusaka Station and as soon as once more known as for info within the case.
“We are continuing our investigation with the firm belief that she will be returned to his parents,” mentioned Kazuto Saijo, the chief of the Matsusaka Police Station. “Please contact Matsusaka Police Station with any information you may have.”
But there was a time once they did have such info. What occurred subsequent was a chronicle of missed alternatives that no mainstream news shops talked about this previous week.
Hello Kitty pager
Yuko, a third-year scholar at Matsusaka Technical High School, labored at a neighborhood juku cram college in Meiwacho. On the day of her disappearance, she was planning to check with the aforementioned good friend after ending work.
Her youthful brother, three years youthful than her, attended the identical cram college, positioned close to Saiku Station.
Her mom would normally take her brother to the cram college in a light-weight truck. She would then take Yuko’s bicycle again to the home. Later, she would decide up each of them in a passenger automotive at round 8 p.m., and the three of them would return house collectively.
However, on the day of her disappearance, there was not sufficient fuel within the mild truck. As a consequence, Yuko was to return house alone by bicycle that day. As nicely, her household was conscious of her plans to check for a check with the good friend reasonably than returning house instantly.
After ending her part-time job, she known as the good friend from a public cellphone close to the city corridor, about 200 meters from the cram college. She informed her she could be there in about 10 minutes.
However, when Yuko had not proven up by 11:00 p.m., her good friend known as her house. Her household was shocked, as that they had assumed she could be on the good friend’s home. A search commenced. After they might not discover her, they reported her lacking with the Mie Prefectural Police at round 2:00 a.m. on June 14.
Yuko normally stored a Hello Kitty-themed pager within the inside pocket of her vest. Her household and buddies, who had been knowledgeable of her disappearance, despatched a message to her pager and waited for a response, however there was no reply.
Clothes, bicycle and bag by no means discovered
At the time of her disappearance, Yuko had brief hair, a medium construct and stood about 150 centimeters tall. She was sporting a white short-sleeved shirt, a black uniform vest, a black pleated skirt, unfastened white socks and black fabric footwear, dimension 23.5.
The navy blue bicycle she was driving had a Bridgestone T-shaped handlebar and was registered for theft prevention. Her contact info and identify had been written beneath the saddle.
Her black shoulder bag for commuting to high school contained a light-weight blue pockets, a commuter move case, a yellow lunch field, a comb, scissors and a mirror.
The seek for the encircling space continued, however her garments, bicycle and bag had been by no means discovered.
“Why do you have Yuko’s pager?”
On the night time of June 14, the day after her disappearance, Yuko’s house acquired two suspicious cellphone calls at round 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. In each instances, the caller hung up as quickly because the calls had been answered. Her household later consulted with police.
Shortly after Yuko’s disappearance, her buddies despatched messages to her pager with their house cellphone numbers in order that she may contact them. However, there have been no indicators of an accident within the space. Therefore, it was determined to not give out contact info as there was a risk that Yuko had been concerned in an incident.
Sometime after June 16, a good friend’s home additionally acquired a collection of mysterious silent calls. The good friend thought that the caller had seen the messages addressed to Yuko and was making silent calls. She tried to speak to him, however at first there was no response.
But in the future, she requested, “Where is Yuko?” A person’s voice replied, “I don’t know her.” She then requested, “Why do you have Yuko’s pager?” He mentioned, “I picked it up.”
“Why do you have Yuko’s pager?”
However, in subsequent cellphone calls, the person’s angle modified, and he started to make completely different claims. “I took her to the station,” he mentioned. He added, “She said she didn’t have any money, so I lent her 50,000 yen. I took her pager as collateral.”
The man then known as her to Matsusaka Shopping Center MARM in Matsuzaka City. The good friend accepted the invitation and informed the police the state of affairs.
On June 20, whereas police had been secretly deployed, the good friend and Yuko’s mom headed to the designated location. However, the person didn’t present up.
Five days later, he known as the home of her good friend once more. He mentioned, “I’ll give you Yuko’s pager back so come and get it.” She instantly rushed to the bus station to satisfy him, however solely Yuko’s gray pager was there. Notably, the gold bell and Hello Kitty keychain weren’t connected.
Former offender
On June 27, the person known as the good friend’s home once more. “Did you receive the pager?” he requested. He then hung up rapidly.
Police traced the decision to a public phone in Ureshinocho, Mie Prefecture. They then took a person, age 46 on the time, in for voluntary questioning. He labored as a avenue vendor and lived close by in Chayocho, Matsusaka City.
An evaluation of the person’s voice and the calls remodeled the cellphone proved to be a match. As nicely, a white handkerchief with a blue sample discovered within the man’s pocket was confirmed by Yuko’s household to be just like one belonging to her. He was arrested the following day.
During the course of the investigation, it grew to become clear that the person didn’t have a transparent alibi for the time when the incident occurred. As nicely, he additionally a former offender, who served 12 years in jail for sexual assault and theft. His modus operandi was to hit girls on bicycles together with his automotive, committing indecent acts and stealing their belongings.
When the person’s station wagon was examined, a part of the left flip sign was damaged. Further, there was a dent within the bumper that appeared to have been brought on by a collision. A Japanese-Chinese dictionary believed to be Yuko’s was discovered within the automotive. The dictionary had her good friend’s pager quantity written inside.
Police more and more suspected his automobile utilized in against the law. They discovered greater than 100 hairs and items of fiber inside.
Police additionally discovered receipts for utilizing the Ise Futami Toba Line toll highway within the automotive, which raised suspicions that he had been touring lengthy distances to destroy proof. The man frequently used a fuel station in Matsusaka City as soon as every week. Around the time of Yuko’s disappearance, he stuffed up there on June 12, 15 and 17.
Insufficient proof
Yuko had beforehand informed a good friend that she was scared as a result of a suspicious man was following her. There was additionally a report of a white station wagon parked subsequent to the general public cellphone that she had used earlier than her disappearance, which led police to more and more imagine doubtless that the person was concerned.
However, the person mentioned throughout questioning that the pager was misplaced property. He additionally mentioned that he had known as the pager a number of instances after studying that the proprietor was a highschool lady. He continued to disclaim and remained silent in regards to the prices concerning Yuko, together with kidnapping.
The man’s detention expired on July 18. He was launched on account of inadequate proof.