Confessed killer directs police to three bodies

TAKAMATSU, Kagawa Pref. (Kyodo) A man's murder confession led police Wednesday to the discovery of three buried bodies, identified as those of a 58-year-old woman and her two granddaughters, near a pier at Sakaide port in Kagawa Prefecture.

Masanori Kawasaki is escorted to a police station Tuesday night in connection with the slayings of three of his relatives. KYODO PHOTO

Masanori Kawasaki, 61, was arrested the night before in connection with the disappearance of his sister-in-law, Keiko Miura, and Akane Yamashita, 5, and her sister, Ayana, 3. The three disappeared from Miura's home in Sakaide on Nov. 16.

Police officials said Kawasaki admitted killing the three at Miura's home, transporting the bodies in his car and burying them.

They had planned to search a mountainous area stretching into the cities of Takamatsu and Sakaide based on an earlier confession by Kawasaki, but he suddenly changed his statement and said he buried the bodies at the pier.

Kawasaki said he acted alone in attacking the three at around 3 or 4 a.m. Nov. 16, according to investigators. He reportedly said he initially intended to only kill Miura.

Blood found in Miura's home matched that of the missing trio.

Kawasaki, of Takamatsu, is the unemployed husband of Miura's late younger sister.

According to neighbors, Miura's younger sister, who died of an illness earlier this year, had borrowed a great deal of money on behalf of Miura. Kawasaki reportedly only learned of this after his wife's death and developed a grudge against Miura.

Miura's granddaughters, who lived next door, went to her home on the evening of Nov. 15 to spend the night. Their 34-year-old mother, Sachiko Yamashita, found all three missing when she went to pick up her kids around 7:50 a.m. the next day.