Torso found near severed head of missing Shimane woman

MATSUE, Shimane Pref. (Kyodo) A human torso was found Sunday at a mountain in Hiroshima Prefecture near the site where the head of a missing 19-year-old woman from neighboring Shimane Prefecture has been found, the police said.

Memorial spot: A bouquet of flowers marks the entranceway to a mountain forest where the severed head of a first-year university student was discovered in Hiroshima Prefecture. KYODO PHOTO

A joint investigation squad of the Shimane and Hiroshima prefectural police said they believe the undressed torso belonged to Miyako Hiraoka, a first-year student at the University of Shimane, who went missing after finishing her shift at a part-time job on the evening of Oct. 26.

The head of a young woman that has been earlier found at the 1,223-meter Mount Garyu has been confirmed to be that of Hiraoka.

The investigation squad is questioning the local people if they have seen any suspicious vehicle on National Route 186, which connects Hiroshima with Hamada, Shimane where she lived. Investigators believe her killer must have used a vehicle to carry her body because no bloodstains have been found near the site.

Investigators are also asking her friends whether the victim has been involved in any trouble.

An autopsy conducted on Hiraoka's her head has shown that she was killed within five days after going missing, and has confirmed signs of blows to the face.