More body parts of college student are discovered

MATSUE, Shimane Pref. (Kyodo) The torso and part of a thigh bone of a beheaded female college student from Shimane Prefecture have been found on a mountain in Hiroshima Prefecture near the site where her head was found last week, police said Monday.

Gruesome search: Police investigators comb through rough terrain Monday on Mount Garyu in Kita-Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, where the dismembered body of a missing female college student was found. KYODO PHOTO

A joint Shimane and Hiroshima prefectural police investigation squad said they confirmed the torso and thigh bone are that of Miyako Hiraoka, 19, a freshman at the University of Shimane, who had not been seen since finishing her shift the evening of Oct. 26 at the restaurant where she worked part time.

The torso was found Sunday about 80 meters from the point where the head was found Friday, while the thigh bone, which had little flesh, was discovered Saturday alongside a mountain road leading to where the head was found, the police said.

Investigators also said the head bore marks of manual strangulation. They believe Hiraoka was strangled and then dismembered with a sharp knife.

An autopsy conducted on her head indicated that Hiraoka was slain within five days after disappearing, and that she had received blows to the face.

Women's clothing was found near the torso but was later confirmed not to be Hiraoka's.

Her body parts were found on 1,223-meter Mount Garyu, which is known for its rich natural landscape. The site is about 25 km southeast of Hamada, Shimane Prefecture, where Hiraoka attended university.

During this time of year, people visit the mountain to view the fall foliage and to hunt for mushrooms.

The investigative squad is interviewing people in the area to determine what vehicles they may have seen on National Route 186, which connects Hiroshima with Hamada. Investigators believe her killer used a vehicle to carry her body because no bloodstains have been found near the site.

Investigators are also asking her friends whether she was involved in any trouble.

The discoveries of her body parts since Friday have sent shock waves through the university campus.

On Monday, the school canceled all classes and held an assembly to report the incident to students.

"Ms. Hiraoka's life was full of potential before someone ended it," university President Yuichi Honda told the meeting. "I feel as if my heart was torn apart."