The house that was burned down in the arson attack, in which the bodies of two people were found in the ruins, is seen in Kofu, on Oct. 12, 2021. (Mainichi)
KOFU -- A 19-year-old man arrested on suspicion of assault in a house arson attack in this central Japan city from which two bodies were found is believed to have had unreciprocated feelings for a teen living in the home, the Mainichi Shimbun has learned.
Authorities with the investigative headquarters set up at Yamanashi Prefectural Police's Minami-Kofu Police Station are looking into the matter carefully as it may lead to the clarification of the motive of the incident.
Seiji Inoue and his wife, both in their 50s, along with their two daughters, lived in the house in the city of Kofu. According to an investigative source, the arrested man living in the city attended the same high school as Inoue's eldest daughter, and they knew each other. There had been no previous trouble between the two, but some people said that the man had one-sided romantic feelings toward her. The eldest daughter mentioned the suspect's name as someone she could think of as a suspicious person following the fire.
Meanwhile, police believe the bodies are those of Inoue and his wife and are working to identify them. On Oct. 14, the investigation headquarters announced that the autopsies revealed that the bodies were a male and a female, and that the cause of death was blood loss. Both bodies had multiple wounds that looked as if they had been stabbed, and at least one of the bodies had more than 10 wounds. The investigation team believes that the deaths were caused by stab wounds, and they are now looking into the possibility of murder.
The fire broke out at Inoue's house at around 3:50 a.m. on Oct. 12, and the two-story wooden house burned down. Traces of oil and other substances were found scattered at the scene. According to investigators, an oil can was found in the burned area, and they believe that the suspect prepared oil and other materials in advance.
The couple's youngest daughter, who was sleeping on the second floor, heard a fight downstairs and encountered the man on the staircase. He then hit her in the head. After the sisters fled outdoors, the fire reportedly broke out.
(Japanese original by Ayano Tanaka, Kofu Bureau)
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