Yasutoshi Matsuda

Case record: Yasutoshi Matsuda

Background

Yasutoshi Matsuda was a jobless man. He was 34 at the time of the murders described in court and prosecution accounts. He was later 38 when the Supreme Court dismissed his appeal.

The offence

Matsuda killed two women who lived alone in Miyazaki Prefecture.

He strangled Toshiko Hashida, 53, a bar operator in Saito, Miyazaki Prefecture, to death. After strangling her, he stole some 37,000 yen, described by the prosecution as taken to cover his entertainment expenses. One account also described that he stabbed Hashida, and that after strangling her he stole 40,000 yen.

Matsuda also suffocated Morie Manako, 82, a cigarette shop operator from Kunitomi, Miyazaki Prefecture, to death. After suffocating her, he stole some 630,000 yen.

Investigation

No specific investigation steps were described in the provided material.

Trial

Miyazaki District Court convicted Yasutoshi Matsuda of killing Toshiko Hashida and Morie Manako in November and December 2001.

At the Miyazaki District Court, prosecutors demanded the death penalty, describing the defendant’s crimes as “cruel, brutal and inhuman,” and arguing: “The defendant's crimes were cruel, brutal and inhuman, and his criminal responsibility is grave. It's impossible to rehabilitate him,” a prosecutor said.

Presiding Judge Heinai Komatsu sentenced Matsuda to death. Komatsu said:

“The crime was calculated and cold-blooded, and extremely malicious,” Komatsu said.
“Taking two lives was a grave and serious act.
“Matsuda prepared a method that was certain to kill his victims, and after the murders he went on an extravagant spree with the money he had stolen. With his anti-social character, there is no room for rehabilitation.”

Lawyers for Matsuda argued he should be given life imprisonment rather than the death penalty, and they said his upbringing had been poor and had marred his character, leaving him with a lack of perception. The court rejected that argument, stating that even when taking his upbringing into consideration, the mercilessness with which the crime was carried out could result in nothing but the death penalty.

Sentencing

Matsuda received the death sentence from the Miyazaki District Court.

Appeals

Lawyers planned to appeal the death sentence after it was handed down.

The Supreme Court upheld the death sentence in dismissing an appeal by Yasutoshi Matsuda. The Supreme Court described Matsuda’s crimes as involving “firm intention” of killing the victims and being “premeditated,” and it dismissed the appeal.

Justice Kohei Nasu, who presided over the top court's No. 3 Petty Bench, said there was no room for leniency. Nasu stated:

“firm intention”
and that the crimes were “premeditated.”

Matsuda’s lawyers had argued during the trial in December that the death penalty should be avoided because he “at first had no intention of murdering” in either case.

Nasu said the motive was to get money to live on or for entertainment and added:

“Even taking into account that he has repented, the death penalty is unavoidable,” Nasu said.

A separate Supreme Court decision was also referenced: “A week ago, the top court upheld the death penalty for three men over a 1994-1996 serial murder case.”

Outcome

The Supreme Court dismissed Matsuda’s appeal and upheld the death sentence. The number of death row inmates was described as soon bringing the total to 99 if the death sentences were finalized after remaining technical legal procedures.

Other details

Matsuda entered the home of 53-year-old Hashida on Nov. 25, 2001, and stabbed her, according to the ruling. After strangling her, he stole 40,000 yen, according to the ruling.

Matsuda entered the home of 82-year-old Manako on Dec. 7, and strangled her before making off with 630,000 yen, according to the ruling.

Matsuda was described as strangling Hashida to death “on Nov. 26,” in one prosecution account, and as having committed the murders in November and December 2001 in the conviction account.