Seisaku Nakamura

Case record: Seisaku Nakamura

Timeline

• August 22, 1938 — Seisaku Nakamura attempted to rape two women; when they resisted, he murdered them.
• August 18, 1941 — At the age of 17, Seisaku Nakamura killed a woman and injured another woman.
• August 20, 1941 — Three more people were found dead after being murdered by Nakamura.
• September 27, 1941 — Nakamura murdered his brother and injured his father, his sister, his brother's wife, and his brother's child.
• August 30, 1942 — Nakamura murdered a couple, their daughter and their son, and attempted to rape another daughter but gave up.
• October 12, 1942 — Nakamura was arrested for the last nine murders; he also admitted two others.
• November 11, 1942 — Fumisada Nakamura committed suicide.
• June 19, 1944 — Nakamura was executed by hanging.

Background

Seisaku Nakamura (中村 誠策, Nakamura Seisaku, ca.1924 - June 19, 1944) was a Japanese teenage serial killer, also known as the “Hamamatsu Deaf Killer.” He was deaf and was described as having been born deaf. He was intelligent and achieved high grades at school, but he was treated poorly by his family and was described as a social misfit. He enjoyed films where men used Japanese swords to assassinate people.

His crimes were treated with restricted information because many thought news about his crimes would cause excessive trouble during the already tense wartime, and he therefore remained unapprehended for longer than he might have otherwise. His family knew that he was responsible for the deaths but were afraid of revenge and did not come forward.

The offence

Seisaku Nakamura was described as fatally stabbing at least nine people in Shizuoka Prefecture, including several teenagers. He was also described as having attempted rape as part of his crimes.

According to his testimony:

• On August 22, 1938, he attempted to rape two women; they resisted him, so he murdered them. He was 14 years old at that time. These two murders were often excluded from his serial murders.
• On August 18, 1941, at the age of 17, he killed a third woman and injured a fourth.
• On August 20, 1941, three more people were found dead, murdered by Nakamura.
• On September 27, he murdered his brother and injured his father, his sister, his brother’s wife, and his brother’s child.
• On August 30, 1942, he murdered a couple, their daughter, and their son, and attempted to rape another daughter but gave up.

Investigation

Nakamura’s information about his crimes was restricted during wartime; he remained unapprehended for longer than he might have otherwise.

Arrest

He was arrested for the last nine murders on October 12, 1942. He also admitted two others.

Trial

He was tried as an adult under the Wartime Law, Senji Keiji Tokubetsu Hou (戦時刑事特別法). Doctors said that he was criminally insane; however, the doctors also claimed that he was not guilty by reason of insanity. The trials went rapidly.

Sentencing

Nakamura was executed soon after trial and was executed on June 19, 1944.

Outcome

Seisaku Nakamura was executed by hanging on June 19, 1944.

Aftermath

On November 11, 1942, his father, Fumisada Nakamura (中村 文貞, Nakamura Fumisada), committed suicide.

Other details

He was believed to have fatally stabbed eleven people in Shizuoka Prefecture of Japan, though other parts of the account describe at least nine people as being stabbed to death.