Tetsuo Odajima

Case record: Tetsuo Odajima

Background

Tetsuo Odajima was convicted in the killings of four people and later received a death sentence. He wrote a letter to his lawyer stating: "I have no means to apologize for the victims. I can only pay for my crimes with my own life. I deeply reflect on everything in my life."

The offence

Odajima was convicted for robbery and murder, and for arson and trespassing, involving three separate robbery-murder cases.

Odajima conspired with Katsumi Morita, 56, to break into the home of then Mabuchi Motor President Takaichi Mabuchi in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, on Aug. 5, 2002. After entering the home, the pair strangled Mabuchi's 66-year-old wife Etsuko and their 40-year-old daughter Yuka. After the killings, the men stole several hundred thousand yen in cash from the home and 10 jewelry items with a combined value of about 9.7 million yen. They set fire to the home before fleeing.

On Sept. 24, 2002, the pair murdered 71-year-old dentist Fumio Aoyagi at his home in Tokyo's Meguro-ku and stole about 350,000 yen in cash.

On Nov. 21, 2002, they stormed into the home of 65-year-old Kimie Oshima in Abiko, Chiba Prefecture, murdered her, and stole 1 million yen in cash.

Investigation

The record described a prosecution for the three separate robbery-murder cases and indicated that Odajima had sought leniency while pleading guilty.

Trial

On March 22, 2007, a man on trial over four killings including the double murder of a company president's wife and daughter was handed the death penalty at the Chiba District Court. The sentencing described Tetsuo Odajima as 63.

In handing down the death penalty, Presiding Judge Wataru Nemoto branded Odajima's actions as hard-hearted and cruel:

"It was ruthless, hard-hearted and cruel. They were crimes in which the defendant failed to show the slightest bit of humanity,"

Presiding Judge Wataru Nemoto found Odajima guilty of all counts of murder, robbery, arson and trespassing involving the three separate robbery-murder cases.

On March 23, 2007, the Chiba District Court sentenced a second man to death for the murders connected to the same 2002 cases. Odajima's accomplice, Katsumi Morita, 56, was sentenced to hang by the same court on Dec. 19, and he appealed the sentence to the Tokyo High Court. Prosecutors had demanded the gallows; Odajima had sought leniency while pleading guilty.

Sentencing

Tetsuo Odajima was sentenced to death on March 21, 2007.

Appeals

On Tuesday, November 6, 2007, Odajima dropped his appeal of the death sentence. The drop of the appeal resulted in him becoming a death row inmate.

Outcome

Odajima became a death row inmate after dropping his appeal.

Other details

Odajima was described as 64 years old in connection with his letter to his lawyer, and as 63 in connection with the death sentence. The record stated that Morita had already been handed the death penalty over the crimes, and that he had filed an appeal against his sentence.