The remains of a suspected double-murderer were discovered in a river after he admitted to killing a mother and her daughter. Kenji Oyama, aged 42, allegedly fatally stabbed his neighbors in Japan. Despite Oyama confessing to the crime to police, he was released without informing homicide detectives. Authorities now suspect him in the murders of Sumie Tanaka, 74, and her 52-year-old daughter, Chihiro, though the bodies were found six days after the incident.
Days before the victims were found, Oyama confessed to the crime and mentioned the location of the murders to the police. However, due to a lack of evidence, his confession was not reported to the homicide unit. Oyama was considered a low credibility suspect and let go. Subsequently, police failed to apprehend him when a neighbor reported seeing him near the victims’ residence.
A manhunt was initiated five days after the bodies were discovered, culminating in the discovery of Oyama’s lifeless body in Nakagawa river. Police found blood-stained clothing at his father’s unoccupied residence. Despite an extensive search involving hundreds of officers, Oyama’s remains were only located when he was found floating in a river approximately 13 km from the crime scene.
An autopsy indicated minor hand injuries and signs of malnutrition, but the exact cause of death could not be ascertained due to the advanced state of decomposition.
