The Setagaya's family murders: What you need to know about the infamous cold case
Man is often described as a social animal because of his ability to interact with and tolerate those around him regardless of pre-existing differences. While this nature makes people thrive by relying on one another, some individuals make it their mission to bring chaos to social harmony. The Setagaya family murders show how people can become cold-hearted and get away with murder.
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The lowest point of human existence is manifested in some of the most gruesome murders. But unfortunately, the Setagaya's family murders are just a grain of sand on a beach. There are many other unsolved cold cases like The Zodiac Killings, Jack the Ripper, The Women of Ciudad Juarez and The Black Dahlia, among many others. The only silver lining is that such unsolved family murders unite the world in condemning acts of taking the lives of others.
The Setagaya family murder
It refers to the unsolved Japanese murders of the Miyazawa family in the Kamisoshigaya area of Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan, on 30th Dec 2000. The inhabitants had ushered in the new millennium peacefully, only to discover the victims' bodies. To this day, the murders remain a mystery because investigations into the crime did not bear any fruits.
Who were the victims in the Setagaya family murders?
A total of four family members were killed in the Setagaya incident. The victims were a couple and their two children. They had moved into the Setagaya suburb in 1990 as it experienced a burgeoning development and was an ideal place for a young family.
The Setagaya family's murders house was a shared building that had been split into two. From the outside, it looked like one house, but it was a duplex. The Miyazawa family lived on one side of the Yasuko family on the other side.
The house was home to seven members, including Yasuko's mother, sister, and brother-in-law. Here are the names of the slain family members:
Mikio Miyazawa (Husband)
He was 44 years old and the patriarch of the family. He was an employee of a London-based marketing firm called Interbrand. His role at the company was unspecified, but it was a multinational with a presence in over twenty countries. It majorly dealt with marketing campaigns for other companies like Nissan, Microsoft, Xerox and others.
Yasuko (Wife)
She was Mikio’s wife and was 41 years old at the time of her death. The kind and compassionate mother of two served as a teacher at a nearby school. She, however, devoted most of her time to caring for her children.
Niina (Daughter)
The only daughter of the family and the first born among the two children. Niina was eight years old and in the second grade when she was murdered. She was described as a typical little girl who was playful and fun. She enjoyed soccer and ballet.
Rei (Son)
6-year-old Rei was the youngest member of the Miyazawa family. He had a speech impairment, and his situation stressed the family. They had sought professional help for his condition and devoted most of their attention to ensuring he felt loved.
The Miyazawas live in a nearly deserted neighbourhood
When the family moved to Setagaya in 1990, close to 200 families were living in the neighbourhood. Behind their house was a park that had been there for years. The city planned to expand it, and as a result, most families had moved out from where the Setagaya family murders would occur.
Most people had left just a few months before the unsolved family murders occurred. Only four families were left. These were the Miyazawas, the Yasukos, and two other families. The park behind the house had been the venue for most activities, and a week before the murders, Mikio had confronted some teenagers for being obnoxiously loud.
Murder and investigations
Bodies of the Setogaya’s family members were found on the morning of the 31st Dec 2000. Rei had been strangled to death while the other three were killed by stabbing. Evidence showed that the killer had used the computer and even ate ice cream after killing them. The killer spent several hours in the house and left the following day just before dawn.
More than 280,000 officers have been involved in the case, which is still open more than two decades later. The investigation has gathered about 16,000 pieces of information from the public, yet no arrest has been made.
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The Setagaya family murders crime scene photos contain a list of items the killer left behind, such as a sweater and a knife, but the crucial evidence has also not yielded any results. There is a 20 million yen reward for anyone with information that would lead to an arrest.
Investigations found traces of blood (type A) left at the scene did not belong to the family members; hence must be of the killer. The samples reveal that the killer must have had a mother of European descent, probably from one of the countries near the Mediterranean or the Adriatic Sea. The killer's father has Asian roots and is narrowed to either Korean, Chinese or Japanese.
The unsolved Setagaya family murders live in the memories of Kamisoshigaya residents more than two decades later. Nobody knows who the attacker was and the motive behind the gruesome killing of four family members. There are other similar mass murders in which even more family members, but the consensus is that not even one life should be lost in such a manner.
Yen.com.gh shared an interesting article about Chris Coleman of the Coleman family murders. Chris was a former security guard for the highly-regarded personality, Joyce Meyer. However, his entire life came crumbling down after he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife and two sons.
The story of Chris Coleman is something unexplainable. It is a crime so cruel and so salacious that it's difficult even to wrap your head around. It can only be described as an entanglement between a successful husband and wife, a world-famous preacher, sex and lies.
Source: YEN.com.gh
