Case 196
Boy A
*** Warning: This case involves a child victim ***
In March 1997, residents of the city of Kobe, Japan were horrified when dead and mutilated cats began appearing at random along sidewalks. The public’s horror intensified when two children in the area – Ayaka Yamashita and Jun Hase were savagely murdered within a few months of each other.
Their killer had a calling card – a series of disturbing letters signed as “Seito Sakakibara.” In a case that mimicked that of the Zodiac Killer in the USA, Japanese authorities desperately searched for the man responsible for the brutal killings. A break in the case turned the investigation on its head as detectives were stunned to discover that the person responsible was someone entirely unexpected.
CREDITS
EPISODE:
Research & writing – Jessica Forsayeth
Creative direction – Milly Raso
Narration – Anonymous Host
MUSIC:
‘Flatline intro’ and ‘Come play with me’ intro and outro – www.dl-sounds.com
Audio production – Mike Migas
Scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn
OTHER:
Logo and website design – Paulina Szymanska
RESOURCES
WEBSITES
NEWS ARTICLES
Beheading of boy, 11, shakes Japan – Washington Post
14 year old arrested in Japan for the brutal slaying of child – New York Times
Japanese tabloid defies privacy laws to expose identity of man who carried out the ‘Kobe child murders’ at age 14 – South China Morning Post
Kobe killer set free – Japan Times
Japanese mother calls for real atonement from serial child killer – The Star
Kobe murderer writes ambiguously of regret and pleasure from the 1997 child killings – Japan Times
City in fear after gruesome child-killing – Sydney Morning Herald
Gruesome child murder strikes terror in Japan – Tokyo AP
“Manga” child killer haunts Japanese – The Guardian
Japanese police arrest teenager in beheading of 11 year old boy – Tokyo AP
Japan reels at arrest of boy over bizarre killing – The Age
Beheading arrest plunges Japan into despair about its kids – Chicago Tribune
INTERNET ARTICLES
Japan’s notorious “Boy A” killer now has a creepy vanity website
The Kobe Child Murderer, Seito Sakakibara, has launched a website
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