Murderous
trio's death penalty final
Wednesday,
Jan. 31, 2007
Kyodo
News
The
Supreme Court rejected on Tuesday appeals by three men
sentenced to hang for murders committed in Manila and
Nagano Prefecture between 1994 and 1996 for insurance and
cash theft.
Akihiro Matsumoto, 52, an import trader, and Eiichi
Shimoura, 35, were found guilty on three counts of murder,
and Matsumoto's twin brother, Kazuhiro, also a trader, on
two counts.
The Nagoya High Court had earlier ruled that the three
killed Shigeru Higashienokida, 43, a company employee from
Miyazaki Prefecture, and Toshikazu Kagoi, 47, a Nagoya
trade merchant, in Manila in December 1994 with the aim of
obtaining insurance money.
Akihiro Matsumoto and Shimoura also murdered Shigeo Nozawa,
a 24-year-old travel agency employee from Bisai, Aichi
Prefecture, in Komagane, Nagano Prefecture, in May 1996
after stealing his cash card and withdrawing money.
"The Manila cases aimed at gaining insurance payments were
meticulously planned, and their motives leave no room for
leniency," said presiding Justice Toyozo Ueda.
The ruling brings the number of death-row inmates to 98.