Takashio_Masahiro
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Death given in Fukushima murders
The Japan Times: Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2006


SENDAI (Kyodo) The Sendai High Court sentenced a 53-year-old man to death Tuesday for killing an elderly woman and her daughter and stealing some 50,000 yen in cash in Fukushima Prefecture in 2004. A lower court had imposed a life sentence.

Masahiro Takashio fatally stabbed Asako Hakozaki, 83, and her daughter Kiyoko, 55, at their home in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, and stole the cash in March 2004. The man knew the victims.

While the Fukushima District Court had ruled that the crime was not premeditated, the high court voided that determination and said Takashio believed he had to kill the women because they could identify him.


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Appeal made to spare double-killer

The Japan Times: Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2006


SENDAI (Kyodo) The lawyer for a man sentenced to death earlier this month for murdering a woman and her daughter in Fukushima Prefecture -- in a high court decision that overruled a lower court-imposed life sentence -- filed an appeal Monday.

Masahiro Takashio, 53, was sentenced to death Dec. 5 by the Sendai High Court after he had appealed against the lower court ruling.

After the high court ruling, Takashio had expressed his intention to accept the ruling, saying its judgment about the motive was wrong but he deserves to die because he killed the two. However, his lawyer decided to file the appeal.

Takashio was found guilty of fatally stabbing Asako Hakozaki, 83, and her daughter, Kiyoko, 55, at their home in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, and taking 50,000 yen of their cash on March 18, 2004.

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