Kobe 每 Hyogo Prefectural Police have obtained an arrest warrant for a 42-year-old man suspected of murdering a 52-year-old woman, whose body was found alongside her mother＊s at their home in the city of Tatsuno, Hyogo Prefecture.
On Sunday, police placed Kenji Oyama, whose address and occupation are unknown, on the wanted list and solicited information on the suspect. Oyama is suspected of fatally stabbing Chihiro Tanaka multiple times with what appears to have been a knife at her home around May 13.
According to police, Oyama emerged as a suspect based on security camera footage from around the scene and forensic analysis of evidence left behind. He was last seen on security camera footage near the home on May 17, and his whereabouts have been unknown since.
Police confirmed that Oyama had lived next door to the victims＊ home about 10 years ago. Investigators are looking into whether there had been any issues between him and the two women.
The victims were identified as Tanaka and her mother, Sumie Tanaka, 74. At around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday last week, police officers visited the home for a welfare check?and found the two women collapsed and bleeding near the entrance and in the hallway. Both had multiple stab wounds, including to the neck.
Police set up an investigation headquarters on Thursday and had been working to identify a suspect.
Sumie died of blood loss, while Chihiro died of hemorrhagic shock, according to police. Chihiro was confirmed to have returned home from an outing on the evening of May 13, and police believe she was subsequently killed.
There were no signs that the home had been ransacked, and smartphones, wallets containing cash and other items remained at the scene. Police have not found the knife believed to have been used in the attack.
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