Ichihashi apprehended

Believe it or not, Ichihashi was caught in Osaka after someone at a ferry station called in with information on his whereabouts.

Ichihashi apprehended

Ichihashi worked for a construction company

Tatsuya Ichihashi, the suspected killer of Lindsay Ann Hawker, spent much of the last year working for a construction company in Osaka prefecture where he had a room in the outfit's dorm.

He was apparently able to fly below the radar due to alterations to his appearance that may have included plastic surgery. He is said to have often worn hats and glasses to help mask his appearance.

The Japanese nightly news is currently doing a roundup of his recent whereabouts and possible connections.

Having failed miserably at figuring out how Ichihashi could survive on the lam for so long, hopefully the police use the recent lessons learned to reassess cold cases involving other dangerous individuals that they lost track of long ago.

Ichihashi worked for a construction company

Newly released photo of Ichihashi looks nothing like him

Or that's what it sounded like when I read this in the Mainichi today:

According to investigators, the picture was taken prior to the cosmetic surgery. The man had a beard and mustache in the picture, but police intentionally erased the features in the released picture to avoid confusion.

So it would appear that the police have provided the public with a photo that won't really help the people who have seen him recently understand that they have actually glimpsed the fugitive himself, Tatsuya Ichihashi. Why? Because when they saw him he had a mustache and beard in addition to all of the cosmetic surgery that the media is currently talking about.

And it won't really help the rest of us either. If he's still sporting facial hair, then how does that doctored photo assist in his apprehension?

Or did the police hold off on releasing the photo long enough so that Ichihashi would have plenty of time to shave...?

Well, either way, I think it would be helpful if police released the original, untouched photo as well.

Newly released photo of Ichihashi looks nothing like him

Hawker's killer had plastic surgery in Nagoya?

The Mainichi reported that Lindsay Ann Hawker's accused murderer is suspected of having had plastic surgery at a clinic in Nagoya late last month.

Tatsuya Ichihashi has been on the run ever since he managed to elude a football team's worth of police officers that cornered him at the scene of the crime (his apartment) back in March 2007.

Police apparently headed to Nagoya soon after they received the news that someone resembling Ichihashi underwent a cosmetic procedure. There is no word yet on what type of appearance-altering procedure he had done.

Update (11/5/09; 11:30 AM):

The TV news is finally running with this story, and Ichihashi's face is once again all over the place. It is pretty remarkable, however, that he was able to waltz all over the country visiting different clinics and not sounding any alarms. The Japan Times carried this more detailed story today.

Update (11/6/09; 10:55 AM):

The Japan Times posted the before and after photo of Ichihashi (above right) that police obtained from a clinic in Nagoya. It appears as though the fugitive has been hard at work remolding his facial features.

Hawker's killer had plastic surgery in Nagoya?

You can stay, but your parents have to go

13-year-old Noriko Calderon, born in Japan to undocumented parents from the Philippines, was told that she is allowed to stay in Japan by the Justice Ministry.

The catch? Her mother and father, Sarah and Arlan, must return to the Philippines as they have violated the immigration law by either entering the country illegally or over-staying their visas.

Mrs. Calderon spent nearly a year in prison for immigration-related violations back in 2006 and 2007, so this case has been brewing for quite some time.

Mr. and Mrs. Calderon were ordered to report to immigration today, Friday February 27th, for deportation. The Justice Ministry has been very inflexible in this particular case despite the fact that there is a precedent of giving lenient treatment to individuals with extenuating circumstances.

A group of politicians from the ruling LDP have publicly requested that the Justice Ministry issue special residence permits to the family.

In 2007 when the Calderons were first sentenced with deportation, the Justice Ministry granted special permission to stay in Japan to 7,388 illegal residents. 20% of them had originally entered Japan illegally.

You can stay, but your parents have to go

Hawker Family Visits Tokyo

Lindsay Ann Hawker, who was murdered a year ago by a suspect who still remains at large, has a family that refuses to rest until the murderer is found.

Lindsay's family helped the Chiba Prefectural Police pass out flyers with Tatsuya Ichihashi's photo printed on them while asking passers-by for help and information that might lead to his arrest.

Lindsay Hawker's parents, William and Julia, and sisters, Louise and Lisa, return to the UK today.

Hawker Family Visits Tokyo

Police Issue Poster of Disguised Hawker Murder Suspect

The Chiba Prefectural Police have come up with some hypothetical images of what Tatsuya Ichihashi might look like if he were to venture out in public in disguise.

This still taken from a news program last night shows what Ichihashi might look like if he were to grow his hair long and dress like a woman, and the picture on the right is just the murder suspect with dyed hair and glasses.

Perhaps they should have included one of him in a surgical mask. Half of Tokyo is walking around with them on these days due to the kickoff of hay fever season, so he would have no problem blending in.

It was reported by Kyodo (click here) that the Chiba police force have printed 4,000 posters and at least 30,000 fliers featuring the disguised Tatsuya Ichihashi to be distributed around Japan.

Police Issue Poster of Disguised Hawker Murder Suspect

Lindsay Ann Hawker's Alleged Murderer Tatsuya Ichihashi

The Chiba Prefectural Police have posted this enlarged picture of Lindsay Ann Hawker murder suspect Tatsuya Ichihashi. It shows two birthmarks on the left side of his face.

Seeing as how it's now "hay fever" season, Ichihashi could easily cover his birthmarks by wearing a surgical mask like everyone else (or use some concealer), so maybe this isn't incredibly helpful information.

There is still no new (reported) information on Ichihashi's whereabouts as we near the one year anniversary of Hawker's death.

Lindsay Ann Hawker's Alleged Murderer Tatsuya Ichihashi

Interview with Lindsay Hawker's Sister, Lisa

The facts remain the same. I don't know how many times I've posted about this, but the police still have no idea where Tatsuya Ichihashi is.

Lindsay's sister, Lisa Hawker, provides a window to how her family is coping with the loss, and how they are haunted by the fact that Ichihashi is still roaming free.

Click here for other posts related to this topic.

Update: [September 27, 2007]

Julia and Bill Hawker, Lindsay Hawker's parents, are now in Japan to mark the six-month-anniversary of Lindsay's death.

They have expressed frustration that the police aren't keeping them thoroughly updated on their search for the only suspect in the case, Tatsuya Ichihashi.

Interview with Lindsay Hawker's Sister, Lisa

It Happened Again

Mr. Idubor has been locked up. This case sounds very similar to what happened to my friend, Josh, a couple of years ago.

It Happened Again

Lindsay Ann Hawker's Brutal Death

I don't know why it took so long for the Hawker's to gain access to the autopsy report, but it sounds like we have a serial killer on the loose.

Tatsuya Ichihashi, the only suspect in the case, must be caught before he strikes again.

Lindsay Ann Hawker's Brutal Death

Wanted Poster: Tatsuya Ichihashi

This is the wanted sign for Tatsuya Ichihashi that I saw posted in Shinjuku-Sanchome subway station last week.

It's posted on the wall right outside the gates.

For more information about Tatsuya Ichihashi, and why he is the only suspect in the murder of Lindsay Ann Hawker, read this post and follow the links.

Wanted Poster: Tatsuya Ichihashi

Lindsay Ann Hawker Update

The Hawker family was able to get the Japanese media (Japan Times) to run another article related to their frustration with the investigation into their daughter's murder.

The case has gone cold and Mr. and Mrs. Hawker are upset that communication with the Japanese authorities has been so vague and inconsistent.

Mrs. Hawker is quoted as having said, "Although we understand that there are some aspects of the case the police need to keep confidential, we don't feel that the standard of the investigation is the same as in the United Kingdom."

Sadly, Mrs. Hawker is completely accurate in her assessment of what is taking place in Tokyo and Chiba. There are allegedly 100 officers assigned to finding the prime suspect, Tatsuya Ichihashi, but very few of them have any real training or experience in investigating anything other than stolen bicycles.

Mr. Hawker cited the urgency of the hunt for Ichihashi when he said that "...we are concerned that he could strike again and leave another family facing a life sentence like we are." This very point has been argued before on several websites, including this one and Trans-Pacific Radio, as several key details of the murder bear a close resemblance to those of a sexual predator who is likely to strike again.

A website has been set up to facilitate global awareness of this case and to educate people that Ichihashi could be anywhere in the world right now.

For additional posts on this subject, click here.

To buy a t-shirt that will help in publicizing this case, click here.

Lindsay Ann Hawker Update

End of NOVA?

Is the pink bunny living on borrowed time? The dust is still settling after METI finally decided to put its foot down in response to the continued illegal business practices of NOVA Group.

The folks at Trans-Pacific Radio weigh the short-term likelihood of the collapse of the largest language school chain in Japan.

End of NOVA?

Trans-Pacific Radio

Intriguing interview by Fareed Zakaria (donning kid gloves) on the topic of "comfort women" during the second world war.

Another good post by frequent contributor Masaki Hisane regarding the revision of Japan's pacifist constitution.

Trans-Pacific Radio

No More Visa Waiver Status for South Koreans

Police around the country need to be prepared to come to the assistance of Koreans (and other Asians as well) as the hate crimes start up following Seung-hui Cho's rampage at Virginia Tech University yesterday.

Many people are too stupid to differentiate between the actions of one and the people of an entire nation, culture, religion, or group, so there will likely be some retaliatory crimes unfolding in the coming days and weeks. It goes without saying that such crimes should be dealt with fiercely by police.

It is my sincerest hope that what I have just written turns out to be completely wrong, and that people instead focus their energy on amending America's "gun culture".

No More Visa Waiver Status for South Koreans

Lindsay Ann Hawker's Death: Police Mistakes and Suspect Escapes

Update 11: [Friday April 6th] Not much in the print news yesterday (Thursday April 5th), but there were a couple of articles this morning. Police are now saying that prime murder suspect, Tatsuya Ichihashi, may have fled from the area near Gyotoku station by bicycle [Mainichi]. It was earlier thought that he had taken off in a taxi.

The face masks that are routinely donned during hay fever season, and the umbrellas on rainy days, are probably making it possible for Ichihashi to move around quite easily right now. It is not suspected that he is still in the area near the apartment. Most educated guesses put him in Tokyo. In other words, he will not be found unless he makes a very big mistake (i.e. needle in a haystack).

The Japan Times ran an interesting article this morning in which they interviewed the head of the Gyotoku police station (which has jurisdiction in this case), and a couple of retired detectives. Echoing the criticisms logged on this site in Update: 9, they agreed that the police regarded Tatsuya Ichihashi as a major person of interest when they went to his apartment building. Therefore, police statements that they had no idea they would find a dead body in the apartment, or that this wasn't anything more than a routine missing persons case, don't really sound convincing.

Akio Kuroki, a retired Tokyo police detective, said, "There is absolutely no way that nine well-placed (officers) would fail to catch one guy. There are huge contradictions in the police explanation."

Police continue to be protective of the minute details of the case. Exactly what transpired between police and Tatsuya Ichihashi after he answered the door, exactly how Lindsay Ann Hawker was murdered, and whether or not she was sexually assaulted are conspicuous omissions from the information that police are releasing to the public. A London website (thisislondon.co.uk) reported two days ago that Hawker's neck was broken. This had not previously been mentioned in the Japanese press.

It is unclear whether this protection of information is in line with investigative protocol, or if it is intended to hide other obvious police blunders that may have occured.

It could also be argued that police are carefully trying to avoid painting the image of a serial killer. There are several factors in this case that might lead one to believe that this was a well-planned murder, and that the suspect is likely to kill again in the future.

Given the suspect's history of stalking, it is hoped that the Gyotoku police department is reopening other missing-person cases in their area that had been previously abandoned.

Update 12: [Sunday April 15th] Nothing new has come to light in the past week. The dailies have not found any reason to keep printing photos of the prime suspect, Tatsuya Ichihashi. Ichihashi has apparently disappeared without a trace.

Ichihashi's bike was located near the station where he lives, so the theory that he fled by bicycle has obviously been discounted.

Update 10
Update 9
Updates 7 and 8
Original story (plus updates 1 - 6)

Lindsay Ann Hawker's Death: Police Mistakes and Suspect Escapes

Yikes!

From the LA Times:

Benjamin Houghton had fewer reasons than most to fear the surgery he'd
scheduled at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center to remove his
potentially cancerous left testicle.

For one thing, the 47-year-old Air Force veteran and father of four already knew that he could function normally with a single, healthy testicle.

For another, he was getting his surgery in a system that has prided itself
on its pioneering efforts to prevent medical errors. One top VA official said
the VA's approach to safety is considered "a benchmark by healthcare organizations throughout the world."

But in Houghton's case, the hospital missed the mark. Last June 14, doctors
mistakenly removed the right testicle instead of the left, according to medical
records and a claim filed by Houghton and his wife Monica, 39.

Click here for the entire story [LA Times].

Yikes!

Domestic Reporting on the Lindsay Ann Hawker Murder Case

Update 10: [Wednesday April 4th] No new information was divulged by the news or in the daily newspapers, but an article in the Asahi shows that the Lindsay Ann Hawker murder case was the number three story in terms of on-air time in Tokyo from March 26th to March 30th. The total time logged on four channels during the five day period was 3 hours, 33 minutes, and 32 seconds.

While this blog reported that the mass media was initially slow to report details of the case (lagging far behind reporting in England--were they waiting for some kind of press club release?), it is clear that authorities have been keen to keep suspected murderer Tatsuya Ichihashi's face at the front of the collective consciousness. Ichihashi's whereabouts are still unknown.


Update 11
Update 9
Updates 7 and 8
Original story (plus updates 1 - 6)

Domestic Reporting on the Lindsay Ann Hawker Murder Case

Lindsay Ann Hawker Update

Update 9: [Tuesday April 3rd] The news last night showed security camera footage of Hawker and Ichihashi (pictured left) in a coffee shop the morning that she disappeared. It is suspected that she went to his apartment by taxi shortly thereafter. Note: this photo is from about three years ago--a more recent one might be helpful.

She was apparently scheduled to teach her first lesson at NOVA at 10:50am that morning, so there is some speculation going on as to why she would hop in a taxi to travel the three minutes to his apartment only half an hour before work.

The police still have not commented on whether or not Hawker was sexually assaulted by the suspect. There also seems to be sustained effort by police to cover their own backs because the suspect slipped out from under their noses. This morning's edition of the Japan Times provides some new information about how he was able to get away:

Police found Hawker's body the following day buried in a sand-filled bathtub on
the balcony of the Ichikawa condominium. Ichihashi escaped during a subsequent
chase, losing his shoes in the process. Officers were questioning his neighbors
when he bolted.

Why were officers questioning neighbors before they were finished questioning the suspect? The actual number of officers on the scene is difficult to pin down (the number is routinely reported as several, with most reports saying between five and nine officers were sent), but it is obvious that Ichihashi was a major suspect. Japanese police are generally allowed by the courts to do whatever they want in an investigation, so it is mind-boggling to hear that they tried to gather incriminating evidence through Ichihashi's neighbors rather than set about searching his house immediately. By stating that they were busy questioning other people when he ran away, they have simply dug a bigger hole for themselves.

At the very least they should have apprehended him on the spot as a 'person of interest'. Officers in Japan are granted phenomenal amounts of leeway when it comes to detaining and/or questioning suspects.

This case seems to be another example of a botched investigation on the part of police. If the suspect is not caught soon, then we should start to hear some serious howling about how things were not done correctly from the beginning (the initial news conference last week was actually delayed because Mr. Hawker spent more time than expected asking the police questions. At the time, he said he was satisfied with the investigation. However, this observer suspects that he was just being polite).


Update 11

Update 10
Updates 7 and 8
Original story (plus updates 1 - 6)

Lindsay Ann Hawker Update