The Osaka Sister Killer – Yukio Yamaji

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yukio Yamaji was just 16 years old when he beat his
mother to death with a baseballbat in the apartment they shared
in Yamaguchi, japan.
He turned himself in to thepolice and was transferred to
the family court.
When asked why he killed hismother, he simply stated she did
not tell me what she would useher borrowed money for and she
complained about my father.

(00:20):
Welcome to this episode ofHuman Wreckage.
In this episode, we look at thecase of Yukio Yamaji's life,

(01:07):
including the death of hisfather and the fact that they
had struggled financially.
The court decided that it wouldbe possible to reform him, so
he was sentenced to the juveniledetention school in Akiyama.
Here, yamaji gained a number ofqualifications, including those
for welding and hazardousmaterials engineering.
He also underwent a number ofpsychological tests, which

(01:27):
indicated that he had adevelopmental disorder which
prevented him from forminglasting relationships.
The juvenile law in Japanstates that juveniles aged 16 or
older are to be sent back tothe prosecutor's office in cases
where they have committedcrimes that result in death.
However, this law was onlyreinforced in April of 2001, six
months after Yamaji was sent tothe juvenile detention school.

(01:50):
Therefore, he served just threeyears before being released
back onto the streets, allegedlya changed man.
Shortly before his release, hetold his lawyer, shingo Uchiyama
, that he was sorry for killinghis mother, adding that it could
not be helped.
Following Yamaguchi's release,he visited his grandmother.
She suggested he visit hismother's grave, to which he

(02:12):
replied I won't go where mymother is.
He was put on probation andhoused in a correction and
protection facility in YamaguchiPrefecture.
Then, three months after hiscoming of age ceremony, yamaji
vanished.
The court would soon come todiscover that they had made a
grave mistake in releasingYamaji.
On the 17th of November 2005, afire was reported at an

(02:34):
apartment building in westernOsaka Prefecture.
Once the blaze was extinguished, two bodies were discovered
27-year-old Asuka Yuhara and her19-year-old sister Chihiro.
They had both been raped andthen stabbed in the chest and
face with a butcher knife.
Suspicion soon fell onto Yamaji, who lived in the same
apartment block.
When police brought him in forquestioning, he readily

(02:56):
confessed I can't forget thefeelings I felt when I killed my
mother and I wanted to seeblood, he said.
He told police he left themurder weapon at a shrine
several hundred meters away.
Following his arrest, yamaji wascharged with the two murders
and the prosecution accused himof committing the murders for
nothing more than pleasure.
His defense, however, tried toargue that he could not

(03:17):
differentiate between right andwrong when he committed the
crime and raised the question asto whether he was competent to
stand trial.
They ordered that Yamajiundergo a psychiatric evaluation
as well as other tests todevelop a greater understanding
of his character as well as hisupbringing.
During the opening statementsof Yamaji's first court hearing,
the prosecutors said thatfollowing his release from

(03:39):
juvenile detention school, hemoved from place to place and
stole money from Pachinkoparlors detention school.
He moved from place to placeand stole money from Pachinko
parlors.
They described how he had movedinto the same apartment
building as the sisters on the11th of November, just days
before the murders.
According to prosecutors,yamaji had intended on living
off the money he stole from thesisters while hiding from the
police.
Yamaji's defense informed thecourt that Yamaji had been

(04:02):
diagnosed with Asperger'ssyndrome and suggested that he
was unfit to stand trial.
The judge, however, acceptedother testimony that Yamaji was
mentally competent and shouldstand trial for the murders.
In May of 2006, yamaji pleadedguilty in the Osaka District
Court to the murders of thesisters.
Now it was up to the judge todetermine his sentence.

(04:22):
According to Yamaji, hespeculated that he would be
sentenced to death.
Obviously, I will be sentencedto death.
I am not afraid of death, hestated.
According to his defensecounsel, he has no desire to
live and his feelings do notextend to the life of another
person either.
It will probably be impossiblefor him to sincerely repent from

(04:43):
the bottom of his heart.
The judge subsequently sentencedYamaji the bottom of his heart.
The judge subsequentlysentenced Yamaji to die for his
crimes.
The defendant is demonicallypossessed with killing people.
The victims were killed amidunimaginable fear and pain, and
it is inevitable to hand downcapital punishment.
According to the judge, one ofthe reasons behind the
sentencing was because Yamajidid not reflect on his crime.

(05:04):
He suggested that if Yamaji hadshown remorse for his actions,
he would have received a morelenient sentence In 2009,.
Yamaji was executed at just 25years old.
He was hanged alongside twoother murderers.
Thanks for joining me.
He got what he deserved alittle too late.
If you like what I do, pleaselike and subscribe Till next

(05:26):
time.
Take care of yourselves.
The Thank you you.