Iwamori Minoru

(Mainichi Japan) March 3, 2012
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Top court rejects appeal, finalizing death penalty for murder-robbery

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Supreme Court on Friday rejected an appeal by a 66-year-old man sentenced to death for robbing and murdering a couple in Saitama Prefecture in February 2007.

The top court's second petty bench rejected the appeal filed by Minoru Iwamori, thereby finalizing the death sentence imposed by the Tokyo High Court in March 2009.

In March 2008, the Saitama District Court initially sentenced Iwamori to life in prison for killing a 69-year-old man and his 67-year-old wife on Feb. 21, 2007 by beating them about the head and face with a blunt instrument, and stealing about 10,000 yen in cash. The district court ruled the murder was not premeditated.

In overturning that ruling a year later, the high court said Iwamori had planned to rob and murder the couple from the time he visited their home, and had shown no sign of sincere regret.


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Life term revoked; death penalty given to man over murder-robbery
Thursday 26th March 2009



The Tokyo High Court on Wednesday gave the death penalty to a 63-year-old man for robbing and murdering a couple in Saitama Prefecture in February 2007, overruling a lower court decision that sentenced him to life in prison. Judge Masaki Wakahara said the defendant, Minoru Iwamori, planned to rob and murder the couple from the time he visited their home and has shown no signs of sincere regret for committing the crime.

The decision came in line with requests from the prosecution, which appealed to the high court after the Saitama District Court did not hand down capital punishment in its ruling in March last year on grounds that the murder was not premeditated. According to the ruling, Iwamori killed Takeshi Tabata, 69, and his 67-year-old wife Fumiko by beating them on the head and face with a blunt instrument on Feb 21, 2007, and stole about 10,000 yen in cash.


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62-year-old man sentenced to life
for double murder in Saitama

Friday, March 21, 2008


SAITAMA — The Saitama District Court on Friday sentenced a 62-year-old man to life imprisonment for robbing and murdering a couple with whom he was acquainted in Honjo, Saitama Prefecture, in February 2007. Judge Yoshinobu Iida branded the crime by Minoru Iwamori as "selfish" but the court did not hand down the death sentence demanded by public prosecutors, saying the murder was not premeditated.

According to the ruling, Iwamori killed Takeshi Tabata, 69, and his 67-year-old wife Fumiko by beating them about the head and body with a blunt instrument on Feb 21, 2007, and robbed them of about 10,000 yen in cash.

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★2009年(平成21年)3月25日、東京高裁で2007年2月、埼玉県本庄市で夫婦を殺害し、現金を奪ったとして、強盗殺人などの罪に問われた無職の岩森稔被告(63歳)の控訴審判決があった。若原正樹裁判長は、「近所付き合いをしていた2軒隣の夫婦を、財産を奪うため鈍器でめった打ちにしており、悪質で計画的な犯行だ」と述べ、無期懲役とした1審・さいたま地裁判決を破棄し、死刑を言い渡した。1審判決は「強盗目的で被害者方を訪問したと認められるが、殺害までは計画していなかった」と判断したが、この日の判決は、「鈍器を持参し、手加減することなく被害者の頭部や顔面に激しい打撃を加えている」と指摘し、殺害についても計画性を認定した。

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