Case Name
Location

Date of Incident

Date of Arrest

Defendant's Name(s)

(Family  First)

F=female

Charges

~~~~

Confessed?

Eniwa恵庭

Hokkaido

2000/03/17

Released 2018/08/12!

Okoshi Minako  F 

(age 29 when arrested)

大越美奈子

Murder

~~~~~~

No.

Summary

The charred body of a  24 year old woman was found along a country road. Police claimed to find the victim's locker key in the Okoshi's car's glove compartment. One week after undergoing six days of exhaustive and abusive voluntary questioning , the traumatized Okoshi checks into a hospital for psychological treatment. While hospitatlized, she files suit against the police. One day after leaving the hospital, she is vengefully arrested and charged with murder. 

Court Chronology

District Court        2003/03/26  Sapporo 16 years of labor.

High Court            2005/09/29  Sapporo Affirmed.

Supreme Court      2006/09/27  Confirmed.

RETRIALS    

Retrial #1          

District Court     2012/10/05 Retrial Filed

District Court     2014/04/21 Retrial Rejected.

High Court          2015/07/17   Special Protest is Rejected

Supreme Court     2016/06/13  Confirmed

Retrial #2

District Court         2017/01/10  Second Appeal is filed.

2017/10/18  The JFBA forms a task force in support of the case.

District Court             2018/03/20 Second Appeal is rejected.

2018/08/12  Ohkoshi is released after serving out her sentence.

Supreme Court      2021/04/12  Confirmed

Civil Suits

2007/01/23  Tokyo DC fines Publisher Shichosha  2.2 million yen ($22,000) and  suspends  publication of a book accusing defendant Okoshi of pyromania.

2007/10/18  Tokyo HC Overturns suspension and reduces fine to 1.1 million yen. SC confirms this decision on 2009/03/03.