‘Twitter killer’ murders 9 people; targets people of 15 – 26 age group

A 29-year-old man, dubbed the “Twitter Killer” has been accused of murdering eight women and a man, all of whom he had lured on the social media app Twitter.

Disturbing reports also suggest that the 29-year-old man from Japan, identified as Takahiro Shiraishi, dismembered the corpses and stored nearly 240 bone parts in coolboxes. He had covered them all using cat litter to hide the evidence. Based on media reports, he is also facing rape charges. The lawyer of the accused has argued that even though Shiraishi had indeed killed the nine people, he did so only after the deceased, who had previously expressed suicidal thoughts, gave their consent to be killed. The 29-year-old man had allegedly targeted people online belonging to the 15 – 26 age group, who were talking on Twitter about their own lives, and convinced them that he would help them with their plans and even die alongside them if required. Even though his lawyers argued that Shiraishi had killed people with their consent, the accused refuted their claims and admitted to killing all of them without their consent. He apparently even boasted about not being caught by the police until his final killing. 

“There were bruises on the back of the victims’ heads. It means there was no consent and I did it so that they wouldn’t resist,” he reportedly said. If convicted of murder, the accused will be facing the death penalty, which is carried out by hanging in Japan, according to reports.