A woman and her parents have been arrested after a man’s body was discovered in a Japanese ‘love hotel’ – missing his head.
Hitoshi Ura, 62, was found dead in a room in Sapporo – a famous red light district known for prostitution hotels – three weeks ago.
A hotel employee discovered the body headless and in the bathtub, according to reports.
Police investigated and now Runa Tamura, 29, and her dad Osamu Tamura and mum Hiroko Tamura have been detained in connection with the death.
Officers claim Tamura and her 59-year-old psychiatrist father conspired in beheading Mr Ura in the hotel room and then relocated his severed head in the middle of the night between July 1 and July 2.
It’s alleged 60-year-old Hiroko Tamura conspired with her family in transporting and keeping the head at home in the Hokkaido area of Sapporo.
Officers who raided the suspects’ home on Tuesday have not disclosed exactly how the daughter and the father allegedly collaborated.
Police are also still investigating the motive and refused to say if the woman and the victim knew each other.
It is reported locally Tamura and the victim checked into the hotel but about three hours later only Tamura was seen leaving, carrying a large suitcase.
The person accompanying the victim was reportedly wearing light-coloured women’s clothing and a wide-brimmed hat when entering the hotel, but was dressed in black when leaving.
Mr Ura’s body was discovered later on July 2 by a hotel worker who went to check on the room because no one had checked out from it by the afternoon.
The worker found the victim slumped in a bathtub, according to news reports. None of his belongings had been left in the room and the bed was unused.
