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Murder of English teacher in Japan -
04-02-2007, 01:18 PM
Sunday, 1 April 2007 - Father appeals to Japanese public
The father of a British teacher who was found murdered in Tokyo has appealed to the Japanese public to help. "My daughter's killer has now brought shame on your country. He must be caught, he cannot be allowed to hide away," William Hawker's statement said. The body of Lindsay Ann Hawker, 22, of Brandon, Warwickshire, was found in a bath of sand on an apartment balcony. Japanese police are seeking Tatsuya Ichihashi, 28, who lived at the flat. A warrant has been issued for his arrest. Mr Ichihashi fled when police arrived to question him. It is believed Miss Hawker had gone to Mr Ichihashi's apartment for the first time on 25 March to teach him English. Japanese police said the post-mortem examination results suggested Miss Hawker had been strangled or asphyxiated. She had also suffered severe injuries to her face and arms. Mr Hawker's statement was read to reporters in Tokyo by the British ambassador to Japan, Sir Graham Fry, who echoed his appeal for help. Mr Hawker told the public how his daughter, a recent graduate of Leeds University, had been happy in Japan. "My daughter loved this country, she loved meeting Japanese people, and thought of Japan as an honourable society, built on trust and respect. When we visited her in Japan she was proud to show us her life here," the statement said. He said the Japanese police were "making every possible effort" to catch his daughter's killer. "I still respect this country and its people. I know that you place great importance on family and community links, so as a father I appeal to you - if anyone can help the police to find my daughter's killer, I beg you to come forward," he added. Sir Graham also made an appeal to the Japanese public "on behalf of the UK government". "Lindsay's tragic death has saddened and shocked us all," he said. "We are grateful that the Japanese authorities are doing all that they can, but they will need the help of the Japanese public to catch the criminal, and so I echo the appeal made by Lindsay's father - for anyone that can help; please, please to come forward." Mr Hawker and his daughter's long-term boyfriend Ryan Garside went to Tokyo last week to formally identify her body. Mr Hawker previously told a press conference his daughter had researched Japan thoroughly before taking up work as an English teacher, to make sure she knew the dangers. --- BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Father appeals to Japanese public --- Monday, 2 April 2007 - CCTV footage in Japan murder hunt CCTV images showing British teacher Lindsay Ann Hawker with the man suspected of killing her have been broadcast on Japanese television. The footage is said to show Miss Hawker of Brandon, Warwickshire, with Tatsuya Ichihashi just hours before her death. The body of the 22-year-old was found in a bath of sand on an apartment balcony in Ichikawa City, near Tokyo. At the weekend Miss Hawker's father appealed to the Japanese public for help in catching his daughter's killer. Japanese police said post-mortem examination results suggested Miss Hawker had been strangled or asphyxiated. She had also suffered severe injuries to her face and arms. Police have issued a warrant for the arrest of Mr Ichihashi, who fled when officers turned up to question him. It is believed Miss Hawker had gone to his apartment for the first time on 25 March to teach him English. The security camera footage shown on television was taken at a cafe earlier in the day. The grainy CCTV footage appears to show the pair together in a coffee shop near Tokyo. Miss Hawker is dressed in a knee-length white coat and Ichihashi appears in dark clothes with a grey hat and is shown chatting at the counter. The young teacher is shown leaving the shop and the suspect is seen to pay before following her out. Police in Japan released the images to the Nippon Television Network in the hope it would move their investigation forward. At the weekend a statement from Miss Hawker's father was read to reporters in Tokyo by the British ambassador to Japan, Sir Graham Fry. In it William Hawker said: "My daughter's killer has now brought shame on your country. He must be caught, he cannot be allowed to hide away... "I know that you place great importance on family and community links, so as a father I appeal to you - if anyone can help the police to find my daughter's killer, I beg you to come forward." --- BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | CCTV footage in Japan murder hunt ~ Wind Song ~ ~ Windlied ~ ~ Chant du vent ~ 
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04-02-2007, 05:57 PM
[post deleted]
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be."
-Shel Silverstein  "Who told me dragons did not exist, then led me to their lairs ...one flew east, one flew west, One flew over the cuckoo's nest."
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04-02-2007, 07:26 PM
Wonder what deeper motives there were... Why an English teacher?!? With any luck though, Kira and Ryuk will take care of this fella...
 Omae mo kanjite no ka... kaze no koe?
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04-03-2007, 12:32 AM
I have been following this story quite closely. You want to know the motive? Try rape. The police won't comment on that issue so in a round about way they are basically saying yes when they don't say no. One thing that really bugs me about this whole story is that if you read the first article when the story broke, it made it appear as though the police actually spoke to the guy, found the body in his apartement, yet somehow he fled on foot without shoes!
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04-03-2007, 12:34 AM
Quote:
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04-03-2007, 01:58 AM
[post deleted]
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be."
-Shel Silverstein "Who told me dragons did not exist, then led me to their lairs ...one flew east, one flew west, One flew over the cuckoo's nest."
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04-03-2007, 05:09 AM
Quote:
Apparently the police found info that she was supposed to meet up with that guy - at that point it was a missing person`s investigation, not a murder one. They went to his apartment - where he was apparently watching out the door. Before they had a chance to even knock, he flung the door open, hitting the police, and ran. Obviously, some of the police chased him, while others went inside (at this point, she simply could have been inside, kidnapped but alive.) People are saying the police did an awful job of catching him, but I have to say that even without shoes someone who is very familiar with the neighborhood vs. police who may not be isn`t impossible. Anyway, because of his behavior they searched the apartment and found her body. It`s really awful what happened to her. I really feel for her family... But I have to be completely honest and say that she totally lacked common sense. This weird guy talked to her at the station, drew little pictures of himself on paper, practically followed her home (running after her bicycle, if the news is correct), cornered her and made her promise to come to his apartment........... Now, common sense here: Would you go? Alone? I was shaky about going into my boyfriend`s (now husband) place the first time. There is no way I would go into some weirdo`s apartment. She didn`t deserve to die, of course... But this could have been avoided with a little bit of common sense.
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04-03-2007, 05:24 AM
Thanks for clearing that up Nyororin. Now if we could only get the BBC to take a closer look. After reading what you have posted, it is quite obvious she misjudged the guy. The first article I read made their relationship seem more of a friendship than stalker/stalkee. Also the way it read, made it seem the police talked to him instead of him bolting out the door. And yeah knowing how streets are designed in Japan, I could see him getting away. Thanks again.
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