Man
to hang for three murders
Friday,
November 16, 2007 at 07:12 EST
TOKYO
— The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed an appeal by a
42-year-old man who has been sentenced to death for
murdering the parents of his estranged wife and his
12-year-old stepson in Yokohama in 2002, finalizing his
penalty.
According to rulings given by the Yokohama District Court
and the Tokyo High Court, Tomoyuki Furusawa stabbed to
death his wife's parents — Masayoshi Ujigawa, 71, and
Fumiko, 63 — and his stepson Yuki in the predawn hours of
July 31, 2002, at their house in Yokohama after breaking
in. He also forced Masako into a car, drove to Toyama
Prefecture and beat her in the face, according to the
rulings. The defense counsel had claimed that the death
sentence is too severe on the grounds that he did not plan
to kill the victims. (Kyodo News)