22 year old British woman found buried in sand in bathtub on Veranda

[Mulboyne]

Northern Echo: The dark side of Japan

...Annette Langstone, now 25, had gone to Japan to join a teaching scheme in schools when she was badly beaten by a man. She knows she might well have been killed, and it is only down to luck that she was rescued. The latest case of Lindsay Ann brought painful memories flooding back...more...

[Greji]

Northern Echo: The dark side of Japan

Ah hah! Take, you're out! Now it all makes sense!

[Mulboyne]

Guardian: UK officers aid Japan death family

British police are flying to Japan to liaise with detectives investigating the murder of a teacher whose body was found in a bath of sand. Warwickshire Police said two officers were travelling to Tokyo to assist the family of Lindsay Hawker, who are expected to make an appeal for information about the 22-year-old's death. A force spokesman stressed that the officers, thought to be family liaison specialists, were not being sent to assist directly in the investigation. "They are going out there to help the family liaise with the Japanese investigation team," the spokesman said. Miss Hawker's parents, Bill and Julia, and one of her sisters are expected to make a televised appeal for information in Japan within the next few days...more...

[Mike Oxlong]

http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/410630

The family of a 22-year-old British woman who was murdered in March arrived in Japan on Wednesday to raise awareness of the case and appeal to the public for help in the hunt for their daughter's killer.

Upon their arrival at Narita, Hawker's parents, William and Julia, and her sister Louise, told the media that "we hope for justice for Lindsay. That's all we're here for." Hawker held up a picture of his daughter to television crews filming his arrival.

Although no progress in the case has been made, Chiba prefectural police said Wednesday they have followed up on more than 800 leads and have questioned 150 people. Two British investigators arrived in Japan earlier this month to help in the investigation.

British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett has asked Japanese media to keep up their coverage of the Hawker case, as has her family.

The Hawkers will hold a press conference at the British embassy on Friday.

[GomiGirl]

[Ke11iente]

I was here a whole two weeks before I got my first anonymous phone call asking me if I like masturbation.

Shit like this has led me to the decision that I will live my life in Japan as a badass, and not as a girl. I quit wearing 'pretty' clothes and even started shopping in men's stores. I don't know if that really helps, but thanks to the wardrobe change, coupled with the perfection of a constant "I will fucking kill you if you stare at me any more" scowl that I wear when out in public, the amount of leering I've gotten from Japanese men has gone considerably down. I've also decided that there are no words that are off limits to me. I'll say "jodan ja ne yo" if I fucking want to, thank you very much.

I know that a lot of people might look at Lindsay and just think she was fucking retarded for going into an unknown guy's apartment by herself, but apart from the whole "white women think Japanese guys aren't threatening" and "Japan is supposed to be so safe" line of reasoning, the act of living abroad itself, especially if it's for your first time, can make you do really stupid things.
When you're living abroad by yourself, you feel constantly vulnerable and a little anxious and completely out of your comfort zone all the time, so I think you learn to just ignore all those feelings of anxiousness or vulnerability that usually warn you when you're doing something stupid or dangerous. You tend to think that you're being paranoid or just cowardly if you give in to all the feelings of fear or discomfort, so push yourself to "be brave" and get past them in the spirit of living in another culture and whatnot. So, when you're living somewhere where you're constantly doing things that you would never normally do, it's easy to get fuzzy about what's really safe and what's really not safe.

I also committed a really bone-headed maneuver by meeting, in real life, by myself, someone that I had only talked to on the internet. I couldn't get any of the other students here to go with me to meet up with the guy, and I didn't want to be rude in refusing the invitation to hang out, so I just went by myself. I was sure to always stay in public places, but it was still pretty retarded. Even as I'm saying it right now, I can't believe I did it. But my whole line of thinking was that I needed to meet and make Japanese friends because I don't know anyone here. And because I don't know anyone here, EVERYONE I see EVERY day is a stranger.... but I can't treat them ALL like they're perverted, psychotic sex maniacs or I'd go nuts from stress.

[Greji]

EVERYONE I see EVERY day is a stranger.... but I can't treat them ALL like they're perverted, psychotic sex maniacs or I'd go nuts from stress.

Good post Kelliente! I'm sure you have just also correctly identified the feelings of a very large number of other people, who just don't want to, or for some reason, can't force themselves to admit that being totally alone in a sea of unknown people in a foreign land troubles them.

Ganbatte!

[baka tono]

I think he is not in hiding but dead. They should search Aokigahara.

[Typhoon]

I was here a whole two weeks before I got my first anonymous phone call asking me if I like masturbation.

Shit like this has led me to the decision that I will live my life in Japan as a badass, and not as a girl. I quit wearing 'pretty' clothes and even started shopping in men's stores. I don't know if that really helps, but thanks to the wardrobe change, coupled with the perfection of a constant "I will fucking kill you if you stare at me any more" scowl that I wear when out in public, the amount of leering I've gotten from Japanese men has gone considerably down. I've also decided that there are no words that are off limits to me. I'll say "jodan ja ne yo" if I fucking want to, thank you very much.

I know that a lot of people might look at Lindsay and just think she was fucking retarded for going into an unknown guy's apartment by herself, but apart from the whole "white women think Japanese guys aren't threatening" and "Japan is supposed to be so safe" line of reasoning, the act of living abroad itself, especially if it's for your first time, can make you do really stupid things.
When you're living abroad by yourself, you feel constantly vulnerable and a little anxious and completely out of your comfort zone all the time, so I think you learn to just ignore all those feelings of anxiousness or vulnerability that usually warn you when you're doing something stupid or dangerous. You tend to think that you're being paranoid or just cowardly if you give in to all the feelings of fear or discomfort, so push yourself to "be brave" and get past them in the spirit of living in another culture and whatnot. So, when you're living somewhere where you're constantly doing things that you would never normally do, it's easy to get fuzzy about what's really safe and what's really not safe.

I also committed a really bone-headed maneuver by meeting, in real life, by myself, someone that I had only talked to on the internet. I couldn't get any of the other students here to go with me to meet up with the guy, and I didn't want to be rude in refusing the invitation to hang out, so I just went by myself. I was sure to always stay in public places, but it was still pretty retarded. Even as I'm saying it right now, I can't believe I did it. But my whole line of thinking was that I needed to meet and make Japanese friends because I don't know anyone here. And because I don't know anyone here, EVERYONE I see EVERY day is a stranger.... but I can't treat them ALL like they're perverted, psychotic sex maniacs or I'd go nuts from stress.

You need to become more familiar with Japanese dating custom and practice.

Here's a quick and informative intro

part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxtpB1FxARQ

part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p-LuvWIg9g

Learn from these and you'll have guys falling for you in no time.

[American Oyaji]

you'll have guys falling for you in no time.

I dont think that will be a problem. More along the lines of keeping the guys she doesnt want hanging about from falling for her.

[Captain Japan]

[Ke11iente]

So if you know anything about an unsolved murder, it's best to wait a few years until the stock goes up before you spill the beans?

[Mulboyne]

[Mulboyne]

[Mulboyne]

Reuters: Suspect in woman's death eludes Japanese police

More than four months after the naked body of a young British woman was found in a sand-filled bathtub, Japanese police said on Thursday they had few clues to the whereabouts of a man suspected of involvement in her death. Tatsuya Ichihashi, 28, has been sought in connection with the death of Lindsay Ann Hawker, 22, an English teacher from Brandon, near Coventry, after her body was found on the balcony of his apartment in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, on March 26. "Although we have various information, we still don't have clear clues to his whereabouts," a senior police officer in Gyotoku, east of Tokyo, told Reuters, speaking on condition he not be named. "We don't know whether he is alive or not. But we have been conducting thorough investigations to arrest him alive."

Ichihashi had fled his apartment when police arrived to question him about the missing woman, losing his shoes and a rucksack in a chase. Police said Ichihashi had approached Hawker outside a train station the previous week and asked her for English lessons. When she did not oblige, he followed her to her apartment and asked her for a drink of water. With three colleagues present, she let him in, and while he was there, he drew her portrait and wrote down his name and phone number, they said. Investigators have received more than 1,600 witness accounts from around Japan, including sightings of the suspect in an elevator, on a bus and working at a nightclub, the official said. "But there has been no decisive information. We must find him and arrest him. This involves the credibility of Japan's police," he said. "We want him to reflect on what he did and compensate for the crime he committed."

Soon after the case surfaced, police released video footage of Ichihashi in a bid to make headway in Hawker's case. Hawker's father, who flew to Japan days after she was found, said that his daughter "was not in any sort of relationship with the suspect". In late June, Japanese police offered up to 1 million yen reward for information leading to the arrest of the man. "More and more information started to come in after the reward was advertised, and this has really been helping our investigations," the official said. Another police officer said he believed the suspect was still alive. "I don't think he is a kind of person who ventures to kill himself," he said. "I think he is still living somewhere, or he has been harboured by someone. But he can't be sheltered by someone forever." He said the suspect could have disguised himself as a woman, adding that there had been unconfirmed information that suggested he was working at a nightclub in a Tokyo entertainment district. "What we are worried about is that he could commit similar crimes again and again. He may already have done so," he said.

A Japanese friend suggested recently that if Ichihashi was being helped by someone then there is also a small chance his helper may have panicked about being involved with him during such a large scale manhunt and already killed him.

[eddie]

rather than killing; i would think the more logical (already doubting myself) thing to do would be to just turn in the guy...were it me, i'd much rather be guilty of...what?...obstruction or accessory at the most...than murder.

but as i implied, fair to say 'logic' plays little role here...

[FG Lurker]

[quote="eddie"]rather than killing]
Dead men tell no tales.

[Doctor Stop]

The police aren't serious about finding him. Do you want to know why? The victim is a foreigner. They haven't plastered wanted posters on every koban like they have been doing for Aum Shinrikyo members like they've been doing for the last twelve years without a lead.

When the police "get serious", you'll see the posters.

When the police get serious about doing policework, they'll start arresting real criminals rather than stopping foreigners on bicycles.

[GomiGirl]

hang on a moment - I have seen the wanted posters EVERYWHERE around Tokyo. Train stations, Kobans etc.

But I did also see some coppers waiting on a street corner in Bunkyo ku the other night just stopping people on bicycles. Japanese people. They must have been bored.

[FG Lurker]

Going totally off-topic now... Over the years I have seen cops checking bicycles many times, but have never been stopped myself. Maybe it is the obvious "gaijin bike" (currently a large mountain bike that has been "citified" with slicks)? Maybe I smell or am particularly ugly so they want to keep away? Who knows, could even be all of the above!

Twice I have also had cops see me run red lights on the bike (through major intersections) and neither time did they do anything. One time was particularly hilarious as I saw the cop looking at me when I was half way across the 4 lane road. Not much to do but continue at that point but by the time I reached his side of the road he had turned his head 90 degrees and was carefully studying something down the road...

Actually, now that I think about it... I have had very good experiences with the cops here. Hopefully that will continue.

[American Oyaji]

Yeah, I've had a decent time of it with J-Cops. Even when I went to the station after I ran that old lady over. (seriously)

[Mulboyne]

BBC: E-mail hope in bath death search

The family of a teacher found murdered in Japan are launching an e-mail campaign to try to find a man suspected of killing her...Miss Hawker's parents are sending out an e-mail around the world which will carry a picture of their daughter and Mr Ichihashi. The e-mail is titled "Don't forget Lindsay Hawker" and asks the reader for help to catch her killer and to forward it on to as many people as possible. It outlines the manner of Miss Hawker's death and says a "gaping hole" has been left in the lives of her family and boyfriend. "Lindsay's family are heartbroken by her brutal death and above all they want justice for Lindsay, who didn't deserve to die in this way," the e-mails reads.

[Mulboyne]

Kyodo via Japan Today: Hawker's father says autopsy shows Lindsay was tortured all over

Lindsay Hawker, the English teacher murdered in Tokyo in March, could have been bound and beaten for up to 36 hours before her death, her father said Tuesday. Bill Hawker, who lives in central England, told The Times of London it was a "truly sadistic murder." The naked body of the 22-year-old Briton was found in a sand-filled bathtub on the balcony of an appartment in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, on March 26. Tatsuya Ichihashi, 28, who lived at the property, is still wanted in connection with the death. Bill Hawker, who was recently given the autopsy report, told the newspaper, "It was a horrific murder. There was literally not a square inch of her body that wasn't badly bruised. "He tied her up with horticultural tape. This is dreadful to say, but he punched, kicked or used a blunt instrument throughout her body. This could have gone on a day and a half possibly, before the poor thing eventually died.

"There was total bruising of the front of the body, defensive bruises on her arms, which were dreadfully knocked about, all of her back, the inside of her legs. It was as if he'd systematically injured every part of her body. When I had to identify my daughter, the Japanese had her so that I could only see the top of her head and her face. I didn't want to see the rest of her body. Her face was badly beaten. They had put on a lot of make-up and my daughter never wore make-up. So we never realized the extent of her injuries. He also cut her hair off ― the final indignity for her was to have her hair cut off."

Hawker's parents recently criticized the police's handling of the murder investigation. Ichihashi managed to get past several officers who had been sent to question him on the evening of March 26. In their defense, the police have said they were at that point investigating a missing person, and did not expect Ichihashi to be aggressive. Despite considerable media coverage both in Japan and in Britain, the police appear to be no nearer to finding Ichihashi and the family recently launched an e-mail campaign to try and raise awareness.

[Behan]

I really hope they catch the guy soon.

[Doctor Stop]

hang on a moment - I have seen the wanted posters EVERYWHERE around Tokyo. Train stations, Kobans etc.

My reply was meant to be sarcastic. There seems to be a pattern, that when cops can't find someone because the cops screwed up and/or aren't capable of doing basic cop work, they stick the wanted posters up outside the cop shop. Whenever the posters go up, it's basically an acknowledgement that they've given up.

They had the guy, well almost had him, and they let him go. Maybe a few less hours of stolen bicycle training replaced with a few hours of common sense training and they would have nabbed him.

[maraboutslim]

like they have been doing for Aum Shinrikyo members like they've been doing for the last twelve years without a lead.

Do they have little life size mannequin's of the guy in the stations like they did for the Aum suspects? i couldn't resist joining them:

[joshuaism]

Japan Times: Hawker's friends try new appeal

Friends of slain Briton Lindsay Ann Hawker issued a public appeal Sunday in Tokyo's crowded Harajuku district for any information that might help police track down her alleged killer, Tatsuya Ichihashi, who has been on the run since the March slaying at his apartment.

About 10 people — friends of the slain English teacher and their supporters — turned out at Jingubashi Bridge in T-shirts bearing a photo of Ichihashi and distributed leaflets also bearing his image, along with the phrase "We can't sleep until this man gets arrested"...

I guess Hawker's friends feel the J-police aren't working hard enough on the case. Too bad the Japanese public is immune to any direct appeal for sympathy from the nasty, criminal, terrorist gaijin.

[Big Booger]

He'll turn up if there is a statute of limitations on murder in Japan. If it's 15 years, he'll pop up in 15 years and one day.

[Takechanpoo]

Although you white dudes remember this incident as one in which "beautiful" white female was murdered by "ugly" mongoloid dude, his incident is only one of numerous murder incidents for J-nationals.
Murder incident which J-naitonals have forgotten is not only this.
Remeber that.

[Greji]

Although you white dudes remember this incident as one in which "beautiful" white female was murdered by "ugly" mongoloid dude, his incident is only one of numerous murder incidents for J-nationals.
Murder incident which J-naitonals have forgotten is not only this.
Remeber that.

Remember what? This was a murder where the police had the dude and let him run off into the sunset.... Race doesn't mean the cops should forget about it, whether the perp, or victim, is a Japanese or a gaijin.

This perp was not a gangster, or for the matter, not even a gaijin that could flee the country. It was a known individual with known family and friends. Yet, the police haven't turned up a thing.

The paranoids about your white females and "ugly" mongolians are nipping at your bloody bloomers there, mate!