Society

Restaurant Owner Arrested After Body Found Hidden in Wall

HOKKAIDO, Jan 12 (News On Japan) - A man has been arrested on suspicion of abandoning a woman’s body inside a restaurant he operated in Hidaka, Hokkaido, with investigators now believing the business continued operating while the body remained inside the premises.

The suspect, restaurant owner Toshihiko Matsukura, 49, is accused of abandoning a woman’s body around December 31 by concealing it inside a wall of the eatery he ran in Hidaka Town.

According to people familiar with the investigation, Matsukura reopened the restaurant on January 2 and is believed to have continued serving customers while the body was still inside the building.

A person who knew Matsukura said he seemed quiet and unassuming, adding that it was hard to imagine such an incident happening in a rural area like Hidaka.

Matsukura has admitted to the allegations, and police believe the body may be that of a woman in her 20s who had been reported missing, as they rush to confirm her identity while also pursuing the case with possible murder charges in mind.

Source: FNN

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