Tokyo Unnatural Forensics

Chapter 410, The Forging Path of the Deep-Sea Ghost
P.S.: I spent a lot of time researching various materials and documents, so I'm presenting this chapter as a combined 4700-word version!

It seems that his many years of autism and living in anonymity led to a strong urge to confide, or perhaps he knew that he would definitely be sentenced to death this time, so he wanted to tell his story all at once. Sakuma Kaito was quite straightforward when Uesugi Muneyuki arrived, and quickly told her everything. He spoke very fast, giving Uesugi Muneyuki a sense of impatience.

Kaito Sakuma's father was Benjamin J. Thomas, a U.S. military officer stationed in Japan in the 70s, and his mother, Yumiko Sakuma, was a high school girl near the Yokota U.S. military base in Japan.

After his father's military service ended, he did not stay but returned directly to the United States, leaving $2000 for the mother and son, saying it was for Yumiko to raise the child.

So, how much is $2000 in the 70s worth in today's money?
The answer is that $2000 in the 70s, in terms of purchasing power, is equivalent to $28000-$32000 today. $2000 in the 70s was equivalent to 72 yen. At that time, the starting salary for a Japanese university graduate was only about 3.5 yen, and even a skilled worker in Japan earned only about 5 yen per month. A Toyota Corolla car cost about 50 yen, and a 60-square-meter luxury apartment in Minato Ward, the center of Tokyo, cost less than 2000 million yen.

This is undoubtedly a huge sum of money.

Thomas thought the money would be enough for Yumiko to support Sakuma Kaito through junior high school, and anything after that was none of his concern.

However, the money was not actually used for Kaito Sakuma; Yumiko squandered it all on a life of extravagance and debauchery.

Kaito became a "ghost" with no official birth record and no contact with his parents or relatives. His paternal lineage was unknown in the United States, and his maternal lineage (his grandparents in the countryside) had long been severed. Yumiko also did not proactively report Kaito's existence to the Japanese family registration system.

Born without legal status, that's all there is to it.

He suffered bullying in society during his childhood because of his mixed-race appearance (dark brown curly hair, slightly deep-set eyes), and was called a "bastard". After his mother, Yumi, spent all the money, she began to drink alcohol and emotionally abuse him, often cursing, "It's all because of your American devil father!"

When Kaito was 15, Yumiko died in a car accident after drinking, leaving him completely alone. At 15, he fell into the bottom of Tokyo's society, living in a cardboard box belonging to homeless people and working illegal jobs. As a porter at the Tsukiji Fish Market, he developed terrifying strength and endurance. Later, he became an outsider for a yakuza gang in Shinjuku's Kabukicho district (participating in gang fights and learning deadly street fighting techniques). After that, he worked as a worker at an illegal shipyard in Yokohama Port (experiencing various tools, adapting to harsh environments, and working at heights/dangerous locations).

These high-intensity, high-risk physical labors laid the foundation for Sakuma Kaito's exceptionally strong physical fitness, pain tolerance, and core strength during his adolescent physical development.

It's not the muscular physique developed in the gym, but rather a practical strength and resilience like that of a wild beast.

In addition to the natural physical advantages brought by his mixed-race genes, Kaito Sakuma quickly developed a physique comparable to LeBron James.

At the age of 20, Kaito Sakuma forged the identity of "Kai Nakamura" through a shady intermediary introduced by a Yokohama yakuza group. Using his rudimentary mechanical knowledge gained from working at a shipbreaking yard, he obtained a basic seaman's certificate and joined "Hokuyo Transport Co., Ltd."—a small to medium-sized old cargo ship company headquartered in Otaru, Hokkaido, specializing in operating high-risk routes to Africa and South America.

The company is known for its loose management, cash-based payroll, and lax background checks on crew members, making it a perfect haven for "ghosts."

Of course, such a company is naturally far removed from comfortable shipping routes. This company mainly operates the West Africa-South America-Southeast Asia triangular route, passing through, but not limited to, the Gulf of Guinea, the Strait of Malacca, Nigeria, Luanda, Angola, Brazil, Venezuela, and other places.

This meant that Kaito Sakuma had to undergo paramilitary training and actually experience numerous robberies, defensive battles against pirates, and boarding raids.

Logically speaking, cargo ships shouldn't be equipped with weapons, but given the dangerous nature of these routes, they are actually equipped with many non-lethal weapons and older models of weaponry.

Meanwhile, as an ocean-going crew member, Kaito Sakuma works in the cabins and decks of ships in high temperature, high humidity, and violent rocking conditions for a long time. His cardiopulmonary function and sense of balance are far beyond those of ordinary people. Fighting seasickness and bad weather has become a daily routine. Loading and unloading heavy cargo, repairing giant machinery, reinforcing cargo in stormy seas, cleaning up oil spills... every time is an extreme test of physical strength, willpower and practical skills.

Twenty years of continuous labor not only prevented Sakuma's body from deteriorating, but also allowed him to maintain incredibly strong core strength and physical fitness.

"When disembarking at ports like Lagos and Manila, I was repeatedly involved in street clashes and even gunfights to protect myself. Compared to your cowardly Japanese police's so-called 'loyalty training' and their constant spraying of water with small hoses, aren't I many times better?" Sakuma Kaito calmly laughed. "Without truly experiencing blood and fire, is it really something to be proud of in the SAT, where 50 of you can take on 1 of me? If it weren't for this Uesugi finding me, the entire Tokyo metropolis would tremble because of me. My ghostly name could stop children from crying at night, just like Zhang Liao! Liao Lai! Liao Lai! Hahahaha!!!"

The ghost's relaxed laughter caused the high-ranking Japanese police officers in the control room to collectively turn pale, as if they had been slapped in the face, their skin burning with embarrassment.

"Zongxue, ask him where he got that gun?" Watanabe Eiji thought to himself, no wonder this ghost is so strong!
A deep-sea sailor with extensive combat experience and quasi-military training, even at sea, he maintains an almost self-destructive "training" routine. Due to his childhood experiences, Kaito Sakuma is a person who severely lacks a sense of security. He is in a high-risk environment for a long time, so he has never given up training for a single day.

"Where did you get that gun?" Uesugi Muneyuki asked.

"Philippines, Mindanao Island, Davao Port anchorage."

"what?"

“A group of pirates disguised as fishing boats attacked me. We used water cannons and shotguns to drive them away. While cleaning up, I found this gun,” Kaito Sakuma said calmly. “I don’t know how I got it, but it’s mine now.”

So that's how it is; the questions that had been posed by the police chiefs in the control room have finally been answered.

Police Chief Soichiro Kamishiro nodded: "Indeed, he is right. A large number of guns in the country are imitation guns assembled from parts imported from Southeast Asia. This man's M1911 pistol may be a replica weapon from Southeast Asian gangs, or it may be a weapon left over from the US military in the Vietnam War."

"So, he's all alone?" Onoda Kimiaki's biggest concern was whether he had any powerful backers, but it seems that he doesn't.

That would be best, otherwise if something else gets involved... the country would be turned upside down!
The subsequent interrogation was straightforward. Since the age of 20, Kaito Sakuma had been a deep-sea sailor. Long-distance voyages often lasted several months with brief port calls, allowing him to perfectly create an alibi. At the time of the crime, his ship was docked in Yokohama. He lied and said he was going ashore for medical treatment. He left the ship intending to visit some old friends, but unexpectedly, while observing them in secret, he suddenly became murderous and killed the entire Sato family in one fell swoop.

Ocean-going seafarers are highly mobile, often use aliases, and have weak interpersonal relationships. Hai Dou is a loner, considered an eccentric "aloof but hardworking" individual, and his salary is mostly paid in cash to avoid bank records.

The murder weapon, an ice pick, was a tool used for repairing ship refrigeration equipment. As a crew member, it was very easy for him to secretly keep one during maintenance.

After committing the crime, Kaito Sakuma skillfully changed into new clothes and dumped the evidence into Tokyo Bay. He left behind only a Zippo lighter (as a memento of his bond with the Sato family) and over 10 yen in cash (a "happiness tax") with him on his ship. He had multiple aliases, such as "Nakamura Kai," "Hayashi Kaiichi," and "Shanghai Man," and had no fixed address, bank account, social security record, or marital status or children. He communicated only using a prepaid anonymous mobile phone, kept a very low profile regarding his spending, and used most of his income to buy fake documents on the black market or save cash.

Thus, he became a "deep-sea ghost" for good.

"You stayed at Sato's house for so long that day because of what I said on my show, that you... yearn for a happy family yet also hate it, right?" Uesugi Muneyuki paused for a moment before asking.

“Hmm…” Sakuma Kaito pondered for a long time, then sighed with regret: “That was a happiness I never had… I imagined it, imagined watching TV with Mr. Kenichi’s family, imagined being a member of a family, I just wanted to know what it felt like to have a family.” “After that incident, I hid for several years, finally deciding to go to the United States to find my family. It took me several years to find my father, but he had been dead for a long time. After learning of his death, I knew I would never have a family.”

"So you never committed another crime after that?" Uesugi Muneyuki finally understood.

The moment the ghost in Ikebukuro finally found his biological father in the United States, he made peace with himself.

The reason why his name always contains the character "sea" is because both he and his mother gaze at the other side of the sea all day long.

“I never kill without a reason. If it weren’t for the pain caused by the happiness of Mr. Kenichi’s family, I wouldn’t have intended to kill them. At first, I was just… unsure if he still remembered me, so I secretly observed him for a while.” Sakuma Kaito remained calm, even with a hint of regret: “Well, I did do something not very good back then, but I’ll be sentenced to death anyway, so killing two more policemen won’t make a difference. I’m 40 years old this year, and my health isn’t what it used to be, so it’s good for me to retire in prison.”

"Sue me all you want, sentence me to death. I know Japan's cowardly laws. I just need to appeal, and appeal again, until the death penalty is carried out... Ha, I've had enough of living. I know I can't be a seaman forever..."

At this point, Sakuma Kaito gave Uesugi Muneyuki a deep look: "If the police weren't so useless, I would have almost thought you were working with the TV station and the Metropolitan Police Department to play a fishing game. If I had fallen into your trap, I would have had nothing to say. What goes around comes around. Me too, and those two policemen too."

"You bastard! You heinous criminal! What do you take our police lives for?! Do you know that one of the two policemen you killed was an only child, and the other had only been married for less than a year?!" Chief of Criminal Investigation, Uchimura Kanji, slammed his fist on the table in fury. "You've ruined not just one, not just two, not just three families! And if Okada hadn't stopped you, the children, the children..."

Minister Uchimura couldn't continue speaking.

Eiji Watanabe waved his hand, signaling the end of the interrogation.

SAT members entered and removed the still expressionless Kaito Sakuma from his specially made chair. The heavy shackles dragged across the ground, making a cold, metallic scraping sound.

The ghost in Ikebukuro was taken away. Only the cold equipment and the suffocating, bland sin lingering in the air remained in the interrogation room. On the one-way glass, Watanabe Eiji's face, etched with the marks of fifty-three years of hardship, now held only the look of reminiscing about the past and the satisfaction of finally getting what he wanted.

The ghost of the Toyoshima Ward family annihilation case, after leaving behind an extremely calm thunderclap, was finally completely sealed in the iron coffin of the law. However, the malice that originated from "happiness" lingered like the smell of disinfectant in the interrogation room, becoming an indelible and cold mark in everyone's heart.

The high-ranking officials of the Metropolitan Police Department originally came to enjoy their victory, wanting to see the murderer wail, admit his mistakes, beg for mercy, and regret his actions.

However, he felt nothing. Sakuma Kaito did have some remorse for killing the Sato family, but not much, and he felt no remorse whatsoever for killing the two policemen.

More importantly, once they catch this person, how can they punish him?

The answer is actually quite simple—the death penalty.

Kaito Sakuma committed the most extreme and serious crimes, with at least six lives on his hands. Any one of the crimes of murder, robbery and murder, and killing of public officials would be punishable by death. He also committed obstruction of official duties, kidnapping, attempted imprisonment, and attempted murder (of Okada and a nursery school girl).

Japan's application of the death penalty is very cautious, and it usually follows the "Nagayama Standard" (derived from the precedent of the Norio Nagayama serial murder case), which takes into account a variety of factors to decide whether to impose the death penalty.

However, Sakuma Kaito far exceeded the death penalty in every respect, and he was destined to be sentenced to death.

But will that be enough to punish him?
Arrest, prosecution, indictment, and first trial can take more than a year. If sentenced to death, Sakuma can appeal, and the second trial will take more than a year. Even if the final verdict upholds the death sentence, the possibility is almost 100%. However, even if the death sentence is finalized, it still has to wait for the Minister of Justice to sign the procedure.

In Japan, the average time from sentencing to execution for death row inmates is 18 years, with the longest recorded wait being a full 48 years. Even with the fastest process and a strong-willed Minister of Justice, it generally takes 8-15 years.

Kaito Sakuma clearly knew about Japan's death penalty law, and he even seemed to enjoy it.

Finally, I can have a few days of peace and quiet!
As Uesugi Muneyuki emerged from the interrogation room, District Prosecutor Shinbayashi approached and coldly stated, "We will prosecute him for a crime punishable by death. Our District Prosecutor's Office will spare no effort to sentence this person to death."

“It would be strange if this guy wasn’t sentenced to death.” Uesugi Muneyuki’s expression was somewhat desolate. “Putting everything else aside, if the court doesn’t sentence him to death, will the victim’s family and the entire nation agree? What I’m thinking is to expedite the process.”

"We, the district attorney's office, will do our best." The district attorney's office nodded.

This is outrageous and infuriating. Kaito Sakuma will undoubtedly be sentenced to death and executed. Any other punishment would be completely inadequate in the face of this case, failing to reflect the fairness and deterrent power of the law, and failing to respond to the grief of the victim's family and the expectations of society.

This is already the most severe punishment that can be carried out in modern society.

(In China, it generally takes more than 3 years from sentencing to execution, and the number of executions is generally decreasing while the detention time is increasing. In South Korea, although the death penalty has not been abolished in theory, no executions have been carried out in 20 years. Japan has carried out fewer than 30 executions in the past 15 years, and the Minister of Justice needs to be willing and able to withstand the pressure.)

In any case, the Toshima Ward family annihilation case fifteen years ago has provided some closure for the Sato family, his other relatives, and all the police officers who sacrificed, were injured, and fought tirelessly in the pursuit.

"You've worked hard, Muneyuki." Watanabe Eiji patted Uesugi Muneyuki on the back. The Superintendent General also looked a little tired. He said softly, "Do you need to rest for a while?"

“No need.” Uesugi Muneyuki shook his head. Both the adoptive father and son could see the relief on the other’s face and a trace of comfort at the fact that the 15-year-old cold case had finally been solved.

“Then you should go to the hospital to see Okada, just like Minami did. Okada’s father will definitely go. Remember to be polite; he’s a level above me.” Watanabe Eiji said in a low voice, “By the way, what are your plans for this weekend?”

"Not yet." Uesugi Muneyuki shook his head.

“How about we go with Minami to visit the Sato family’s grave?” Watanabe Eiji tentatively suggested.

“Okay, definitely!” Uesugi Muneyuki immediately agreed, knowing that Watanabe Eiji wanted to comfort the souls of the dead and fulfill his long-cherished wish.

With their combined efforts, the 15-year-old cold case, which had weathered countless storms and vicissitudes, finally came to an end!
(End of this chapter)