The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department received a call just after 10:55 a.m. reporting the massacre of a family of four in Setagaya. [Music] [Applause] The victims were 44y old Mikiosan, his 41-year-old wife, their 8-year-old daughter Nina Chan, and their six-year-old son Ray Chan. All were violently murdered in their house during the early hours of the night. For 10 years, Yasuko had been running a home tutoring business from her sister's house next door. Her sister lived there with her husband, son, and their mother, Haruko. When Yuko's mother was unable to reach her that morning, she went next door only to make the most horrifying discovery of her life. The standalone house was in complete disarray. It had been searched with multiple drawers pulled out. Bloody footprints were scattered throughout. Haruko discovered all four bodies and in shock ran back to her house. Overwhelmed, she broke down in front of her daughter and son-in-law. It was Heruko's son-in-law who made the emergency call. [Applause] The police arrived at the scene at 11:06 a.m. unaware of the nightmare they were about to uncover. Soon they would learn nearly everything about the killer. Everything except his identity and the motive behind such a violent crime. He left his DNA everywhere. He left his clothes at the scene. He left the murder weapon. He used the victim's computer. He ate at least four ice creams from their freezer and he stayed inside the house for hours and hours as the family lay dead. That day was December 31st, 2000, the first New Year's Eve of the 21st century. Let me take you back 25 years. Japan, the year 2000, the edge of the new century. The economy was still shaky, but the culture was exploding. Neon lit Tokyo buzz with arcades, anime, flip phones with internet. Yes, when most of the world was just starting to explore texting, Japan was already on the internet. And of course, the release of PlayStation 2. Japanese pop stars ruled the airwaves. Utada Hikaru, Aayumi Hamasaki, and fashion was fearless, such as the popular trend of Harajuku Girls. The film industry was booming with films like Battle Royale, which stirred controversy and also led to cult followings. For many living or visiting Japan, it felt like the future had already arrived. But it was a very different affair for families in suburban neighborhoods. As New Year's Eve approached, families cleaned their homes. They hung decorations to welcome good luck and ward off evil spirits. But peace did not come for everyone because that's when the news broke that an entire family had been murdered in their own home. When police stepped inside, this is what they found. On the first floor in the study room, bloody footprints trailing slowly towards the door. The scene, chaos, objects scattered, a home that no longer felt like one. At the base of the staircase, they found the father, Miko. He was still in his street clothes, one slipper clinging to his foot. His body mutilated. Seven maybe eight stab wounds. The bleeding was massive. Fragments of a sushi knife embedded deep in his skull. He had no chance. As officers ascended the stairs to the second floor, they were met with something even worse. Near the attic ladder, two more bodies. Nah, the older daughter, crouched. Yuko, the mother, lying next to her. Both had been stabbed repeatedly, faces, necks ravaged. The attack on Yuko was so violent, her head was nearly unrecognizable. Some of Nenah's teeth had been knocked loose, indicating she had been beaten as well. Their bodies were covered with a pile of clothes. Both were still in their pajamas, and they suffered the most brutal wounds of all. Then came the children's bedroom. Inside they found the youngest son face down on the lower bunk. He had been manually strangled. No stab wounds, but the body showed signs, nosebleleeds, pressure marks. It was a brutal personal killing. And something else, his room, the only one with no blood stains. To better understand the murders, we need to understand the layout of the house itself. From the outside, the house looked like any other. a typical suburban home in Satagaya, Tokyo. It even appeared to be connected to the neighbors where Yuko's sister and their mother lived, but inside a solid soundproof wall divided the two families. This was no shared space. It was a fully separated two family home. The victim's side had four levels. The first floor, the mezzanine, the second floor, and the attic. When you walked in through the house near the parking area, you entered the study. It took up most of the first floor, a multi-purpose room, the father's workspace, a reception area, and the kids' place to study. There were two desks, both with computers, a large bookshelf against the wall, and nearby a small store room. On the mezzanine, they had a bathroom, a separate toilet, and the children's bedroom with a bunk bed and a piano. The room even had its own balcony. And just four steps higher was the second floor. The kitchen and the dining area faced the front and tucked behind them a modest living room. At the very top was the attic. Night the mother Yuko chose to sleep with Nenah cuz she was feeling ill. The only way up to the attic was a pull down ladder from the mezzanine level. Now here's the thing. During the incident, the garage shutters were closed. There were no signs of forced entry. A small car sat untouched in the driveway. The mailbox had a motion sensor light and the front door fitted with a highse security Miwa lock. Two key holes, one key, plus a door chain. Whoever came in that night either had a key or never needed one at all. It was never clear how the killer got inside the house, but investigators believe he likely entered through a small bathroom window roughly 30x 40 cm, just over 3 m off the ground. A tight squeeze, but not impossible for someone slim. Police theorized that the killer climbed up over the fence. Used a water heater or even an outlet box as a foothold. One tree branch was broken. The window screen had fallen and below shoe prints in the soil. They tested this theory. A slim officer was able to climb through. So yes, it was doable. Still, some people believe that he may have come through the balcony or perhaps was just let in by Mako himself. But in the official report, the bathroom window remains the most probable point of entry. The murders likely happened after 10:30 p.m. That's when Miko last accessed his computer. Logging into his email account using his password just around 11 p.m., a loud clank or thud was heard by a family member next door, Yuko's sister. It's believed it could have been the attic ladder coming down or perhaps Mikio falling during the struggle. Based on the timeline, investigators believe the family was slaughtered between 11:00 and 11:45 p.m. Forensics would later examine the stomach contents of the victims. The results placed the time of death at approximately 11:30 p.m. The final hour of their lives was marked by violence, panic, and fear. No one made it out alive. Entering through the bathroom door, the killer is believed to have first strangled the youngest son who was sleeping in a bunk bed in the children's room. Then either the killer went downstairs and attacked the father while he was working on the computer or the father confronted the killer and there was a struggle because at the bottom of the stairs, the father was later found lying on his side with nothing but his clothes and one slipper on. There was definitely a struggle. After this, it's believed the killer made his way to the attic where their mother and daughter was still asleep. He ambushed them with that same sushi knife. Blood stains on the bed and mattress confirm they were attacked while they were still sleeping. The assault was so vicious that deep knife marks were left in the headboard. During the attack, the knife broke and he left the mother and daughter brutally wounded. But somehow they survived that first assault. Believing the attacker had fled, the mother managed to climb down the ladder with her daughter. She tried to tend to her daughter's wounds using medical sponges and a nearby first aid kit, but unfortunately for them, the killer hadn't left, and the house was far too small for them to just run away unnoticed. The killer returned soon enough, this time armed with another knife he found in the kitchen. And what followed was even more savage. The mother's face was left unrecognizable, a mess of cuts and trauma. The daughter was stabbed an undisclosed number of times as well. There was clear uncontrolled rage in the second attack. It's believed this is when the killer injured himself. More on that later. And it's also unclear whether the front door was locked when the bodies were found. This left the possibility that the killer simply walked out the front door and there were footprints inside the house indicating he was heading in that direction. This is when it gets truly disturbing because he didn't leave right away. He stayed for hours. In most cases like this, you'd expect the killer to make a swift escape, to vanish before the bodies were cold. But not this one. Inside the house, it looked like someone had been searching for something, or at least pretending to. Drawers ripped open, ID cards, notebooks, banks scattered everywhere. Receipts, documents, even sanitary products soaked and dumped into the bathtub. Then came the bathroom. The killer defecated in the toilet and flushed. Traces were left behind, enough to analyze. Investigators found remnants of sesame and pickled cucumbers, a traditional Japanese meal. It didn't match what the victims had eaten. This was a previous meal already partially digested. Whose meal? That remains unclear. Likely the killer. Yes, they tested it for DNA, but feces is a weak source. Still, even his bowel movements became a clue. He wasn't done. He tore up Yuko's tutoring documents and tossed them into the tub, went through a purses, throwing the contents into the water, too. He treated himself. During the attack, the killer injured his right hand, so he patched himself up using the family's own first aid kit, laying it all out on the dining table. Bloody towels, bandages, even a bandage stuck to a notebook. He used sanitary napkins to stop the bleeding. A method not common among civilians, but standard in military training. Sterile, absorbent, efficient. Was he trained? Many believe yes. His bloody gloves and both murder weapons, a sushi knife, and a kitchen knife were left behind in the kitchen. Then he ate their food. He raided the fridge. Four cups of ice cream. some ham, barley tea, and a melon scooped out with his bare hands. No utensils, just squeezed ice cream containers left all around the house by the computer in the kitchen in the living room. They even found chewed gum and a teacup with the saliva, but he never touched the soda or the alcohol. And at 1:18 a.m., he used the family's computer. He browsed a theater company website, a site Mikio often visited. He even created a blank folder. His fingerprint was found on the mouse but not on the keyboard. His session ended at 1:23 a.m. Then he logged off. Then perhaps he took a nap. A pillow was found on the living room floor with a clear indent as if someone had been lying on it. Later that morning around 10:00 a.m., the computer turned on again. But that may have been Yuko's mother next door when she accidentally kicked the cord when she came over and powering the computer back on. The killer's footprint patterns were meticulously analyzed. Some believe they showed military-style movement because he moved with precision, walking sideways, back to the wall, through narrow spaces. The military background is a very credible theory that we'll revisit later. Once he left the house, how did he get away? There were many theories. There were train stations, bus stops. He could have simply walked, taken public transport, or driven off. But the thing is, no one saw him. There was no CCTV, no witnesses, nothing except maybe one man. At 5:30 p.m. later that same day, a man appeared at the Topu Niko station with a serious injury to his hand, bone visible. He was in his 30s, about 175 cm tall, wearing a black down jacket and jeans. He received treatment, but no one ever found out who he was or how he was hurt. At first, police ignored it. They didn't believe the killer would take a train, but by the time they followed up, months had passed and that man was long gone. One of the strangest parts about this case, the killer didn't just leave behind evidence, he left behind his own stuff. like he just didn't care. Most of it was found upstairs on the second floor left in plain sight. The killer used a 21 cm sushimi knife, specifically a Seki Magaroku Ginsu. It's a common kitchen knife in Japan, mass-produced in Gefue, and sold in local supermarkets, including ones near Coyoto and Yoga stations. At the time, someone matching the suspect's general description was even spotted buying one. But when police tracked the man down in 2021, his DNA didn't match. A sweatshirt. This one's infamous. A gray and purple raglin sweatshirt, size L. It was folded neatly. The jacket, a black Unicoche down jacket, size large, was also left behind. It hit stores in October 2000 and sold like wildfire. Over 80,000 units with 10,000 sold just in Tokyo. Blood type A, likely the killers, was found on the cuffs. A dark green worn out fanny pack clearly used for years, manufactured by a company in Osaka and sold across 35 prefectures between 1995 and 1999, mostly at budget stores in the Kanto area. Investigators also found a rare detergent used on the bag, one mostly sold outside Japan, that fueled theories that the killer had traveled abroad. They also discovered traces of fluorescent material. Initially suspicious, but later believed to be from ordinary highlighters that led some to speculate that the killer might have been a student when he was using that bag. Sand in the bag. This part raised eyebrows. The sand didn't just come from Japan. It was traced back to the Mojave Desert near Edward's Air Force Base in California. Yet sand from Japan's Mura Peninsula was also found in the jacket pocket. That suggests either the killer or at least the items had been to both places. He might have traveled or had some history there. A gray boon hat made of acrylic and black lining. A typical rain or sun hat. It was free size and sold in jean shops across Japan. Over 3,400 were sold between 1998 and 2000. And just like the sweatshirt, some were sold at the same Tokyo shops. There was also a short green scarf with a red orange check pattern, only about 130 cm long. It looked like something a teenager or even a child would wear. Based on how worn it was, the killer might have been using it for years, maybe since he was a child. A pair of black fleece leather gloves about 26 cm long was also found. They looked brand new, but were stained with his blood. Over 10,000 pairs had been mass-produced. It's possible he bought them just for this crime. Two pairs of Muji handkerchiefs were found, one in the kitchen, one upstairs. Both had been washed and ironed. One had a slit, likely used to wrap the knife handle, possibly to get a better grip or even prevent blood splatter. One had the killer's blood on it, possibly used to stop the bleeding. Some theorize that the way they were used may hold some kind of ritual or cultural significance. Similar cloths were used in Chinese seafood factories and certain ceremonies in northern Philippines. They also found traces of cologne likely draar no or its older version. Drakar by Guy Lar Ro on the handkerchiefs and fanny pack. The cologne was hugely popular with American skateboarders in the 80s. It was sold in Japan during the same time and could still be found in places. Finally, the footprints. They matched a British sneaker called Slazzinger, manufactured in South Korea. About 4,500 pairs were sold between 1998 and 2000 in colors like white, gray, and navy. The size, about 27.5 cm in Japanese sizing. But here's the twist. That specific size wasn't even confirmed to be sold in Japan. So, odds are that the shoes were brought in from abroad. either brought in from South Korea or privately imported. But a few things did go missing. One was a very specific sweatshirt that belonged to Mikio, the dad. It was from the brand Dente with the word dive printed across it and a fish graphic, something you wouldn't confuse with a generic hoodie. It was sold between 1991 and 1996. Not exactly something you'd randomly steal unless you knew where it was. And then there was the cash around 200,000 yen, maybe 150,000 depending on the source. Most believe it was the school tuition earnings for Yuko, the mother. It vanished along with the wallet that held it. But here's the weird part. Other valuables were left behind. Bank books, cash cards, even gold, untouched. Someone had gone through those documents. Yes. But another envelope holding 60,000 yen was just sitting in another room untouched. So yeah, it didn't really feel like a burglary. It felt targeted, like the killer came for very specific things and ignored the rest. So what do we know about the killer? The Tokyo Metropolitan Police eventually released a behavioral and physical profile. It's surprisingly detailed. Male blood type A, confirmed by the blood he left behind. None of the victims had that type. Most likely right-handed. That based on the angle and depth of the wounds. Young, between 15 and 24 years old, roughly 170 cm tall, about 5'7, slim. The police think he was a teen or a student because he wore a fanny pack and a short scarf, stuff typically seen on students. The belt and scarf sizes, both small, fit for 18. His bag had traces of highlighter ink, not something most adults carry around. Black hairs were found. One looked like it had been trimmed with clippers. DNA in the hair matched the blood. He left fingerprints, too. His thumb had a pig no swirl pattern, unique, but no match in Japan's criminal database, even after police compared over 2,000 suspects. That suggested he didn't have a criminal record, at least not in Japan. As far as physical ability goes, he wasn't a bodybuilder, but he was agile. He climbed a fence and entered through a second story window. Further forensics indicated no use of drugs. Nothing in his blood, not even a cold medicine. He didn't smoke either. Nothing like cigarette buds or smoke traces were ever found. He didn't drink any beer in the fridge, but did drink the barley tea, which is common in Japanese homes. That could mean he was comfortable in a Japanese household. From his father's side, the DNA points to East Asia, common in Japan. But from the mother's side, southeastern Europe, possibly Mediterranean. That's rare in Japan. So, it's possible he's mixed race. There's a paternal marker called OM134 that's found in about 1 in5 Koreans, 1 in 10 Chinese, and only 1 in 33 Japanese. Because of that, Japanese police even contacted Interpol thinking maybe the killer was a foreigner or had left the country after the crime. One more thing, in Japan, they can't legally use DNA to figure out someone's race or ancestry in a criminal case. They're only allowed to use it to confirm family relationships. So, even though investigators have a good sense of the killer's background, they can't legally do much with that info. But lately, there's been growing public support to change that law since it might help finally solve this case. So, what are the theories? There are a few ideas about who might have done this, but honestly, none of them are airtight. Still, here's what people have floated. At first glance, this could have been a robbery. But here's the thing. Not much was actually stolen. About 150 to 200,000 yen was missing. That's roughly 1,500 US. But way more valuable stuff was left untouched. Gold, banks, cash cards, even the computer was still there. Why did the killer hang around for so long and not take anything? That's not a smash and grab. That's something else. So yeah, robbery doesn't add up. Could it be someone with a grudge? Maybe a skateboarder or a past student of Yuko's. This one has a little bit more weight. See, right behind house was a skate park. It had been causing all kinds of noise and problems. And Mikio, Jizuko's husband, had gotten into arguments with the local skateboarders just days before the murders. Even more troubling, he may have actually clashed with members of a local gang. Yuko's mother remembered her daughter saying something strange over the phone before the murders. Can you wait until 7:00 p.m. for this kind of call? Like someone was pressuring her, like someone was watching. And then there's this. Starting that summer, mutilated cats started turning up in nearby Soaya Park. Tails cut, skins peeled, sick stuff. And it happened again just before the murders. Classic escalation behavior. The police took this theory seriously. The scarf, the fanny pack, the highlighter, the cologne, all of it pointed to a young guy, maybe a skater. Even the fashion style and the killer's DNA suggested someone around that age. Yosuko also reportedly mentioned a suspicious car parked outside their house on Christmas Day, a few days before it all went down. Could be a coincidence or a warning sign. But here's the problem. Police couldn't link anyone in the local skate scene to the crime. and Mikio, he kept a daily diary, no mention of beef with anyone. So, this theory feels close but not quite there. Then there's another theory on a message board called Tu Chan. A man posting under the name Kuromsu started dropping cryptic and horrifying messages. For context, Tu Chan is Japan's noh holds barred forum. It's hosted everything from edgy banter to actual crimes. The Akihabara massacre. The killer posted his plan live on Tu Chan before killing seven people. This Kuramutsu claimed to be a 13-year-old who had been torturing animals since he was three. He talked about killing cats, dogs, even mice, and wanting to graduate to humans. He said happy families made him feel rage. He wanted to end them. One post gave an exact time and date, December 31st at 11:59 p.m., a day after the night Miyazawa were killed. And after the murders, Kurumutsu kept posting. He claimed he did it, described details that matched the scene, like one victim grabbing the knife. He said he felt high from the fear, mocked the cops, said he was waiting to get caught. But here's the catch. There was never any actual proof. There was no real identity, no IP trace. It could have been a real person or could have just been some kind of a sick troll. Now, here's something you might not know. When the Miyazawa moved into the area in 1991, they were part of a bustling neighborhood. More than 200 homes packed in the area. Their own home was modest, a little cramped, and backed up to a kid-friendly play area called the Choo Choo Train Park. But over the years, the city made plans to expand Soaya Park. Families began selling and moving out. By the end of 2000, only four homes were left. One of them right next door belonged to Yasuko's older sister, Anne. Their mother lived there most of the time and had recently come back from England with her son and her husband stayed abroad. Both families had agreed to sell their land and move by March 2001. But Yuko hesitated mainly because of her son Ray who had a development disorder. She didn't want to disrupt his routine. So they stayed just 3 months from a fresh start. And then the Korean hitman theory. This one's a little out there. There's a book called The Satagaya Family Murder: New Truths 15 years later, written by Fumia Ichihashi. Except no one knows who Ichihashi is. In it, the author claims the killer was a man using the name Lee Inun, a former Korean soldier. And the mastermind, a so-called religious leader in Tokyo named Canada Hitchimishi, also a pseudonym. According to the book, he was broke and wanted the relocation payout from Mia Zawa's land. He supposedly exploited Ray's disability as part of the same six scheme. Lee, his loyal follower, carried out the murders. There's even a claim that the shady real estate speculators were involved. But here's the problem. There's zero hard evidence for this. And in Japan, any visiting foreigner must give their fingerprints upon arrival. If Lee came here legally, his prince would have been in the system. They simply were not. Japan even reached out to South Korea. Authorities there checked their own database. Nothing matched. So yeah, this theory most considered baseless and offensive. A lot of people, especially in the South Korean community, saw it as scapegoating without any proof. The last and most credible theory. After combing through multiple sources in Japan, Korean, and English, one name kept popping up. Nick Oberon. He's an author and journalist who investigated the Satagaya case in depth. He interviewed people connected to it, duck through their files, and according to him, this next theory might be the final one that makes sense. The US military connection, Edwards Air Force Base, Yakakota, and much more. One of the most puzzling details in this case comes down to something utterly mundane. Sand. Yes, sand. Grains of it were found inside the killer's hipbag. Forensics traced some of it to Edward's Air Force Base, a massive US military installation sitting in California's Mojave Desert. That alone was baffling. But it didn't stop there. Another sample was matched to the Moira Peninsula, a coastal region just southwest of Tokyo. That combination pointed to someone who had been physically at both places, someone who had crossed continents. Oberon followed the trail and uncovered a startling connection. Military transfers between Edwards and Yakakota Air Base in Japan are routine. In fact, one of the most common rotation routes for US military personnel and Yakakota, that base is just 42 km from the Miyazawa family home in Satagaya, a quick drive practically in the neighborhood. Now, add to that the forensic profile. The killer had mixed ancestry, meaning he wasn't Japanese or at least wasn't registered as living in Japan. There was something else, too. His precision. Investigators believe the killer may have had military-style training. He climbed a fence, entered through a second story window, and spent hours inside without anyone noticing. He folded his clothes before leaving. He moved like someone trained to operate in silence. His attack was vicious but disturbingly controlled. On his podcast, Faceless Orgon leans into this line of inquiry. Did the Japanese police ever check the fingerprints against US military personnel records? To this day, there's no answer. If they didn't, that might have been the biggest mislead in this entire case. So, here we are left with a crime scene rich in detail. Strange evidence scattered like breadcrumbs and theories that branch in every direction. But this one, this US military link, it might be the closest thing we've ever had to the truth. A man who crossed oceans, left behind grains of sand from two different worlds, and vanished. And after all these years, we still don't know who he is. In December 2024, 24 years after the murders, a Japanese documentary reignited interest in the case by spotlighting a chilling possibility, genetic facial prediction. For decades, DNA has been used in criminal justice to identify suspects or clear people who've been falsely accused. Now, a type of technology called DNA phenotyping, could take crime scene analysis to another level. In DNA profiling, which investigators have used for years, they try to match DNA from a crime scene to records they already have in their system. With the new technology, genetic information doesn't need to be matched or compared. It uses the DNA on its own to predict what someone could look like. This concept has been introduced to Japanese audiences by Nick Obergon, but now it was on national TV. The program highlighted real life cases in the US where murderers were identified using advanced DNA phenotyping, a technique that builds on accurate facial composite from a suspect's DNA. They showed sidebyside panels, one with the predicted image, the other with the actual person arrested months or years later. In many cases, the resemblance was an almost exact match. On the forefront of this technology is Parabon Nanolabs, a US-based company behind the Snapshot DNA analysis service. By analyzing genetic material, Snapshot predicts physical features like skin tone, eye color, hair type, even facial bone structure. It's been used in over 200 cases, and it works. The message was clear. Japan already had the killer's DNA. If the law allowed it, they could generate a face. And if those laws ever change, we might finally see the person's face. And for the first time in nearly a quarter century, the faceless killer of the Miyazawa family could finally have a name. I'm Victor and this is Crimes Anatomy. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share the story and check out a playlist of all our cases on screen. Until next time, stay safe.