Case of Hiroa Mako

Overview

• A 19-year-old college student, Hiroa Mako, disappeared from Hamada City, Japan.
• Her dismembered body was discovered in the Hiroshima mountains, November 2009.
• The crime was brutal, involving mutilation and missing internal organs.

Timeline of Events

• October 26, 2009: Mako was last seen after her shift at an ice cream shop, Yumetown Hamada.
• October 28, 2009: Mako's parents filed a missing person report.
• November 2, 2009: Police issued a public alert.
• November 6, 2009: Mako's severed head and body parts were discovered near Mount Kario.

Investigation

• Joint task force formed by Hiroshima and Shimanet Prefectural Police.
• Evidence: Cord marks, bruises, and mutilation on Mako's body.
• Located a piece of plastic from a phone book delivery bag near the body.
• Reports of a suspicious white Toyota sedan and a woman seen being dragged.
• 2010: Case classified as a special investigation case.
• 2016: Yoshiaru Yanu was identified as the suspect posthumously.

Yoshiaru Yanu

• Born in 1976 in Shimonoseki City.
• Criminal past: Arrested for threatening women, sentenced to prison in 2004.
• Employed at a solar panel company, promoted to branch manager.
• October 26, 2009: Car seen leaving shopping center where Mako worked.
• November 8, 2009: Died in a suspicious car accident.

Evidence

• Plastic phone book bag traced back to Hiroshima and Yamaguchi Prefectures.
• 2016: USB and digital camera found with deleted files recovered, including graphic images of Mako.

Conclusion

• December 20, 2016: Yano charged posthumously with murder, dismemberment, and body abandonment.
• Case closed without prosecution due to Yano's death.

Ongoing Questions and Theories

• Speculations of a cover-up or more sinister motives, including potential snuff film involvement.
• Conspiracy theories about Yano being a scapegoat and tampered evidence.
• Public skepticism about the true motive and whether justice was fully served.

Impact

• A new system for tracking trash disposal was implemented following the case.
• The case left lasting effects on the local community and police practices.

Note: The case remains one of the unsettling mysteries with many unresolved questions. The narrative continues to spark discussion and theories about justice and the circumstances surrounding Mako's tragic end.