Police on Sunday issued a new arrest warrant on murder charges against Hikaru Sasaki, one of six people arrested in the case of a Tokyo businessman and his wife whose charred remains were discovered in Tochigi Prefecture in April.
Sasaki, 28, is the second person charged with murder in the slayings of company executive Ryutaro Takarajima, 55, and his wife, Sachiko, 56. Sasaki, whose occupation is unknown, was previously arrested for his alleged involvement in burning the bodies of the couple. Construction worker Ryoken Hirayama, 25, was the first suspect in the case to be charged with murder.
A joint investigation team from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and Tochigi Prefectural Police suspects that Sasaki was asked by a mastermind of the high-profile crime to find someone who could carry out the murder, and was involved in tasks such as conveying related information and providing a payout for the murders.
