Man served murder warrant over stepson's death

KYOTO — The stepfather of a boy who went missing and was found dead three weeks later in Kyoto Prefecture, was served a fresh arrest warrant Wednesday on suspicion of murder, police said.

Yuki Adachi, 37, was initially arrested on April 16 on suspicion of abandoning the body of his 11-year-old stepson, Yuki, in Nantan in the prefecture. He was alleged at the time to have hidden the body in different locations before it was discovered following an extensive search.

Adachi has told investigators that he "strangled him with my hands," according to police. They suspect the stepfather killed the boy in a public restroom in a parking lot located between their home and his elementary school in Nantan around the morning of March 23.

Yuki was last seen by kin at home on that morning, according to police. His elementary school teacher told his mother before noon that he had not shown up for school, after which the suspect made an emergency call.

The stepfather had initially told police he dropped Yuki off near school that morning, but police now suspect he may have taken the boy to the restroom instead. Police are looking into whether the suspect and his stepson had gotten into an argument before the murder.

An autopsy could not determine the cause of death, but an expert's examination later concluded that the boy likely died of asphyxiation.

The boy's body was found in a mountainous area about 2 kilometers from his school on April 13.

© KYODO