Shizuoka police have issued an arrest warrant for Koichi Katayama, 27, in connection with the fatal stabbings of his grandparents and aunt.
According to the police, Katayama is approximately 165 cm tall, of medium build, and was wearing dark clothing with a shaved head at the time of the incident on Sunday. Police have put him on a wanted list as he has been at large since the incident.
The victims, Shoichi Shibuya, 87, his wife Ikuko, 81, and their daughter Rumiko, 52, were found collapsed at their home in the city of Kikugawa on Sunday afternoon.
The family home was shared by the three deceased and the couple’s eldest daughter, who was out at the time of the murders. Katayama, of unknown occupation, is a son of the couple’s eldest daughter, and does not reside at the house.
At around 2:25 p.m. Sunday, the eldest daughter received a call from Rumiko, reporting that a man was acting violently in the house. The eldest daughter immediately notified the police.
When officers arrived, they found the three victims inside the house. They were later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Police say Ikuko was able to speak when they arrived, and information from her and the eldest daughter led to Katayama being identified as a suspect.