The retrial of a 59-year-old man who served a seven-year prison sentence for the 1986 murder of a junior high school student in the city of Fukui began Thursday, with a ruling set for July 18.
During the day's hearing at the Kanazawa branch of the Nagoya High Court, the former inmate, Shoshi Maekawa, reiterated his innocence, saying: "I'm innocent. It wasn't me."
As a retrial is usually held when new evidence that would warrant an acquittal is discovered, Maekawa is likely to be found not guilty.
Maekawa was arrested in 1987, based on various statements given by acquaintances and others, including one saying that there was blood on his clothes.
In the absence of solid physical evidence, such as fingerprints, the credibility of testimony was the focal point of Maekawa's case.
In October last year, the court decided to grant a retrial, finding that the testimony is not credible as it is suspected to have been given under the guidance of investigators.
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