Japan has executed Takahiro Shiraishi, known as the “Twitter killer”, for murdering nine people in 2017.
Gatekeepers News reports that this marks the country’s first execution since 2022. Shiraishi, who was 30 at the time of the killings, lured his victims – mostly young women between 15 and 26 years old – to his apartment through Twitter (now known as X) before strangling and dismembering them.
According to Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki, Shiraishi’s actions were driven by “selfish reasons of satisfying his own sexual and financial desires”. Suzuki added that the case “caused great shock and anxiety to society”.
Shiraishi’s modus operandi involved reaching out to individuals who expressed suicidal thoughts on Twitter, claiming he could help them die. His Twitter profile read: “I want to help people who are really in pain. Please DM [direct message] me anytime.” However, instead of helping them, he would strangle and dismember his victims.
The discovery of nine dismembered bodies in coolers and tool boxes in Shiraishi’s apartment led to his arrest in 2017. During his trial, his lawyers argued for a lesser charge of “murder with consent”, but Shiraishi disputed this, saying he killed without consent.
The case sparked a national debate about online safety and the discussion of suicide on social media platforms.
Twitter amended its rules following the incident, prohibiting users from “promoting or encouraging suicide or self-harm”.
