This is related to the fact that the defendant, who was 19 years old at the time and sentenced to death three years ago in Kofu City where two people were murdered and a house was set on fire, withdrew the appeal filed by his lawyer on February 1st. I found this out through interviews with people. The defendant's death sentence has now been confirmed.
Defendant Hiroki Endo (21), who was 19 years old when he attended a part-time high school in Kofu City, three years ago broke into a house in the city where a woman he had unsolicited feelings for lived, killing her parents in their 50s. He was charged with murder and arson for killing the man and burning down the house.
In its ruling on the 18th of last month, the Kofu District Court ruled that ``Even if we consider the age of 19 to the maximum extent possible, there is no reason to avoid the death penalty due to the seriousness of criminal responsibility and the low possibility of rehabilitation.'' I told you.
The defendant's lawyer filed an appeal with the Tokyo High Court on February 1st, dissatisfied with the verdict, but interviews with related parties revealed that the defendant withdrew his appeal on the morning of the 2nd.
This confirmed the death penalty for the defendant.
In an interview with NHK on the 2nd, the defendant said, ``Yesterday, I submitted a letter to the person in charge to withdraw the appeal. I have no regrets,'' and burst into tears, saying, ``I'm sorry to the bereaved family.''