Man orders murder on Internet
Naoya Katayama, 36, killed wheelchair-bound Tsutomu Nomoto by hitting him with a hammer, for which he was reportedly paid two million yen (17,500 dollars).
The defence argued that Katayama had only sought to help other people by fulfilling the murder request posted on an Internet bulletin board, an argument dismissed by the court.
"The motive was greed and was inhuman and leaves no room for leniency," said presiding judge Yasuyuki Tsuchiya of the Nagano District Court in central Japan.
The court also sentenced the victim’s son Tomitaka, 50, and grandson Michitaka, 25, to prison terms of 20 years and 13 years respectively for posting the order and negotiating the deal with Katayama.
They told the court they had ordered the killing because they felt threatened, but according to media reports Tomitaka Nomoto was unemployed and had a history of beating his father who nagged him to get a job.
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