Unknown Gender History: Sachiko Eto, the Drumstick Female Serial Killer

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Sachiko Eto, the Drumstick Female Serial Killer - 1995

Cult leader Sachiko Eto became, according to her creed, a "self-professed God" in the 1990's and promptly acquired a cult following that believed in her powers to drive out demons during bizarre exorcism ceremonies involving Taiko drum sticks.

Between December 1994 and June 1995 six of her exorcism subjects, nevertheless, responded to her drumstick beatings not by casting off the demons that possessed them by casting off their mortal coil and expiring at her hands.

In early June 2005 police summoned to her home in Sukagawa, Fukushima prefecture, about 100 miles north of Tokyo, found upon searching the place the six decomposing corpses of the beaten followers. Police raided the house because a woman who was beaten during one of Eto's religious ceremonies asked police to investigate the disappearance of her husband, who was last seen at the faith healer's home.

At her 2005 trial Eto claimed "I did it as part of a religious service. I never thought they were going to die." She was found guilty and sentenced to death.

Also receiving the death sentence were her daughter and another cult member, Yutaka Nemoto, Eto's lover, were sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of acting as Eto's accomplices.

Eto was 65-years-old when she was hanged on September 27, 2012.

[Robert St. Estephe; compiled from various source]

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FULL TEXT: FUKUSHIMA – A faith healer was sentenced Friday to death for killing six of her followers between 1994 and 1995.

Sachiko Eto, 54, was handed the death sentence by presiding Judge Akira Hara of the Fukushima District Court after being found guilty of murdering four people and causing injuries resulting in death to two others by repeatedly beating them with drumsticks.

She was also found guilty of seriously injuring another follower. The death sentence was in line with the prosecutors’ demand.

Three of Eto’s followers — her 30-year-old daughter, Hiroko; Yutaka Nemoto, 27; and Mitsuo Sekine, 52 — received prison terms ranging between 18 years and life for the deaths of the six followers.

The prosecutors had sought life in prison for the daughter and Nemoto — Eto’s lover — and a 20-year term for Sekine.

The decomposed bodies of the four women and two men were discovered by police in Eto’s house in Sukagawa, Fukushima Prefecture, in July 1995.

The indictment accused Eto of physically abusing her followers, who lived in Eto’s home, on the pretext of exorcising evil spirits.

The prosecutors alleged Eto inadvertently caused fatal injuries to two of the members and murdered the other four between December 1994 and June 1995. Eto was charged with murder, the prosecutors said, because she must have been aware that her continuous assaults would kill the four.

The Fukushima District Public Prosecutor’s Office argued during the trial that Eto’s actions amounted to “group bullying,” which she initiated to prevent one of her female followers from stealing her lover.

Eto’s lawyers claimed she did not have a murderous intent and that the victims accepted her beatings as part of a religious practice.

[“Faith healer to hang for killing six followers,” The Japan Times, May 11, 2002]

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Title: 6 believers in Sukagawa City, prayer house

~ Case summary ~ ( 江藤幸子 / Sachiko Eto )

FULL TEXT (Autotramslated from Japanese / Raw) — On July 5, 1995, the Sukagawa clerk, who was searching for a house on the grounds of injury, was a male prayer, Sachiko Eto (47 years old) in Osakuta, Sukagawa City, Fukushima Prefecture. A total of 6 bodies of 4 women were found. Eto and three believers were urgently arrested.

Eto and the believers called the “devil ugly” and struck the entire believer with a drumstick and killed them.

In May 2002, Eto was sentenced to death by the Fukushima District Court.

~ 6 Bodies ~

The man who lived in Sukagawa City, Fukushima Prefecture, filed a search request at the Sukagawa Station saying that his son had been missing since around June was the beginning of the incident.

The clerk was listening to his son (43 years old), his wife, X child (37 years old at the time). “I found out that I was in the direction.”

X child was hospitalized after being assaulted by several people at Eto’s house, and on July 5, police officers searched Etokata in the city of Osakuda for damage.

Then, a total of 6 corpses were found between the 1st floor and 8 tatami mats, 2 men and 4 women. It is said that some were mummified while sleeping in the futon. Eto, Eto’s eldest daughter Y child (23 years old), a former self-defense officer N (21 years old), and civil engineering worker S (45 years old) in Kagamiishi-cho, the prefecture, were urgently arrested. He stated that he had left the body dead, saying, “Since the soul was not dead, he left it alone.” The believers believed that it would be revived if the body’s stench disappeared and did not doubt.

On July 6th, the identities of five people found as dead bodies are revealed. Each was several months after death, and there was a time when I was struck by something.

・ S wife

・A child (56 years old)

・ Unemployed male B (56 years old) in the city

・ My wife, C child (48 years old)

・ The eldest daughter, D child (19 years old)

・ Unemployed man E (43 years old) in the city

On the same day, on the 10th, the sixth body was found to belong to a former clerk F child (27 years old) in Takone, the same prefecture. Mr. F had lost his way since the May holidays.

~ Prayer of Sukagawa ~

Eto married a classmate after graduating from a local high school. I have 3 girls. About six years before the incident, I moved from a nearby municipal house to a promoted residential area along the Abukuma River, and initially worked on cosmetic sales.

Eto’s husband was a paint craftsman, but after hurting his back and quitting his job, he went crazy to gambling and went from debt to just before releasing the newly built house. For this reason, he joined a religious organization with headquarters in Gifu, where there are a couple. The couple began a religious activity called “Ogamiya-san”, but the name of the headquarters of the religious organization was used without permission.

Around 1992, when her husband disappeared, Eto began to show talent as a guru and gradually gained followers. At Etoya, many young people gathered, especially on Saturdays and Sundays, and cars can be parked in nearby vacant lots. Many people came from far away, such as “Nerima”.

In the neighborhood, he heard the sound of tapping and praying, day and night. When a woman who lived nearby had Eto see me, she was given hypnosis, saying, “My legs will stop moving. My hands will also stop moving.” Eto explains about this act as “to kill the dirty body and purify the soul” and that the woman has become creepy.

At the end of 1994, Eto started living with about two believers and 10 family members. From around this time, violence called “demon ugly” and “prices” began to escalate.

Eto became a lover with N who is a believer in the group life, and was called “Mr. XX”, but Ako who lived thought that N used the color, and from that trap Eto was “bad A fox is crawling,” he slammed Ako-san’s whole body. In addition, she told Y child, her eldest daughter, and her husband S, A child, to die, and died.

After that, Mr. B’s family and Mr. E’s couple died due to countless bruises and other deaths. Those who were killed were those who had doubts about Eto’s way of doing things or who refused to apply for debt. X child, who was seriously injured by the assault and triggered the incident, was one of those ceremonies.

~ Trial ~

On August 16, 1995, the Fukushima District Prosecutor charged with the Fukushima District Court for not murder but for lethal injury.

On September 18, he was charged with murder.

1997 March 1997, Sendai High Court, X child imprisonment for 3 years, execution suspended for 5 years.

After a three-year trial suspension for psychiatric examination, on May 10, 2002, the Fukushima District Court President and Judge Harahiro said, “It is not a religious act to kill a believer one after another in a self-centered manner.”

“I have to deal with an extremely large penalty,” he says to Eto. He sentenced N and Y to imprisonment indefinitely and S to 18 years in prison. Eto appealed the same day.

On November 22, 2005, Sendai High Court and President Ryoichi Tanaka dismissed the appeal, saying, “We cannot neglect the anxiety and impact on society”.

On September 16, 2008, Supreme Court Justice Hiroshi Fujita dismissed the appeal. Eto’s death penalty is confirmed. Judge Fujita said, “It was a miserable crime that could be killed by death, and the result of killing six people was serious. “It was killed by assault, and criminal responsibility was extremely heavy.”

[ Undated Source: http://yabusaka.moo.jp/kitoushi.htm ]

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( 江藤幸子 / Sachiko Eto )

Aug. 21, 1947 – born in Fukutogawa.

1967 – When SE graduates high school, marries a classmate, a painter.

1990? – joins “Ten Ko No Yu” religious practice.

1992 – Eto, as a guru, gains followers.

1993 – Husband disappears.

Dec. 1994 – SE started living with about two believers and 10 family members. From around this time, violence called “demon ugly” and “prices” began to escalate.

Dec. 1994 – first murder.

Jan. 25, 1995 – murders of Ryosuke & Kazuyoko Fumio.

Jun. 1995 – final murder.

July 5, 1995 – bodies found, Sukagawa, Fukushima Prefecture. Arrested: Sachiko Eto, Yuko Eto (23), Hiroshi Nemoto (21), Mitsuo Sekine (45).

Aug. 16, 1995 – Fukushima District Prosecutor charged in Fukushima District Court for lethal injury.

Sep. 18, 1995 – SE charged with murder.

Mar. 1997, Sendai High Court, X child imprisonment for 3 years, execution suspended for 5 years.

Sep. 1998 – Fukuen District Court sentences: Sachiko Eto: death penalty; Yuji Nemuro: indefinite sentence; Ikuo Sekine: 18 years.

May 11, 2002 – SE, 54, sentenced to death. After a three-year trial suspension for psychiatric examination, the Fukushima District Court President and Judge Harahiro stated to the defendant Eto that, “It is not a religious act to kill one believer one after another in a self-centered manner. I have to deal with an extremely large penalty must be exacted.” he says to Eto.

Nov. 22, 2005 – SE appeals. Sendai High Court and President Ryoichi Tanaka dismissed the appeal, saying, “We cannot neglect the anxiety and impact on society.” The highest court in Japan.

Nov. 22, 2005 – Sendai High Court and President Ryoichi Tanaka dismisses appeal.

Sep.16, 2008 – Supreme Court Justice Hiroshi Fujita dismissed the appeal. Eto’s death penalty is confirmed. Judge Fujita said, “It was a miserable crime that could be punished by death, and the result of killing six people was serious. "They were killed by assault, therefore criminal responsibility was extremely heavy."

Sep. 27, 2012 – SE, 65, hanged Sendai detention center.

Eto’s daughter and another cult member were sentenced to life in prison for the 1995 murders.

[Some dates taken from zhuanlan.zhihu.com]

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