SERIAL KILLER HANDED DEATH PENALTY

Tetsuo Odajima, 63, was sentenced to death for four killings at the Chiba District Court. According to the ruling, Odajima and Katsumi Morita, 56, strangled Etsuko Mabuchi, 66, and her 40 year old daughter Yuka on August 5, 2002. Afterwards, the men stole several million yen in cash and jewellery. On Sept. 24, 2005, the pair murdered and robbed Fumio Aoyagi, 71. On Nov. 21, 2005, they mudered Kimie Oshima, 65, in Abiko, Chiba Prefecture, and stole 1 million yen in cash. Last year Morita was handed the death penalty over the crimes, and has filed an appeal against his sentence.