Kunihiko Hamakawa, 42, was sentenced to death by the...

Kunihiko Hamakawa, 42, was sentenced to death by the Tsu District Court for murdering two men and stealing approximately 12 million yen in Mie Prefecture in 1994. It was alleged that Hamakawa gunned down insurance agent Yoichi Hiramatsu, 36, and stole about 10 million yen from his bank account in July 1994. He also shot and killed importer Isao Takagi, 63, and stole 2.27 million yen from Takagi's bank account in November that year. No gun was produced at the trial and Hamakawa claims he has never possessed one. The judges hearing his case concluded he had possessed a gun, accepting the prosecution's claims that testimony by a gang member, who allegedly gave a gun to Hamakawa, was sufficient for conviction.