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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Murder and Kidnapping |
Sentence: |
Life Imprisonment |
Years Imprisoned: |
17.5 |
Year Crime: |
1990 |
Year Convicted: |
1992 |
Year Cleared: |
2010 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
Japan |
County or Region of Crime: |
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City of Crime: |
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Result: |
Judicially Exonerated Released |
Summary of Case: |
"Toshikazu Sugaya was wrongly convicted in December 1992 of the 1990 kidnapping and murder of a 4-year-old Mami Matsuda in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Toshikazu Sugaya pled guilty, withdrew his plea, then pled guilty again, and again withdrew it. He was convicted after a trial based on his admission of guilt and a DNA test the prosecution said implicated him. Sugaya was sentenced to life in prison. In December 2008 the Tokyo High Court ordered a new DNA test comparing Sugaya's DNA with the crime scene evidence. On May 8, 2009 the High Court released the test results that excluded Sugaya as the assailant. After the prosecution agreed to Sugaya's retrial, he was released on bail on June 4, 2009 after 17-1-2 years of imprisonment from the time of his arrest. The Tokyo High Court ruled on June 23, 2009 that Sugaya would be granted a retrial. Sugaya was acquitted on March 26, 2010 after a retrial, based on the new DNA evidence Sugaya, 63, was the first person exonerated by DNA evidence in Japan. On January 13, 2011, Sugaya was awarded 80 million Yen (US$965,600 converted to dollars on 1-13-2011)" |
Conviction Caused By: |
Sugaya falsely confessed and the prosecution expert's analysis of DNA test results. |
Innocence Proved By: |
"After the prosecution agreed to Sugaya's retrial, he was released on bail on June 4, 2009 after 17 years of imprisonment. The Tokyo High Court ruled on June 23, 2009 that Sugaya would be granted a retrial. Based on the new DNA evidence Sugaya was expected to be acquitted after his retrial, and he would thus be the first person exonerated by DNA evidence in Japan." |
Defendant Aided By: |
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Compensation Awarded: |
"80 million Yen (China, January 13, 2011) (Equiv. US$965,600)" |
Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
45 |
Age When Released: |
62 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
Asian |
Information Source 1: |
"DNA test findings lead to lifer's release, The Japan Times, June 5, 2009" |
Information Location 1: |
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20090605a1.html |
Information Source 2: |
"High court OKs Sugaya retrial, By Setsuko Kamiya, The Japan Times, June 24, 2009" |
Information Location 2: |
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090624a1.html |
Information Source 3: |
"Police to return awards garnered in wake of Sugaya child murder conviction, The Mainichi Daily News, June 23, 2009" |
Information Location 3: |
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2009/06/23/20090623p2a00m0na005000c.html |
Information Source 4: |
"DNA test sought in 1979 murder in connection with Ashikaga case, Japan Today, July 10, 2009" |
Information Location 4: |
http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/dna-test-sought-in-1979-murder-in-connection-with-ashikaga-case |
Information Source 5: |
"Judge apologizes as Sugaya acquitted of 1990 murder in retrial, The Mainichi Daily News, March 26, 2010" |
Information Location 5: |
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20100326p2a00m0na021000c.html |
Book About Case: |
"Man acquitted of 1990 murder to receive Y80 mil in compensation, Japan Today, January 13, 2011." |
Book Information: |
http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/y80-mil-compensation-payment-set-for-man-acquitted-of-1990-murder |
Book About Case (2): |
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Book Information (2): |
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Movie About Case: |
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Comments About Case: |
Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org