A 37-year-old man in Kyoto Prefecture admitted to strangling his 11-year-old stepson in a moment of anger, after falsely reporting the boy missing for several weeks. He disclosed that he had moved the body multiple times to evade searches until police found the body in a forest.
In the latest development regarding the mysterious disappearance of 11-year-old elementary school student Yuki Adachi in Nantan City, Kyoto Prefecture, police have arrested Yuki Adachi, the 37-year-old stepfather and prime suspect. He confessed to investigators that he killed his stepson by strangling him in a sudden fit of rage.
The incident began on 23 March when the stepfather reported to police that his son had gone missing after he dropped him off near Sonobe Elementary School. When teachers noticed the boy was absent, they quickly informed the mother, and the stepfather called emergency services that same midday.
However, the investigation revealed several suspicious details. On the morning of the incident, the suspect abruptly took leave from work, citing that "something happened at home."
Multiple sources reported that the suspect worked at an electronics manufacturing plant in Kyotamba City near Nantan and did not attend work on 19 March, a day he was scheduled for a business errand, claiming he had contracted norovirus.
Authorities launched an intensive search and released photos of the boy to the public for clues. On 29 March, relatives found the boy’s school bag about 3 kilometers from the school in a forest. Then on 12 April, black sneakers believed to belong to the boy were discovered near the forest between the home and school. On 13 April, officials found the boy’s body without shoes on a road through agricultural land in the forested area about 2 kilometers from the school.
Investigative sources stated the stepfather admitted to killing the boy and disposing of the body in Nantan City between the morning of 23 March and the afternoon of 13 April. The investigation indicated the suspect "moved the body to several locations" to hide it from police before it was ultimately found.
Police are currently investigating the precise motive and awaiting a detailed autopsy to confirm the exact cause of death. Although preliminary results showed no clear external wounds, the suspect’s confession of "strangling" directs the case toward intentional homicide.