Japan has executed Takahiro Shiraishi, known as the “Twitter killer,” for murdering nine people he met online. This marks the country’s first execution since 2022.
Shiraishi, 30 at the time of the killings, used Twitter to find his victims, mostly young women between 15 and 26 years old, who had shared thoughts of suicide. He tricked them by saying he could help them die or that he would die with them.
He invited them to his apartment in Zama, near Tokyo, where he strangled and dismembered them. When police searched his flat in October 2017 while looking for a missing woman, they found nine dismembered bodies stored in coolers and toolboxes. Media later described his apartment as a “house of horrors.”
His Twitter bio had read: “I want to help people who are really in pain. Please DM me anytime.”
Shiraishi admitted to killing the victims and said they had not consented to die. This statement went against what his lawyers had told the court. They had tried to reduce his punishment by claiming the victims agreed to be killed and had mental health problems. They also questioned his state of mind.
In December 2020, the court sentenced him to death. Hundreds of people gathered to witness the ruling, which shocked Japan and sparked national debate over online platforms and mental health.
The case pushed Twitter, now known as X, to change its rules. It added that users must not promote or encourage suicide or self-harm.
