Society

Police appeal for help from public over 2008 murder of 15-year-old girl

May 03 (Japan Today) - Policer handed out leaflets at Toyota Station in Aichi Prefecture on Wednesday, asking the public for any information that might help apprehend the person or persons who killed a 15-year-old girl in 2008.

Police also visited the site where the body of Manami Shimizu was found and observed a moment of silence, while local residents placed flowers at the scene.

Shimizu was found dead at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday May 3, 2008, in a rice field in Toyota City, about one kilometer from her home in Ikoma. She was lying on her back, with a small hand towel stuffed into her mouth and a cord around her neck, next to her bicycle. Her school bag was later found on a riverbank some 15 km away.

A family acquaintance found the body after her family, friends and police began searching for Shimizu when she did not return home after going to her high school, attached to Aichi University of Education, the day before.

She attended as an assistant a practice session of the high school's soccer team that ended at 6:30 p.m. Friday May 2, and left school by bicycle at around 6:45 p.m. That was the last time she was seen alive.

Police said 21 officers remain on the case. In the past 10 years, police have followed up on about 1,400 leads in the case, but with no luck so far.

There is a 3 million yen reward offered for the arrest of the killer or killers. Anyone with any information is asked to call Toyota police at 0120-400538.

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