OITA, Apr 13, 2026 (News On Japan) - A 58-year-old man arrested on suspicion of abandoning a body in a mountainous area of Bungoono, Oita Prefecture, has told investigators he met a missing teenage girl through the internet and had seen her in person, as police intensify efforts to identify the body and determine whether it is linked to the disappearance.
The suspect, Tadahumi Himeno, 58, of Motomachi in Oita City, was arrested and sent to prosecutors on suspicion of abandoning a body in the mountains of Bungoono around early March. Police continued searching his apartment for a second consecutive day on April 13th following an initial search on April 12th.
The case began after a teenage girl in Oita Prefecture went missing last month, with investigators now treating the incident as potentially linked to the discovered body. According to investigative sources, Himeno has made statements implying he may have killed the girl.
Investigators also revealed that Himeno told police he had become acquainted with the missing girl online and had met her in person, suggesting a possible connection between the two prior to her disappearance.
Based on his earlier statements, police searched a mountainous area in Bungoono on April 12th and found a body of unknown gender, which they believe Himeno transported to the site by car.
Authorities are working to confirm the identity of the body through forensic analysis, including an autopsy, while continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case.
Source: FNN
