The popular "NHK Special" series, "Unsolved Cases" (NHK General, Saturdays at 10 PM), will air "File.15 Wrongful Conviction: 40 Years Later - The Fukui Junior High School Student Murder Case" on March 21st.
On March 19, 1986, a female student who had just graduated from junior high school was murdered in a housing complex in Fukui City. A year after the incident, Shoji Maekawa, a local resident, was arrested and indicted. Maekawa consistently denied the charges, but was sentenced to seven years in prison. After his release, he continued to fight for a retrial and was finally acquitted last year. Why was Maekawa arrested? The program obtained internal documents detailing the inner workings of the investigation. Furthermore, testimonies from more than 100 people, including former investigators, reveal that the investigation, which seemed simple, went astray due to a series of miscalculations and carelessness. And what are the problems with the "dangerous interrogation" that was a major factor in creating this wrongful conviction? New testimonies and new documents will delve into the darkness of this wrongful conviction.
Immediately after the incident, investigators believed they would be able to identify the culprit. However, the victim's social circle was wider than expected, and no fingerprints or other clues linking to the perpetrator were found among the belongings left behind, making the investigation difficult. Six months after the incident, the increasingly desperate police received eyewitness testimony that "I saw Maekawa covered in blood on the day of the incident." What emerged from internal documents and new testimonies was a dangerous process in which vague memories were replaced with "solid evidence" as questioning progressed. Furthermore, evidence showing a decisive contradiction in the eyewitness testimony had been buried in the hands of the prosecution for many years. A series of setbacks and injustices led to a wrongful conviction, and Maekawa's life was stolen.
The victim's sister has mixed feelings about Maekawa's acquittal. "I don't want people to forget about the case," she said, speaking to the media for the first time. She still can't part with her sister's ashes, wanting to feel her sister close by. Meanwhile, Maekawa had always wondered what the victim's family thought of him. Forty years after the incident, the two met for the first time. When the feelings of these two people, who had never intersected, finally converged, what words did they convey...?
"Unsolved Cases" is a popular NHK Special series that began in 2011, unraveling historical cases through thorough investigative reporting. Starting in October 2025, it will begin as a regular program, unearthing new facts and testimonies, and highlighting connections to the present day and the lessons learned. Announcer Mayuko Wakuda serves as both the Caster and main narrator.
