Japanese police have obtained an arrest warrant for a man in his 40s suspected of playing a leading role in a robbery-murder case that occurred in Kaminokawa Town, Tochigi Prefecture, according to investigative sources.
Authorities believe the suspect held a higher position than the married couple accused of directing the crime and may have acted as one of the main organizers behind the incident.
In the case, Kaito Takemae, 28, and his wife Miyu Takemae, 25, are suspected of conspiring with four 16-year-old boys to break into a home in Kaminokawa on the 14th.
Investigators allege that during the robbery, 69-year-old resident Hideko Tomiyama was killed.
According to sources close to the investigation, the newly identified suspect was in a superior position within the criminal hierarchy and may have orchestrated the operation from behind the scenes.
Police say the man reportedly left Japan for China several days after the incident and may later have fled to Southeast Asia.
Japanese authorities plan to cooperate with overseas law enforcement agencies as they continue efforts to locate the suspect and investigate the broader structure behind the crime.