Futoshi Matsunaga (松永 太) is a Japanese serial killer who both defrauded and tortured his victims in what is collectively known as the Kitakyūshū Serial Murder Incident (北九州連続殺人事件).
1982
In October 1982, during his marriage, he became involved with Junko Ogata, one of his former schoolmates from Yanagawa.
1984
In 1984, Matsunaga promised to marry Junko, but her mother, Shizumi Ogata, did not approve of the relationship because of Matsunaga's abuse of her daughter.
Matsunaga raped Shizumi as a result.
1985
In 1985, Matsunaga convinced Junko that her family hated her because of a suicide attempt and persuaded her to move in with him.
That same year, Matsunaga also purchased a building in which he could operate a futon business.
Afterwards, he began to electrically shock employees on the third floor.
Matsunaga would sometimes suddenly shout towards other men, saying things like, "There is a spirit behind you! It is sucking away your fortune!"
He also made references to religious terms like saṃsāra and kami.
1992
By 1992, Matsunaga had stolen 180 million yen (about US$2.2 million) through fraud or blackmail.
He and Junko evaded police capture and were put on Japan's most wanted list.
Matsunaga lived in a condominium in Kokurakita-ku.
His first victim was a married woman with three children.
1993
In April 1993, he convinced her to leave her husband and run away with him, telling the woman that Junko was his sister.
One of her children died under mysterious circumstances in September 1993.
Her two other children went to live with their father and grandfather the following month.
During their relationship, Matsunaga defrauded the woman for 11.8 million yen (about US$145,510).
1994
She died mysteriously in March 1994, and the police were unable to prove that Matsunaga had killed the woman or her child.
Later that year, Matsunaga began victimizing Kumio Toraya and his daughter.
Kumio had previously confided to Matsunaga about his previous criminal history; Matsunaga used this information to blackmail Kumio.
Kumio and his daughter were held captive in Matsunaga's apartment, where Matsunaga tortured him with electric shocks, forced him to eat his own feces, and forced his daughter to bite her father.
1996
Matsunaga was convicted of six counts of murder and one count of manslaughter between 1996 and 1998 and sentenced to death.
He murdered his victims with an accomplice, Junko Ogata, who received a life sentence.
Matsunaga's crimes were so atrocious that most Japanese media were not willing to report the details.
The Japan Times reported that prosecutors said the case is without comparison in the criminal history of Japan.
Several writers, including Ryūzō Saki, published the details of the crimes.
Futoshi Matsunaga was born in Kokurakita Ward of the city of Kitakyūshū in Fukuoka Prefecture, and grew up in Yanagawa.
Matsunaga received good grades in school and had a charming personality, but tended to exhibit disciplinary problems.
He was transferred to another high school after engaging in a relationship with a junior high school girl.
He married at 19 and had a son.
Despite being married, Matsunaga was involved with at least ten mistresses.
Kumio died as a result of this abuse on February 26, 1996.
Matsunaga convinced Kumio's daughter that she had murdered her father.
He told Junko and the girl to dispose of the remains, which were thrown into the sea near the Kunisaki Peninsula after being pulverized.
Soon after, Matsunaga found another target in a female acquaintance of Kumio.
He convinced the woman that he was a graduate of Kyoto University and promised to marry her.
Instead, he defrauded her of 5.6 million yen (about US$69,066).
As before, the woman and her daughter were confined to Matsunaga's apartment.
1997
The woman escaped by jumping from the second floor in March 1997.
She was put into the care of a mental hospital and her daughter was released.
