Japanese Man In Murder Plot Found Dead

Businessman Accused Of Conspiring To Have Wife Murdered In 1981 Found Hanged In L.A. Jail Cell

(AP)  A Japanese businessman accused of conspiring to have his wife murdered has been found dead in an apparent suicide, less than 24 hours after he set foot in the continental United States to answer to the charges.

Attorney Mark Geragos, who has been representing 61-year-old Kazuyoshi Miura, said prosecutors in the case called him early Saturday and told him Miura had hanged himself.

"I'm shocked," Geragos, who was in Italy, told The Associated Press in a telephone call. "One of my lawyers was with him for 12 hours yesterday and he seemed in good spirits. He was looking forward to fighting this."

District attorney spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons confirmed that Miura was found dead in his cell after her office was notified by police. A phone message left with a police spokeswoman was not immediately returned.

"The Los Angeles Police Department notified us last night Mr. Miura had been found dead in his cell," Gibbons said. "I don't know the circumstances of his death and I don't know if next of kin have been notified yet."

Miura arrived in Los Angeles on Friday after a trip from the U.S. commonwealth of Saipan, where he had been held since his February arrest on a 1988 Los Angeles County warrant alleging murder and conspiracy.

He was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday on a charge of conspiracy to commit murder.

Miura was accused of plotting to have his wife killed during a visit the couple made to Los Angeles in 1981. Miura was hit in the leg, and his wife, Kazumi Miura, 28, was shot in the head. She died of her wounds a year later in Japan.

Los Angeles County prosecutors contended Miura wanted his wife dead so he could collect about $750,000 on her life insurance policies.

They argued that he signaled someone to shoot the couple, although no one else has been charged.

After the 1988 arrest warrant was issued, prosecutors in Los Angeles decided to work with Japanese authorities instead of trying to have him extradited. He was convicted of murder in Japan in 1994, but the verdict ultimately was overturned and Japan's highest court issued an acquittal.

Earlier this week, prosecutors filed court papers seeking reinstatement of the murder charge. The 25-page motion argued that the law did not recognize convictions or acquittals outside of the United States.

However, Superior Court Judge Steven Van Sicklen ruled that trying Miura for murder in California would violate a law against double jeopardy.

Miura had fought extradition but agreed to return to Los Angeles after the murder charge was dismissed - although conviction on the conspiracy charge could have resulted in 25 years to life in state prison.

Geragos said he has contacted the Japanese consulate and asked them to notify Miura's wife.

"She was on her way to Los Angeles and was to meet with me on Wednesday," he said.

"Saipan managed to hold this man for nine months without incident. Less than 24 hours in an LA jail, and he''''s dead?? With all the modern surveillance equipment these institutions have today, it really makes you wonder how this keeps happening. "

%u2022 How does it keep happening?
Bad s*** happens because we are not open.
In this case We are not open to murderers-
Those murderers who happen to wear blue-
in LAPD, FBI- anywhere throughout our capital punishment mindset.
In our militaristic, punitive nation
Some believe we can''t afford much compassion;
Yet we can afford endless destruction!
Is this simply the best we can do...
Or lazy, illogical, proto-human?

"Saipan managed to hold this man for nine months without incident. Less than 24 hours in an LA jail, and he''''s dead?? With all the modern surveillance equipment these institutions have today, it really makes you wonder how this keeps happening. "

%u2022 How does it keep happening?
Bad s*** happens because we are not open.
In this case We are not open to murderers-
Those murderers who happen to wear blue-
in LAPD, FBI- anywhere throughout our capital punishment mindset.
In our militaristic, punitive nation
Some believe we can''t afford much compassion;
Yet we can afford endless destruction!
Is this simply the best we can do...
Or lazy, illogical, proto-human?

Old history guys, man killed his wife here and fled back to his home in Japan... That is how it is a California case and a US case.

[nothappyatall]

Let''s see, he was a JAPANESE businessman here with his WIFE, so how does that make it *OUR* responsibility to waste OUR court time and money on trials for this when neither ws a US citizen?? JAPAN is the one who should be footing the bill and doing the trials- not US!

[klewt]

Saipan managed to hold this man for nine months without incident. Less than 24 hours in an LA jail, and he''s dead?? With all the modern surveillance equipment these institutions have today, it really makes you wonder how this keeps happening.

[gigitwjp]

Condolence to his family, especially to his daughter, but - NO PITTY for this guy.