Man Is Acquitted In Japan After Spending More Than 40 Years On Death Row

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A former inmate in Japan is getting a fresh start after spending more than 40 years on death row. On Thursday (Sept. 26), Iwao Hakamada won a retrial for his quadruple- murder conviction. He is 88 years old.

Here’s Why The Court Acquitted The Death Row Inmate

According to the BBC, a Japanese court kept him behind bars after finding him guilty of killing his miso factory boss, the man’s wife, and their two teens. The family died at their home from stab wounds and their home burned down. Prosecutors had accused Iwao of the murders, arson, and stealing about $1,400 in cash (200,000 Japanese Yen).

Multiple international outlets have claimed that Iwao holds the world record for the longest-serving death row inmate — 46 years total. For context, he was accused of the family murders in 1966 and convicted in 1968. However, officials didn’t finalize his death row sentence until 1980. He initially maintained his innocence but later gave what he’s called a coerced confession. Said confession came after beatings and interrogations that allegedly lasted up to 12 hours daily.

On the legal side, the case took a hot minute to reach an acquittal. He was first granted a retrial in 2014 after the court suspected that investigators might’ve made up “key evidence” related to the murders. The proceedings took nearly a decade to kick off in October 2023. Ultimately, 15 hearings reportedly occurred, leading up to the acquittal of the death row inmate.

Where Is Iwao Hakamada Now?

Iwao’s years on death row have reportedly impacted his mental health. He’s been in the care of his 91-year-old sister Hideko since the court approved his retrial in 2014. At the time, Judge Hiroaki Murayama ruled that it was “unjust” to detain Iwao any longer with the possibility of his innocence looming.

Hideko, who has long advocated for her brother’s innocence, said she couldn’t hold back the tears after hearing “not guilty.” Meanwhile, BBC reports that he could not attend the acquittal hearing due to his health.

The case was huge in the Asian country in the late 1960s and continues to draw widespread attention. BBC reports that about 500 people lined up to snatch a seat at Thursday’s court hearing. However, Iwao’s win is a rare occurrence in Japan, where death row inmates are hardly granted a retrial. BBC reports that only four others have been allowed a retrial in the country’s post-war history.