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Japan Executes 'Twitter Killer' Amid Capital Punishment Debate

6/27/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Japan carried out the execution of Takahiro Shiraishi, infamously known as the "Twitter killer," on Friday. In a chilling case from 2017, Shiraishi murdered and dismembered nine individuals he lured through social media, preying on their suicidal thoughts. His death sentence, handed down in 2020, ignites a fierce debate on capital punishment in a nation grappling with a high suicide rate.

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Story summary

Japan carried out the execution of Takahiro Shiraishi, infamously known as the "Twitter killer," on Friday. In a chilling case from 2017, Shiraishi murdered and dismembered nine individuals he lured through social media, preying on their suicidal thoughts. His death sentence, handed down in 2020, ignites a fierce debate on capital punishment in a nation grappling with a high suicide rate.