Japan police charge hostess murder suspect

Lucie Blackman's dismembered body was found buried in a cave in Tokyo

By Staff and wire reports

TOKYO, Japan -- Japanese police have charged suspected serial rapist Joji Obara for allegedly raping and killing Briton Lucie Blackman.

Property developer Obara, 48, is already in jail, facing other charges of rape and another involving sexual violence which caused the death of a young Australian woman.

Obara has denied all the charges, saying sex with the women was consensual. He has also said he was not involved in Blackman's disappearance and death.

The dismembered body of 22-year-old Blackman was found in a cave near one of Obara's homes on the outskirts of Tokyo.

High-profile crime

Blackman, from Sevenoaks in the southern English county of Kent, was working at a hostess bar in the Roppongi entertainment district in Tokyo.

She vanished after saying she was going for a drive with a man on July 1.

Her disappearance sparked one of Japan's biggest manhunts as police battled to solve the high-profile case in a country long considered a safe haven from violent crimes.

Her body had been dismembered, with her head severed and encased in cement, apparently to hamper identification.

Blackman's remains were returned home for burial last month.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Family bring butchered girl's remains home
March 3, 2001
Blackman suspect pleads not guilty to rape
February 27, 2001
New clue found in Briton murder hunt
February 17, 2001

Japanese police
British Embassy in Japan

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.