Lindsay Ann Hawker was murdered in Chiba prefecture, Tokyo, two years ago this March, but the search for her killer remains an open case. As a result, detective Shinya Oguma, the lead investigator in the Hawker case, has been replaced following a report made by the television news magazine, BBC Inside Out, critical of the Tokyo Police’s investigation.

Since March 2007, detective Oguma has been unable to capture the only suspect in the case, Tatsuya Ichihashi, now known as ‘the cross dressing killer.’ Ichihashi has managed to elude police the entire time, including a daring escape from his apartment where nine police officers questioned him following reports Hawker was missing and before he had been officially made the sole suspect in her murder. The detective who will replace Oguma as the lead investigator on the case has not yet been publicly announced, but there is hope this personnel shakeup will contribute to a more effective investigation. Detective Shinya Oguma has been transferred to different section of the police department.


According to an article on the BBC Inside Out website, “ . . . the BBC investigation has brought fresh questions about the effectiveness of the Japanese police inquiry.”

Lindsay Ann Hawker was discovered murdered in her Tokyo apartment in her bathtub in March 2007.  Since then, her father has repeatedly visited Japan in hopes to boost the search efforts for her killer by distributing posters which include a picture of the leading suspect, Ichihashi, and by speaking to local authorities.  There were rumours Ichihashi may have committed suicide, however there is yet no evidence to support such a case.

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