Man pleads not guilty over 2016 mass murder of 19 people at care home

From Kyodo News

January 8th 2020

YOKOHAMA – A man accused of killing 19 residents and injuring dozens more in a knife rampage at a care home for mentally disabled people near Tokyo in 2016 pleaded not guilty Wednesday in court, insisting he was mentally incompetent.

Satoshi Uematsu, 29, admitted to the attack during the first court hearing at the Yokohama District Court, but his defense team argued he should not be held responsible as he was either mentally incompetent or had a diminished capacity.

According to the indictment, Uematsu, a former employee of the care home, stabbed 19 people to death and injured 24 others at Tsukui Yamayuri En in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, in the early hours of July 26, 2016.

He is also accused of hurting two employees of the facility by binding them to handrails in a corridor of the building.

Uematsu voiced his “deep apologies to everyone” but then started shaking violently and was restrained, prompting the hearing to be suspended.

A ruling is expected to be handed down on March 16.