In June 2004, a murder in Sasebo City, Japan, at an elementary school known as Okubo attracted global attention, mainly because it involved minors.
Nevada Tan was a name branded to an 11-year-old girl, Natsumi Tsuji, who slit the throat and wrist of her classmate, who was also her close friend.
The murder incident surprised everybody: the victim and assailant’s families, teachers, pupils, the community, local authorities, Japan, and eventually, the world.
The most asked question following the gruesome murder was people wondering what had motivated the girl to kill her friend in cold blood and hide her intentions so well that none of her classmates, teachers, or friends sensed any danger.
Why Nevada Tan Killed Satomi Mitarai
It was reported by the school that Nevada Tan and Satomi were close classmates before their friendship got tested.
Apparently, the two were involved in a bitter online exchange where Satomi called her friend fat and pretentious following their argument.
Nevada was furious when Satomi refused to apologize, prompting her to orchestrate a ploy to punish her friend by death.
Nevada carried a box cutter to school on the fateful day to help her execute her mission.
It never occurred to Satomi that Natsumi was up to no good when she lured her into an empty classroom following their online spat.
Nevada convinced Satomi that she wanted to teach her a new game, made her sit down, and blocked her sight using one hand.
A swift throat slitting by Nevada using the box cutter followed, leaving Satomi voiceless to call for help and less energy to fight back.
Nevada wasn’t satisfied with cutting her friend’s neck and went for her wrist and did the same, proving that she wanted Satomi dead as soon as possible.
She watched her friend soak in her blood, then entered her classroom as if nothing had transpired.
Her teacher, who had noticed the absence of the two girls, took notice of Nevada’s bloody clothes and panicked, fearing that she had injured herself.
Nevada reassured her she wasn’t injured, prompting the teacher to storm out to look for Satomi.
By the time Satomi was discovered soaked in cold blood, she had died from the bleeding.
The school called an ambulance, the police, and the victim’s parents.
Nevada confessed to the police that she was behind the heinous crime and was apologetic the entire time she was in police custody.
It is worth noting that during her arrest, the authorities protected Nevada’s identity because she was a minor offender, and she was referred to as Girl A during her prosecution.
Following her hidden identity, the internet entered a frenzy to find her a name.
The name Nevada Tan was coined after a photo of Natsumi’s classmates went viral where she was wearing a Nevada-branded sweatshirt.
However, her real name was leaked to the public later.
Why Murder?
People wondered why Nevada chose to kill her friend and did it with so much ease, like something she was accustomed to.
It turned out that Nevada had been watching a Japanese horror film called Battle Royale that involved the cast killing each other for survival.
So drawn to the film, she was to the extent of creating a website and filling it with horror animations.
Nevada Tan’s Sentencing
After she confessed to killing Satomi, Nevada was sent to a juvenile and placed under psychological observation in September 2004.
This was after she was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome.
After two years, she didn’t convince the court that she was reformed and was added two years to her original sentence.
After four years in a reformatory, she was put under house arrest after the court was convinced she wouldn’t pose a danger outside prison following a comprehensive psychological watch.
After leaving the juvenile in 2008, Nevada served her house arrest sentence until 2013, when the court granted her freedom.
Where is Nevada Tan Now?
At 20, Nevada was an adult when she finished her sentencing.
It remains unknown where she relocated to because she had to protect herself from society, which has never forgotten what she did, even if she served her sentence.
Nevada isn’t the only one who keeps a low profile; her family is scattered, too.
Back at her former school, it is reported that the school’s principal says a prayer every day in the room where the murder occurred, and it has been turned into a place of rest.
Image sources: 1, 2, 3
