Crimes of Sunato Banda

Banda's nemesis

Detective Tatsuo from Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department gained popularity for solving "The Kyoto Maniacs" case, which shocked the nation. It involved two serial killers who brutally mutilated homeless people to death in the Kyoto Prefecture.

As a seasoned detective, he was well-versed in the world's most prolific serial killer cases. He knew the ins and outs of police incompetencies in those cases. He wanted to avoid those blunders at all costs. His strong belief in collaboration and thoroughness in his investigation led to the capture and prosecution of those two maniacs. Therefore, he was dubbed "The Bulldozer".

The 23-year-old body of Sakura was sent for autopsy and forensic examination. The police expected it to be a simple open-and-shut case. Unfortunately, due to the body's state of decomposition, there was no clue about the killer's identity. The longer the body stays outside against the forces of nature, the harder it becomes to accumulate evidence.

That was when Detective Tatsuo was summoned for his insights. The media immediately knew that this was not a small-time crime. His lead in the case caused anxiety among the public since that indicated that this dangerous devil was blended among them. The police were bringing the bulldozer to capture the son of a bitch responsible for the murder of Sakura.

Detective Tatsuo was affected by Sakura's death, which motivated him to go above and beyond. He was, after all, the father of two daughters. The thought of his daughters crossing paths with such a monster sent a shiver down his spine. Sakura's case also taught him not to drive his daughters into the world of secrecy. The conservative attitude towards sex in society made it easier for this predator to hunt his prey.

"All we know is that our fellow is good-looking, seductive and violent. I get a bad feeling about this. I wonder if there are other victims?" Detective Tatsuo pondered.

Detective Tatsuo spent hours rummaging for information in the police database. Then finally, he found an ongoing case under Detective Kai from Saitama Prefecture that captured his attention. Without delay, he made his way to Saitama, which is roughly an hour's drive from Tokyo.

(Meeting between Detective Tatsuo and Detective Kai)

Detective Tatsuo: "Detective Kai, thank you for meeting me. I have taken an interest in your case number K3348943Z. We should share notes and collaborate on this.

Have you found the identity of your Jane Doe?"

Detective Kai: "Not yet! We are working on it. I expect the results to arrive soon. All I can say is that she is not from Japan. It is hard to say where she is from by only considering her blonde hair and blue eyes. I am not sure if she is a resident of Japan or if she is a tourist. She appears to be between 40 to 45 years of age.

We are collaborating with the police and various embassies for more information. This process takes time. We should get our answers soon."

Detective Tatsuo: "Your report mentioned that she sustained multiple stab wounds on her midsection. Hikers found her in the forest area of Maesaka after 3 days. Were there any witnesses?"

Detective Kai: "Unfortunately, no. It is a very secluded area."

Detective Tatsuo: "Did the post-mortem reveal sexual activity between the victim and the perpetrator?"

Detective Kai: "The report did not have any evidence of that."

Detective Tatsuo shared about Sakura's incident.

Detective Tatsuo: "It has been almost 10 days since we encountered Sakura's body. Unfortunately, we are reaching a dead end with her case without tangible leads.

You published your case 2 days back. The reason Jane Doe's case caught my attention is, first, because of the timing of the crime. Jane Doe was undiscovered for 3 days, which means she was murdered 5 days back. Sakura was murdered 15 days back. She was not found for 5 days. If this is the same guy committing the crimes, then the crimes were committed 10 days apart.

Secondly, I spot a few patterns. Both bodies sustained injuries to the midsection. The killer appears to be fixated on that part. The bodies were unceremoniously dumped in remote locations. The killer knows that chances of obtaining evidence from a decomposed body, left out for long, become increasingly difficult. Additionally, these ladies are attractive.

Thirdly, Jane Doe's case occurred in Saitama, which is not that far from Tokyo. Our killer is careful not to commit another murder in Tokyo since that will attract attention towards him. So he is likely playing safe by committing the murders in other prefectures. Saitama is an adjacent prefecture to Tokyo Prefecture.

My fourth point is that our killer targeted Sakura, who remained mute about her sex life. This time Jane Doe was targeted. If she is a tourist, the probability of her disappearance going unnoticed increases. That is why she is an ideal victim. Despite the age difference between Sakura and Jane Doe, I think these ladies are similar in terms of personalities, and we should dig into that. Hopefully, that can reveal other clues about the killer."

Detective Kai: "It will not be surprising if their personalities and attitudes towards life are similar. In my opinion, Sakura and Jane Doe are just vulnerable women. The killer took advantage of it. It will also be worthwhile to see if Sakura and Jane Doe shared any connection."

Detective Tatsuo: "How did Jane Doe end up here?"

Detective Kai: "That is a good question. We can only come up with theories on how she ended up here."

Detective Tatsuo: "Given all these coincidences, in terms of the victim selection, pattern, time frame, and geography, I fear we have a serial killer on our radar. But the question is:

Who is he?

What is he doing or thinking right now?

Where will he strike next?

What is his motivation for targeting these women?

Are there more victims out there?

Is this his only modus operandi?

We have more questions about him than answers."

Detective Kai: "What do you think we should do now? Do we reveal what we know to the public?"

Detective Tatsuo: "The killer would also want to know what we know. Revealing this information can change his modus operandi. But, at the same time, public safety is our utmost priority. This is a tough call to make.

Also, I will probably go to hell for saying this, but I hope there is another murder. I need my nemesis to make mistakes, and that is how we can apprehend him."

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Author's notes

In the next chapter, let us explore what happened between Banda and 'Jane Doe'.