On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 01:08:52 +0900, Eric Takabayashi
<etakajp@yahoo.co.jp> brought down from the Mount tablets inscribed:

>Michael Cash wrote:
>
>> One of the things about murder cases in Japan which struck me as odd
>> was how a murdered corpse going undiscovered affects the statute of
>> limitations on prosecuting the murderer.
>>
>> You ain't dead, you see, until a doctor says you're dead. And it
>> doesn't matter if he says it 30 seconds after you give up the ghost or
>> 30 years after the last bit of flesh has rotted off your skeleton.
>>
>> The statute of limitations is 15 years after the murder. You're not
>> murdered until you're dead. And you're not dead until you're examined.
>> And you're not examined until you're found. There have been people
>> prosecuted for and convicted of murder in Japan who, because they
>> didn't know this, thought they had long ago safely beaten the rap.
>
>Doesn't it technically start after the paperwork has been filed?

After the person is declared dead, according to the good doctor. I'm
just going by that.
>
>So why did that guy who left the body of a woman he killed 26 years ago under his
>former residence escape prosecution? The woman's family and supporters even
>falsely claimed that North Korea had abducted her.

You'll have to clue me in on what you're talking about on this one.




--

Michael Cash

"I am sorry, Mr. Cash, but we are unable to accept your rap sheet in lieu of
a high school transcript."

                                Dr. Howard Sprague
                                Dean of Admissions
                                Mount Pilot College