白石被告の死刑確定　座間９遺体、控訴取り下げ

　神奈川県座間市のアパートで、１０～２０代の男女９人の遺体が見つかった事件で、強盗・強制性交殺人罪などに問われた白石隆浩被告（３０）の死刑が５日、確定した。東京地裁立川支部が明らかにした。
　白石被告は昨年１２月１５日に死刑判決を言い渡された。弁護人は判決を不服として同１８日に控訴したが、被告が取り下げていた。今月４日が控訴期限だった。
　被告は公判で、裁判が長引くことで「（自分の）親族に迷惑を掛けたくない」と説明。「（判決が出れば）控訴せず、罪を認めて罰を受けるつもりだ」と述べていた。
　東京地裁立川支部の判決によると、被告は２０１７年８～１０月、金銭欲や性欲を満たす目的などで、ツイッターで自殺願望を示した当時１５～２６歳の被害者に接触。自宅に招き、ロープで首をつって殺害した。女性８人には乱暴したほか、被害者全員から所持金を奪い、遺体を解体、遺棄した。（2021/01/05-12:43）

The death sentence became final on Tuesday for a 30-year-old man over the killings of nine people in a high-profile mass murder case near Tokyo in 2017, court officials said.
   After being handed down a death sentence on Dec. 15, Takahiro Shiraishi withdrew an appeal filed three days later by his lawyer. The deadline to file an appeal was set for Monday.
   During his trial, Shiraishi had said that he did not want to be a nuisance to his relatives by extending his trial. He also had said that he would not file an appeal against a ruling and accept his punishment.
   According to the ruling, Shiraishi came into contact with the victims aged 15 to 26 who had voiced their desire to end their lives on Twitter between August and October 2017, in hopes to satisfy his hunger for money and to fulfill his sexual desire.
   He invited the victims to his apartment in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, and strangled them using rope, according to the ruling from Tokyo District Court's Tachikawa branch.