Cheering News

Blood Crying From the Ground

We don't know about y'all but the solving of cold cases--particularly murder cases--brings a sense of satisfaction.  Justice, in this world, is a somewhat ephemeral concept; in eternity justice will be both real and holy.  Therefore, the capture and punishment of extreme evil doers brings with it a sense of "putting things right" as far as we are able, whilst awaiting that great day to come.

The Bible speaks of the blood of innocent victims of murder crying out from the ground to God.  There is an abiding curse and divine anger that broods over a society which carelessly fails to achieve preliminary justice in this world, prior to the administration of eternal justice. 

Consequently, we find that the rehearsal of cold cases in the media--cases which have never been solved by the state--has always been, not merely interesting, but important and necessary.  It is holy work, if you like.  In this vein, we are cheered by the recent progress made in one unsolved cold-case of murder.

Police have a new suspect in a 20-year-old cold case in which a Japanese tourist's decomposing body was found in the service closet of a central Auckland building.  Following last night's Cold Case show on TVNZ, police revealed today that they have a new suspect for the murder of Japanese woman Kayo Matsuzawa and banking records show the suspect was in the immediate vicinity of where Matsuzawa's body was found.

However, police are remaining tight-lipped over the person of interest, who used a bank card at a nearby BNZ ATM machine on September 11, 1998, the day Matsuzawa went missing.  "I'm not prepared to say what district or where we get information which might assist the homicide investigation," Detective Inspector Scott Beard told the Herald when asked if he could release any further details.

A new piece of evidence also came to light on the show after unknown male DNA was located under Matsuzawa's fingernails.  The 29-year-old was killed just hours after she arrived in Auckland. Her naked body was dumped in an utility cupboard in the Centrecourt Building on Queen St.  She had came to New Zealand in 1997 to study English in Christchurch before, on September 11, travelling to Auckland to explore the city.

Matsuzawa checked into the Queen Street Backpackers for three nights and at 2.14pm was filmed by CCTV cameras getting off a bus and crossing Queen St.  The grainy images are the last of her alive.  Ten days later her body was found in the cupboard.  But Matsuzawa's cause of death was never established and the case went cold.

Kayo Matsuzawa, left, with her Japanese family. Photo / SuppliedHowever, Beard told the Herald he was encouraged by the level of int erest shown by the public after the television show. "We received more than 20 phone calls and emails from the programme and these will take some time to collate, assess and work through.

May God grant success and a resolution to the (now revived) investigation.