JAPAN: Family and supporters of murdered Briton Lindsay Ann Hawker hold a vigil and appeal to the Japanese people for help in catching her killer

Record ID: 461654

  • Title: JAPAN: Family and supporters of murdered Briton Lindsay Ann Hawker hold a vigil and appeal to the Japanese people for help in catching her killer
  • Date: 26th March 2008
  • Summary: (EU) CHIBA, JAPAN (MARCH 25, 2008) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) FAMILY AND SUPPORTERS OF LINDSAY ANN HAWKER ENTERING A PUB-STYLE RESTAURANT SUPPORTERS AND FAMILY OF LINDSAY HAWKER IN RESTAURANT VARIOUS OF LINDSAY HAWKER'S PICTURE VARIOUS OF HAWKER FAMILY SCREEN SHOWING LINDSAY HAWKER'S PICTURE FRIEND OF LINDSAY HAWKER SPEAKING BILL AND JULIA HAWKER CRYING BILL HAWKER HUGGING FRIEND OF LINDSAY HAWKER PEOPLE LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) BILL HAWKER, FATHER OF MURDERED BRITON LINDSAY ANN HAWKER SAYING: "Lindsay came to your country to teach, We all loved her. I would like you to raise a glass for our daughter a dad would be proud of anywhere in the world. Lindsay." BILL HAWKER WIPING THE TEARS (SOUNDBITE) (English) BILL HAWKER, FATHER OF MURDERED BRITON LINDSAY ANN HAWKER SAYING: "We want Ichihashi caught. One year has been agony for my family. My daughter was an amazing girl. I was very proud of her but I want you to catch this man." SUPPORTERS COMMUTERS WALKING DOWN STAIRS IN METRO STATION BILL HAWKER HANDING OUT LEAFLETS TO JAPANESE COMMUTERS BILL HAWKER TALKING TO COMMUTER SISTERS AND SUPPORTERS OF LINDSAY ANN HAWKER WEARING T-SHIRTS WITH MURDER SUSPECT'S FACE "YOU CAN NOT SLEEP UNTIL YOU ARE CAUGHT" IN JAPANESE AND WEBSITE ADDRESS, HANDING OUT LEAFLETS TO JAPANESE COMMUTERS JAPANESE WOMAN WATCHING A LEAFLET
  • Embargoed: 10th April 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Reuters ID: LVACQI8MYIVLJYGDB0Y9X4YAEKOI
  • Story Text: The family and supporters of a young British woman killed in Japan a year ago gathered on Tuesday (March 25) for a vigil to commemorate the first anniversary of her death at a pub-style restaurant near to where she was killed.
    Lindsay Hawker, a 22-year-old English teacher, was found dead in a bathtub full of sand on an apartment balcony near Tokyo in March 2007, in a high-profile case that horrified many in relatively crime-free Japan.
    Her father Bill and mother Julia wept as the owner of the restaurant, one of the friends Lindsay made during her stay in Japan, spoke about his memory of her.
    Police launched a nationwide search for Tatsuya Ichihashi, who slipped away when officers arrived at an apartment to question him about Hawker, who had been reported missing.

    "We want Ichihashi caught. One year has been agony for my family.
    My daughter was an amazing girl. I was very proud of her but I want you to catch this man," Bill Hawker said, pointing to a picture of Ichihashi on the front of his T shirt.
    Earlier this month, Japanese police issued a new poster of Ichihashi, showing him as he would look disguised as a long-haired woman or with dyed blonde hair.
    Bill Hawker, Lindsay's mother Julia, sisters Lisa and Louise and their supporters handed out leaflets with Ichihashi's picture to Japanese commuters at Gyotoku station, the nearest to where she was killed.
    They also wore T-shirts bearing photographs of Ichihashi and a message to him "you can not sleep until you are caught" in Japanese.

    "I have had a very fruitful meeting with the Japanese police and I have thanked them for their efforts and I hope they will continue to keep the good work up and eventually get a successful result in this case," Bill Hawker, who met with Japanese police before handing out leaflets, said to reporters.
    And Lindsay's sister, Louise Hawker, said she hoped asking for help from the Japanese people would lead to the killer being caught.

    "I hope that we have the Japanese support because it's the Japanese people and the public that are going to help us crack this case," she said.
    Video pictures of Ichihashi walking into a cafe with Hawker and travelling in the elevator in his apartment building were shown repeatedly on television last year, but no significant leads have been reported.
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