Richard Lloyd Parry spoke about his new book, "People Who Eat Darkness: The Fate of Lucie Blackman," with Jeff Kingston. The following draws on this interview and his book.

Lucie Blackman, 21, arrived in Japan in early May 2000 and vanished two months later. Her dismembered and badly decomposed body was discovered in February 2001. In December 2008 the Tokyo High Court found Joji Obara guilty of the abduction, drugging, attempted rape and dismemberment of Blackman, and of illegally disposing of her body. In addition, he was convicted of the rape of eight other women and the rape and killing of Carita Ridgway, an Australian.

Despite considerable circumstantial evidence, the court did not convict Obara of killing Blackman. For his crimes, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment.