The detective in charge of the investigation into the murder of English teacher Lindsay Ann Hawker two years ago has been removed following an investigative report by the British Broadcasting Corp., the U.K.'s Birmingham Post newspaper reported.
Detective Shinya Oguma was replaced as the head of the investigation into the murder of Hawker, 22, the report said, without saying who replaced him.
Police have been criticized for failing to find the sole suspect, Tatsuya Ichihashi, who escaped from nine officers when they tried to question him at his apartment, the Post reported.
Oguma was removed after an investigation by "BBC Inside Out" raised questions about the effectiveness of the probe, the report said.
Hawker's body was found in a bathtub full of sand on the balcony of Ishihashi's apartment in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, in March 2007. Oguma is no longer a specialist on the investigation and was transferred to a different section, though he is still trying to locate the fugitive, a detective at Chiba Police Station who would only give his surname, Tokuda, said Wednesday.