Blood found on a knife found in the home of murder suspect Oshu Nakamura matches the DNA type of the boy who was stabbed to death last week in Kinokawa, Wakayama Prefecture, police sources say.
The DNA evidence is key to the investigation. The police allege that Nakamura, 22, killed Toshi Morita, 11, on Feb. 5 near his home in the town, the sources said Wednesday.
Police took three knives from a wardrobe used by Nakamura. All three have blades about 40 cm long, the sources said. The knife in question looks like a kukri, which has a blade that curves inward.
The suspect might have washed the knife to destroy evidence as little blood was left and a preliminary test failed to obtain DNA from it, police said.
Morita was found dead in an empty lot. He had suffered nearly 10 stab wounds, including two to his head and a fatal one in his chest. The shape of the wound appears to match the knife, the sources said.
Nakamura, who lives near the victim's house, has reportedly denied killing Morita, saying he was watching TV at home at that time.
DNA from blood stains on a shoe box at Nakamura's house also reportedly matches that of Morita.