The man at the center of the Sagamihara care home massacre was indicted Friday on charges of murder and attempted murder for allegedly killing 19 mentally disabled people and injuring 27 more in a knife attack at the facility last July.
The indictment came after prosecutors judged Satoshi Uematsu, 27, capable of taking criminal responsibility for the attack.
Uemura began working at Tsukui Yamayuri En in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, in December 2012 but quit in February last year after making verbal outbursts in which he spoke about euthanizizing the disabled.
Shortly after the attack, he reportedly told police that he wanted to "save" those with multiple disabilities and felt "no remorse" for what he did.
The case is expected to undergo a lay judge trial, with the suspect's ability to take criminal responsibility likely to be the focal point.
According to the indictment, Uematsu broke into the facility in the early hours of July 26 and stabbed 43 residents. Friday's indictment covers counts on all 19 killed and 26 of the 27 injured — 24 residents and two staff members.
A psychiatric evaluation conducted during Uematsu's five-month detention has concluded he was able to understand right and wrong at the time of the crime, according to investigative sources.
Although a report on the exam says it is somewhat difficult for Uematsu to act rationally due to a narcissistic personality disorder, it said the condition was not severe.
