A 38-year-old man and 21-year-old woman were arrested Sunday in western Japan for allegedly kidnapping a female high school student who was later found dead at the man's apartment, police said.
The man, Koshiro Irie, and woman, Emu Kinjo, are suspected of luring Sena Shinohara, 19, over the phone on Saturday from Kyoto Prefecture to Irie's house in Shiga Prefecture. Irie has denied kidnapping her, while Kinjo has admitted to the allegation, police said.
There was no indication the victim had sustained any physical injury, according to the police.
After an autopsy, the police said Monday that Shinohara died of drug overdose around 6 a.m. Sunday, and that empty containers for about 100 tablets such as anti-anxiety and sleep-inducing agents were found in trash at the apartment in Moriyama.
Shinohara, who was attending a correspondence high school, was found at Irie's home with no vital signs when firefighters rushed to the location and found her lying in a hallway.
Authorities received a call from a woman, likely Kinjo, around 10:50 a.m. Sunday. The caller said the teenager had lost consciousness and was not breathing, firefighters and police said.
The firefighters then called the police who later confirmed Shinohara had died.
Kinjo, from Gifu Prefecture in central Japan, is likely to have struck up relationships with both Irie and Shinohara via social media, with Kinjo asking Shinohara around 3:45 p.m. on Saturday to come to Irie's apartment, saying, "I am at a male acquaintance's house," police said.
The two later met in the city of Kyoto and it is believed they traveled to Irie's apartment by car, arriving at around 6 p.m., police said.