Regarding Alex Martin's Jan. 26 article, "Ichihashi book details life on run" (about the book written by Tatsuya Ichihashi, the accused killer of Briton Lindsay Ann Hawker): Family members of Hawker are said to feel "disgusted" and "hurt" about the book being published before Ichihashi's trial. I agree that publishing the book at this time is disrespectful to the memory of Hawker.

I won't read the book because the thought of reading how a killer survived 31 months as a fugitive from justice is too shocking. Does the publisher, Gentosha Inc., have any respect for the bereaved family? (A Gentosha press release states that Ichihashi plans to hand over any royalties to Hawker's family.)

I don't understand why Ichihashi has written a book like this before his trial (expected later this year). The book will only create a bad image of the country, especially in the United Kingdom, where Hawker's family lives.

I had the occasion to go to the British Embassy while Ichihashi was on the run, and the mood there was nerve-racking. There were posters of his face at the gate and on the walls, and I could feel how shocking the crime was for British people, especially those who knew the family well.

How come Ichihashi can speak out when Hawker can no longer cry out for help? It makes me sick to hear of Ichihashi's obsession with the idea that Hawker might come back to life and of the publication rights for the book — after he allegedly took all rights away from Lindsay Ann Hawker.

marie komatsu