DNA on Coin linked to AUM

[den4]

Really is sad the J-govmint won't ban the cult group and it's renamed entity Aleph from Japan. Having home grown terrorists is just waiting for a replay someday....

DNA on coin links Aum to shooting

The Yomiuri Shimbun

DNA detected on a South Korean coin left at the scene of the 1995 shooting of then National Police Agency Commissioner General Takaji Kunimatsu was found to be that of a 37-year-old former member of the Aum Supreme Truth cult, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

Because only a year remains until the statute of limitations runs out on the attempted murder case, the Metropolitan Police Department has redoubled its efforts to determine whether the attacker is the former Aum member.

Kunimatsu, 71, was seriously injured after being shot in front of his condominium in Arakawa Ward, Tokyo, on the morning of March 30, 1995, 10 days after the cult's sarin nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system.

According to sources close to the MPD, the 10-won coin was found under a bush on the grounds of the condominium shortly after the incident. As a result of the analysis, human sebum attached to the coin matched the mitochondrial DNA of the former Aum member who belonged to the cult's "construction ministry" division.

The police believe the attacker may have been waiting near the bush to ambush Kunimatsu. A North Korean People's Army pin also was found there after the attack.

The former cult member was working under the instructions of Kiyohide Hayakawa, 59, the cult's then "construction minister," and planning a tour of shooting ranges in Russia from April 1994 to October 1994.

Hayakawa, who was sentenced to death for murder, is appealing to the Supreme Court.

Without identifying a principal culprit, the MPD arrested four people related to the attack on Kunimatsu, including a then officer of the MPD who was an Aum member, on suspicion of attempted murder. However, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office dropped the case due to insufficient evidence.

The MPD then questioned Hayakawa and the former cult member whose mitochondrial DNA was identical to that left on the coin, but the two denied their involvement in the case and said they were not at the scene of the attack.

Compared with nuclear DNA analysis, which is 99.9 percent accurate in identification, mitochondrial DNA reflects only matrilineal genetic information and is not as accurate.

Since the coin may have been touched by a number of people, the analysis would not provide conclusive evidence of the attacker's identity. The MPD plans to question people connected to the cult shortly.
(Mar. 28, 2009)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national...28TDY03101.htm

[mishisan]

Wow, I juuust started learning about AUM in my Religion in Japan class. It's really strange and I don't get why they weren't shut down long ago. It's just creepy and I don't know why anyone would want to join Aleph... unless they are totally unaware of the history =/ I mean seriously they basically owned a huge factory making that poisonous gas stuff that they used to kill people with. <.<

[den4]

Wow, I juuust started learning about AUM in my Religion in Japan class. It's really strange and I don't get why they weren't shut down long ago. It's just creepy and I don't know why anyone would want to join Aleph... unless they are totally unaware of the history

I believe the same members that were in AUM merely renamed their religion to Aleph, so it is not clear if new members have joined that group since the renaming. There were a couple of documentaries (?) called "A" and "A2" that dealt with a guy taking his movie camera into the Aleph compound to interview and show the daily life of those in that religion/cult. After watching a portion of the first movie, I'm not totally convinced that it showed the daily life of the latter day Alephites....however, if it was true, then they did want to show that the reformed AUMians were a non-hostile religious organization that sat around watching news events about themselves and having their leader go out in public to refuse news organizations from interviewing its members.
I suspect it was a propaganda piece....as nothing ever happened.....did not sit through the rest of the movie as it was pretty boring....

[mishisan]

There have probably been a few people to join since the renaiming, at least that's what I'd imagine =o but yeah you're right it's mostly just the remaining members that are still there. Well I really don't know what can/will be done about them. I just hope nothing happens in the future and they just do whatever they do without hurting anyone =(

[seilen]

I'd imagine the name changed would probably lead to some new people joining, and as with most groups like this, I doubt new members would know a ton about the history of the group.