Former boyfriend sentenced to 20 years in prison at Mito District Court for murder of Mito nail artist

On the 30th, the Mito District Court handed down a verdict in the jury trial of Takumi Ouchi (29), his ex-girlfriend, who was charged with murder and violation of the stalking control law in the murder of nail artist Haruka Komatsumoto (then (31)) in her apartment in Mito City in late 2025. Presiding Judge Sadahiro Ariga sentenced her to 20 years in prison (21 years in prison).

Former boyfriend sentenced to 21 years in prison for murder of Mito nail artist - District Court

In previous trials, both the prosecution and the defense revealed that his motive was to ``kill him and go back to the way he was before they met and reset his life.'' The defendant stated, ``I thought that I would kill the victim because I thought it would make me feel better and my feelings would go away.''

Komatsumoto got married about six months ago and was five months pregnant. The husband, who attended the hearing through the Victim Participation System, said, ``All of our small happiness was taken away from us for unreasonable reasons,'' and called for a heavy sentence.

According to the indictment, Ouchi killed Komatsumoto on the evening of December 31, 2025 at his apartment in Kakuraimachi, Mito City by hitting her in the head multiple times with a hammer he had prepared and then stabbing her in the neck with a kitchen knife that was in the room. Starting on the 28th, he wandered around his home every day, attaching anti-lost tags that pinpoint location information to the backs of cars' license plates without permission.