Death sentence finalized for man over 2021 murder committed as minor

The death sentence has been finalized for a 21-year-old man convicted of murders and arson he committed as a minor in 2021 after he withdrew an appeal, a Japanese court said Friday.

The defense team for Yuki Endo filed the appeal at the deadline Thursday, but the defendant withdrew it later in the day, the Kofu District Court said.

The ruling handed down last month became the first instance of capital punishment given to an offender who was 19 at the time of the crime and whose name was revealed under a 2022 revision of the Juveniles Law.