A 15 year old girl was arrested Sunday by the Nagasaki Police on suspicion of killing her high school friend. The 16-year-old girl*, who can’t be named under Japanese because she is a minor, allegedly used a blunt instrument to kill Aiwa Matsuo, a fellow classmate, aged 15. The murder took place around 8 p.m. Saturday. The assailant allegedly attacked Ms. Matsuo from behind, pummelling her head several times with extreme force and then strangled her to death.

The assailant then cut off the left hand and the head of Aiwa. It was a horrific crime and the Japanese media coverage has been relentless in letting us know how horrible it was. For details see The Japan Times article Sasebo teen held for allegedly strangling, decapitating friend.

The initial reports that the assailant posted pictures of the murder on 2 channel, Japan’s favorite on-line bulletin board and gossip site, appear to be false.  The time the pictures were posted and the accompanying text seemed to suggest that the killer posted them but cyber sleuths and a police source says that this is very unlikely.  However, in the maelstrom that a gory murder case brings to Japan, for the time being, “decapitation” trumps verification every time.

Which is why, even I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that the photos are real—but I really doubt it.

*The assailant was 15 when she committed the murder and when she was arrested. She allegedly turned 16 on Monday and spent probably a very unhappy birthday in a holding cell.