Racist Rape-Murder Trial: There is No Doubt That Nicola Furlong was Strangled, but “Ambiguity” Remains, as to the Murder Weapon

 

War crime victim Nicola Furlong
 

War crime victim Nicola Furlong, her mom Angela, and younger sister Andrea at a party in a saloon
 


War crime defendant Richard Hinds
 


Nicola Furlong's parents, Andrew and Angela, and younger sister Andrea at the court building
 

Posted by Nicholas Stix

The headline below, “Evidence on strangulation of Nicola Furlong said to be 'ambiguous.'” is deceptive. There is no ambiguity as to whether Nicola Furlong was strangled. The only ambiguity is as to whether her killer used a towel or his bare hands.

* * *Evidence on strangulation of Nicola Furlong said to be “ambiguous”
By Adam Westlake
March 8, 2013
Japan Daily Press

As the trial in Tokyo continues over the murder of Nicola Furlong, the 21 year old Irish student that was killed in a Shinjuku hotel in May 2012, a forensics expert has called into question the method of how she was strangled. Richard Hinds, a 19 year old American, is on trial for the girl’s death, had admitted to “lightly pressing on her neck” while the two had sex, but denies any intention to kill her.

On Tuesday, forensic doctor Kenichi Yoshida, speaking for the prosecution, told the Tokyo District Court that markings on Furlong’s body indicated she was strangled with a “band-like object,” with him believing it was a towel. However, on Thursday the court heard testimony from Dr Marianne Hamel, a forensic pathologist from Pennsylvania, who said that the evidence was “ambiguous,” and by looking at the postmortem photographs it was not possible to prove how the girl was strangled. She pointed out that when objects like a towel are used, the victim would normally leave scratch marks on the skin where they tried to pull the object away, along with skin tissue collecting under the fingernails.

Dr Hamel is not trying to suggest that Furlong wasn’t strangled, but simply pointing out that it’s not possible to confirm if an object like a towel was used. Such a distinction is important, as Hind’s use of a rolled-up towel would indicate murderous intentions and could affect sentencing. Dr Hamel has stated that she found no mistakes in Dr Yoshida’s report, and agrees that Furlong was strangled for “several minutes.”

Hinds’ defense has tried to say that Furlong’s heavy drinking that night, in combination with her prescription for the drug Xanax, was the cause of her death. Dr Yoshida testified earlier this week that this was not the case. The trial is expected to continue through next week.

Second war crime defendant, dancer James Blackstone, aka James “King Tight” Jamari Blackstone, aka James Blackston, reported variously as 21 and 23

 
War crime victim Nicola Furlong, with boyfriend Danny Furlong (apparently, no relation)
 

[Previously, on this case, at WEJB/NSU;

“Tokyo: 2 College Girls Get Dead Drunk, and Let 2 Strange Black Men Pick Them Up at Nicki Minaj Concert; the Men Allegedly Rape One Girl in a Taxicab, but the Girls Still Go with Them to Hotel Rooms, where the Pretty Irish Colleen Ends Up Strangled”;

“Nicola Furlong Murder: Racist, Black Murder-Sexual Assault Suspect James 'King Tight' Blackstone Terrorizing Japanese Train Passengers”;

“Nicki Minaj Tweets Weasely Denial That Nicola Furlong Rape-Murder Suspects Worked for Her; MSNBC Covers Up Primary Suspect's Name!”;

“Nicki Minaj: ‘My love and prayers are with the family of Nicola Furlong’”;

“Memphian Held in Nicola Furlong Killing”;

“Murder Victim Nicola Furlong’s Return Home to Ireland”;

“‘Nobody Would Hurt My Baby’: Nicola Furlong’s Mom Tells of Text Message from Nicola Just Hours Before Racist Fiend Murdered and Raped Her”;

“Nicola Furlong Murder Update”;

“Nicola Furlong Murder Trial Underway”;

“At Nicola Furlong Murder Trial, in Robert Chambers Defense, Black Accused Richard Hinds Says He Only ‘Lightly’ Strangled the White Victim During ‘Rough Sex’ (His Hands Just Went Off)”;

“Trial in Nicola Furlong Racist Rape-Murder: ‘Nicola had “date rape” drugs in her system’”; and

“White Victim of Racist Rape-Murder, Nicola Furlong, Died from Strangulation, Not Alcohol or Drugs.”]