【旭山動物園の飼育員逮捕から1週間】大きな荷物を降ろす姿が防犯カメラに…職員通用口のセキュリティは「警備員が常駐で時間外は施錠」容疑者はどうやって園内に入ったのか？ 殺人での立件は〈北海道旭川市〉

It's been a week since the zookeeper was arrested at Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa City, Hokkaido. From May 1st, when the zoo reopened two days late, until May 6th, the number of visitors was over 52,000. This is more than 7,600 more than the same period in 2025. "It's unfortunate, but everyone, please keep trying." (From Saga Prefecture) "I'm sure good things will happen at the zoo again from now on." (Asahikawa citizen) Tatsuya Suzuki, a zookeeper at Asahiyama Zoo, is suspected of burning the body of his wife, Yui, in an incinerator on the zoo grounds. Police believe the body may have been brought in through the staff entrance. According to investigators, security camera footage showed Suzuki unloading a large package from a car near this entrance around 9 PM on March 31st. Is it possible for staff to enter the zoo grounds at night? An official from Asahikawa City testified, "The gate is locked outside of working hours. Even zoo staff cannot enter or exit without informing a security guard." A security guard is stationed at the gate at all times, monitoring entry and exit, and recording vehicle license plates. The incident occurred in the incinerator of the animal hospital located within the zoo grounds. We also obtained testimony from a former employee of Asahiyama Zoo stating, "The animal hospital was sometimes locked, sometimes unlocked. I think zookeepers could enter and exit. I heard that it's possible for one person to use the incinerator." How did he explain to the security guard that he was entering the zoo and using the incinerator? Furthermore, the suspect, Suzuki, has hinted at murder, and the police are investigating the possibility of murder. However, there are obstacles to prosecuting him for murder. "The body has decomposed to bone, and only a portion has been found. This means that only testimony will be available. The question is how much support there will be if that testimony is overturned in court," (Tatsuyuki Narumi, former head of the Kanagawa Prefectural Police Investigation Division 1). Investigative experts are paying close attention to the number of days spent searching the suspect's home. "Four days of searching means they are diligently searching for even the smallest DNA particles and traces. They are meticulously examining every room for blood, scrape marks, urine, etc. These things become indirect and circumstantial evidence," (Narumi). Will he be charged with murder? The future course of the investigation is being closely watched. The staff gate to the zoo is believed to be where the suspect, Suzuki, brought his wife's body. A security guard is stationed at this gate 24 hours a day, monitoring people and vehicles entering and exiting. The gate is locked outside of these hours, and the time of the suspected incident, around 9 PM, falls within the locked period. To pass through the gate at that time, one would need to speak to a security guard and have them open the door, so if the body entered through the gate, it is likely that there was contact with a security guard. Furthermore, a former employee of the facility testified that the incinerator located beyond the gate was sometimes locked and sometimes unlocked. When we inquired with a city official about the management of the incinerator, they stated, "We cannot comment on anything," and we were unable to obtain a response. How did the body get through the gate, which is staffed by security guards, and into the incinerator? A full investigation into the case is awaited.