TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese businessman was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday for serial rape and killing an Australian woman, but was cleared of killing British bar hostess Lucie Blackman in one of Japan's worst sex crime cases.
Blackman's disappearance and death seven years ago attracted huge attention due to her family's campaign to find her, and because of the gravity of the charges.
One-time property developer Joji Obara, 54, had been charged with 10 cases of rape, including drugging, raping and killing Blackman, a 21-year-old former British Airways flight attendant who was working as a hostess in Tokyo's Roppongi entertainment district when she disappeared in July 2000.
Blackman's mother, Jane Steare, said she was "absolutely heartbroken" after hearing the verdict. "My worst fears have come true," she said in a statement.
"As for my darling Lucie, I miss you so much. This aching void in my heart feels like it will never go away, but I truly believe that one day we will hug each other again," she added. Continued...
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