Death in LAPD Prison Cell Questioned

Kazuyoshi Miura, an inmate recently found dead in a Los Angeles, California Police Department prison cell, may have been murdered. This theory contradicts the conclusion reported by the Los Angeles County Coroner's office — that is, that Miura hung himself. Miura was in custody with the LAPD less than 24 hours when he died. There was evidence that he may have been assaulted shortly before his death. 

The case is yet another controversy concerning the conduct of the Los Angeles police, which over the years has developed a reputation for out-of-control behavior by its officers. Of course, the LAPD is hardly the only police department facing such charges. 

Pathology Findings Not Consistent with Hanging

Sixty-one-year-old businessman Kazuyoshi Miura had just been extradited from Saipan to the U.S. to undergo a trial for the 1981 murder of his wife Kazumi. Miura's lawyer, Mark Geragos, said that the details of Miura's Oct. 10th death are consistent with murder. 

Although the LAPD reported that Miura hung himself with his shirt, Geragos said that a pathologist hired for the case found a number of discrepancies:

• deep-tissue injuries on Miura's back indicating that he had been beaten 
  
• a hematoma (clotted blood mass) on Miura's larynx, possibly from being choked
  
• ligature marks on Miura's neck that are not consistent with self-inflicted hanging (or hanging at all) 

Whitewash and Cover-up, Says Defense Attorney

Geragos says that he requested a second autopsy by the L.A. County Coroner but was refused. On Oct. 20, he initiated a request to the U.S. Attorney's Office for a federal investigation of the matter. His calls to LAPD Chief William Bratton and to the Coroner's office were also not returned. "This has all the earmarks of a cover-up and a whitewash," said Geragos. 

A spokeswoman for the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office stated that their office is investigating Miura's death. Although Miura's criminal case has ended abruptly with his death, a new case focusing on the LAPD has begun. 

The "Japanese O.J. Simpson Case"

Miura's unusual criminal case, known in his homeland Japan as "the Japanese O.J. case," began in November 1981 when he and 28-year-old Kazumi were shot in downtown L.A. by unknown assailants. She died a year later from her injuries. Miura was convicted in Japan in 1994 of plotting her death, but the Supreme Court in Japan reversed the decision in 2003. 

Miura Tipped Off the U.S. Authorities Himself

However, in 1988 the Los Angeles D.A.'s office charged Miura with the murder and conspiracy to commit murder, and he was arrested in the U.S. territory of Saipan this year. He had earlier written on his Internet blog of his plans to visit Saipan, and U.S. officials moved quickly to arrest him there.

(Source: MSNBC) 

Contact a Defense Lawyer about Inmate Abuse

If you fear that your family member has been mistreated in an LAPD or other jail facility, contact us to speak with a criminal defense attorney today. Every prison and jail inmate has the legal right to a safe environment. A lawyer will advise you about the legal options of the accused and will help you develop an individualized strategy to help protect his/her rights.