Teen held in schoolboy’s brutal murder

Japanese police arrested a teenager on Friday on suspicion of killing a 13-year-old schoolboy, in a chilling murder some local media suggested was inspired by the executions performed by Islamic State extremists.

The brutalized and naked body of Ryota Uemura was found in underbrush near a river on Feb 20. His neck had been repeatedly hacked, apparently with a knife that was discovered nearby.

Japan, with its low crime rate, has been captivated by the killing, with media reporting every twist and turn in the investigation, including details about how the youngster’s mobile phone was used to send a friend request on a messaging app about the time of his death.

The populist weekly Shukan Shincho reported that the wounds appeared to indicate that whoever killed Ryo- ta may have been trying to decapitate him.

Some investigators suspect that the killers had watched Internet videos showing the execution of hostages by Islamic State fighters “and sought to mimic them”, the magazine said, quoting an unnamed source close to police.

Japan is still reeling from the brutal murder of two of its citizens — war correspondent Kenji Goto and his friend Haruna Yukawa — by IS extremists in Syria.

The Kanagawa Police Department arrested an 18-year-old male on Friday but withheld his name. He was held on suspicion of murder, according to public broadcaster NHK.

Ryota, a junior high school student, reportedly knew the suspects and had been attacked by them previously, media reported.

Violent crime is exceedingly rare in Japan and becomes big news when it occurs.