Lucie Blackman disappeared and murdered in Tokyo in 2000. Lucie’s father and sister vowed that no family should go through the same and experience they had to therefore, a Trust in Lucie’s name and memory is that vow realised. The trust features missing profiles, death abroad, advice and much more. The trust help to support families that may be going through the same thing or have family missing abroad.
The Lucie Blackman Trust has assisted thousands of families facing the most disastrous situations overseas, and provides the unique expertise, practical help, advice and support needed by Lucie’s family.
Drawing on this experience, The Lucie Blackman Trust is a vital point of contact for families suddenly confronted with the unthinkable, providing access to both knowledge and, where possible, finance to ensure that every effort can be made and all support given as quickly as possible. – The Lucie Blackman Trust
Lucie Blackman Trust
On the 4th of May 2000 Lucie Blackman left her home in Kent to go to Tokyo on a 90-day visa, she was 21 years old and was looking forward to travelling. Her mother, Jane Steare, did not want her to go as she had a bad feeling that something was going to happen to her. Jane made Lucie and family aware of this, but she said not to worry, and she would take care of herself. Lucie was an experienced traveller as she recently worked as an air hostess for British Airways but quite due to being exhausted. She planned to go travelling with her friend Louise Phillips, they decided they would travel to Tokyo.
When in Tokyo she got a job at a Casablanca hostess club where she would drink and talk to customers, her family became worried about this job, but she explained how it was not prostitution and it was just like being an air hostess but on land. They would be paid for how many customers requested them, the job was to meet customers for dinner dates before her shift began, if they did not do this they would be sacked. Lucie and other employees would be watched other by a staff member who looked who the girls were meeting and bringing to the club.
July 1st, 2000 Lucie had arranged to meet a man she met at the club for coffee, she told Louise that it would only be for an hour. Just before 5pm Lucie had phoned Louise to tell her she had met her date and he was driving her to the coast. Around 7pm she called again to say she was setting back home and would be home by 8pm. This was the last time anyone heard from Lucie.
Louise became increasingly worried as Lucie failed to return home that night, the next day she received a phone call off a man that told her Lucie was okay and she joined a religious cult, but she would not be seen again. Louise then phoned Lucie’s mother and told her Lucie was missing. The only lead they had was the phone call from the man. Louise got in contact with Tokyo police, but they had hardly any interest and just reported her missing.
July 4th, 2000 Lucie’s sister Sophie and Lucie’s ex-boyfriend travelled to Tokyo in the hopes to find her. The police were still very uncooperative and were not helpful or interested. They were seen as lazy by the family which was called out when Lucie’s appeal hit newspapers.
July 13th, 2000 Lucie’s father Tim Blackman help a press conference in Tokyo which hit all headlines in Japan for days. It soon hit the two weeks mark of her disappearance, so the Blackmans set up an investigation office in Tokyo, a confidential hotline and announced a £100,000 reward.
On the 21st of July 2000, Prime Minister Tony Blair meets the Blackmans in Tokyo and he promised to raise the matter with his Japanese Counterparts at a G8 summit that day.
August 2000, Police received a letter that was written in English and signed from Lucie, the signature was found to be fake. It said, “I am doing what I want so please leave me alone.” Despite the letter police were no closer to finding her or her abductor.
Her mother hired a private detective to see if they could get any closer to finding her. One hostess who worked at the same club came forward to describe a man she had seen with Lucie days before her disappearance. A photo image sketch was made with the description and police went to each club to see anyone knew him but there was no luck. Many hostesses from one club phoned the Blackman hotline to say they went on a date with the man shown and described it to be a disturbing date. One of the club managers told them how one of its girls had gone on a date with him and returned two days later. The manager went on to tell them the girl came back very ill and was attacked in some way but when taken to police they wanted nothing to do with it. It was later found that this happened to many other hostesses where he drugged, raped and attacked them. They found that the man had always given a false name, but the description of the man was the same. He was described to be dressed smart, spoke very good English and a wealthy man.
Lucie’s family passed all this information on to the police and it gave them a lead that they needed. By October they identified the prime suspect in her disappearance. On October 11th, 2000 they arrested a man and questioned him for her disappearance as well as the drugging and raping of many others. This man was property developer Joji Obara.
Police found his crimes had been unknown for almost a decade. They found many videos of sexual attacks on women who were unconscious and drugged. Police described him as a serial rapist. When the police searched his apartment, they found 200 tapes which meant he had done this to 200 women who were all drugged.
Police decided to focus their search on a beach near Obara’s seaside home close to Tokyo, this is where they found a series of packages buried in the sand and when they dug up, it was a dismembered body. They formally identified this as Lucie’s body.
Obara was arrested by Police in connection to her death. on the 10th October 2002, Obara went on trial for the abduction of Ms Blackman, rape resulting in death and the disposal of her body. He is also charged with killing Australian Carita Ridgway – another foreign hostess who died after allegedly being drugged and raped by him in 1992 – and with raping eight other women.
They found a camera in Obara’s apartment of Lucie on the beach and also found several blonde hairs which were identified as Lucie’s hair. The last phone call between Lucie and Louise was tracked back to Obara’s coastal apartment.
In court Obara admitted to spending the day with Lucie and said they had dinner at his apartment but assisted she had left without him. He denied having anything to do with Lucie’s death. He explained that they had a few drinks and claimed she had been taking illegal drugs, but this has always been denied by everyone. He said he called a fixer to come and collect her, this person was named and was unable to attend court because he had died. Police were able to prove that it was Obara who called Louise telling her she had joined a religious cult; he was also proven to have sent the fake letter police had received as draft copies were found in his apartment. He still maintained his innocence.
Five years into the case more evidence came up about how he had drugged other hostesses. Obara’s lawyers offered large amount of money, to be exact £200,000. They were very persistent and raised the money to £454,000. Jane, Lucie’s mother, at no point considered to except the money. Obara did not just do this for Lucie’s family he did this to all the girls who had made charges, and all had accepted the money, the family of Carita Ridgway did not accept the money. Prosecutors told Lucie’s family that under no circumstances should they take the money. Lucie’s father, Tim, was also offered money and he accepted; he was paid £420,000 by Obara but this caused a divide with his ex-wife (Jane). Tim was told this would not affect the outcome of the trial and he saw it as paying for damages.
In April 2007, Lucie’s father and sister arrived in Tokyo to hear the verdict after almost 7 years had past since she went missing. The announcement was made within the first few minutes of the court session opening, Obara was cleared on all charges of Lucie Blackmans death due to lack of evidence. Obara was found guilty of nine raped and the death of Carita Ridgway, he was sentenced to life in prison.
