[1] On December 30, 1948, an unknown killer broke into the house of a 76-year-old Buddhist priest and his 52-year-old wife in the city of Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto Prefecture, murdered them using an axe and a knife, and wounded their two young daughters, aged 12 and 14; during this time.

One interrogator threatened to "break his head with a 1.8-liter glass sake bottle” if Menda did not confess to the murder.

The police eventually coerced Menda into signing a written statement confirming he had committed the murder.

[1] In prison, Menda converted to Christianity and began reading the Bible and transcribing books into Braille.

[citation needed] On July 15, 1983, after 80 judges had been involved, the court delivered the verdict of an acquittal based on determination that he had falsely confessed and that the prosecution had failed to disclose exculpatory evidence to Menda's lawyers prior to his trial.

[4] The government gave Menda ¥700 for every day he was in prison: 90 million yen in total (approximately 2009 USD $990,540).

[7][8] The scandal in the aftermath of Menda's release prompted reform and aided a reintroduction of jury trials in Japan, as well as showing the Japanese legal system's over-reliance on conviction by means of confession.