Three suspects were identified from witness testimony near the discovery site and surveillance camera footage from the store where the handcuffs and dumbbells used for the crime had been sold.
On seeing a Mercedes-Benz parked outside the restaurant, Wang thought that, "There must be a bank deposit of around tens of millions of yen in Matsumoto's house.
On February 5, 2004, the Japanese daily newspaper Nishinippon Shimbun reported, "For the purpose of robbery, the amount of cash stolen was as small as about 40,000 yen, and there were many suspicious points, such as the fact that valuables such as cameras were left behind.
"[6] After fleeing Japan, Wang immediately started working, but drew the attention of police by "spending extravagantly" with money he had stolen.
He was brought in for questioning and confessed to the murders, giving a detailed account of the crime, providing vital information which would lead to the arrest of Yang.
On January 24, 2005, the Liaoyang Intermediate People's Court sentenced Yang to death and Wang to life imprisonment.
[12] Wei was indicted in Japan on March 23, 2004, by Judge Hiroshi Suyama of the Fukuoka District Court.
The fact of prosecution was largely confirmed in the first trial,[2] and on February 1, 2005, opening statements began regarding whether the Fukuoka District Public Prosecutors Office should seek the death penalty.