New Zealand Murder Case Links Anime Bleach to Defense Strategy

A murder case in New Zealand has taken an unexpected turn as the defense introduced evidence suggesting the crime was influenced by the anime Bleach. Gabriel Hikari Yad-Elohim, 36, was convicted for the 2017 murder of Auckland resident Michael Mulholland, 69.

New Zealand Murder Case Links Anime Bleach to Defense Strategy

According to recent reports by Law News (December 13) and The New Zealand Herald (January 13), the defense claimed Yad-Elohim was recreating a scene from the popular anime.

Defense psychiatrist Dr. Cavney revealed that he discovered a specific Bleach scene weeks after the trial and disclosed it to appellate counsel.

However, the scene was reportedly not fully represented in the Court of Appeal. The reports did not specify which Bleach series or episode was involved.

Yad-Elohim, diagnosed with schizophrenia prior to the murder, was arrested and convicted for bludgeoning Mulholland to death. During his 2017 trial, his defense pleaded insanity, but the jury dismissed the claims. In May 2023, he appealed the conviction with support from forensic psychiatrist Dr. Chaplow, but the Court of Appeal upheld the original verdict.

In July 2024, Yad-Elohim made a final appeal to the New Zealand Supreme Court. According to Law News, the Supreme Court reviewed a video and transcript of a monologue Yad-Elohim delivered in Japanese during a police interrogation 24 hours after the attack. The court noted significant similarities between the video, the attack, and the monologue, deeming the evidence credible and substantial.

As of now, the New Zealand Supreme Court has not announced when it will hear Yad-Elohim’s case.

via Você Sabia Anime