Search for missing sisters wind down, may end today

Department of Public Safety Commissioner James Deleon Guerrero stated yesterday they are not completely ruling out foul play behind the disappearance of two Japanese sisters because the two have not been found.

In a news briefing held at DPS Boating Safety Section, Deleon Guerrero, however, stressed that there is no evidence at this point to suggest foul play.

“We are not completely ruling out foul play and the reason behind that is the absence of recovery of the two missing persons. We just cannot conclude at this time,” he said.

He said there is also no indication at this time to suggest that sisters Chinatsu Yamada and Natsuki Yamada brought their cell phones with them to the CNMI.

Deleon Guerrero said that DPS, with the help of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, checked with both IT&E and Docomo and have received information that no calls were made to or from the sisters’ cell phones using their cellular networks.

Deleon Guerrero said the sisters’ parents told investigators that they have not spoken to the two while they were on Saipan.

The commissioner said DPS is still making all efforts to continue the search and that, based upon a witness account, the search will continue until this afternoon, Tuesday.

Deleon Guerrero said a couple reported seeing two Japanese women around sunset on June 29 at Wing Beach.

“This information is being substantiated by our investigators at this point. If no further evidence or information is recovered by tomorrow afternoon, DPS will suspend search efforts,” he said.

Deleon Guerrero said he has already notified the victims’ parents yesterday about their plan to end the search.

The commissioner said the parents were obviously disappointed but accepted the facts that local and federal search and rescue teams have been doing their best to locate their daughters.

The parents are set to go back to Japan on July 11. They came here last Wednesday, July 2, after hearing about the disappearance of their daughters.

Deleon Guerrero said the parents were apparently not aware when their daughters came to Saipan.

Natsuki Yamada, 33, and Chinatsu Yamada, 26, arrived on Saipan last June 28. They were supposed go back to Japan on June 30.

Deleon Guerrero assured everyone that the case will still be investigated even after the search efforts are suspended.

“We have exhausted all efforts in the search of these two missing tourists and have expended a great deal of resources doing such,” he said.

DPS Boating Safety Section commander Sgt. Thomas Blas Jr. clarified yesterday that the raft believed to have been used by the sisters and recovered last July 2 was still inflated and was face up in the water. Earlier DPS reports stated that the raft was deflated.

Deleon Guerrero said they recovered a clothing with a Japanese name on it but it turned out that the name was not of the missing sisters and that the family also indicated it does not belong to the sisters.

Deleon Guerrero said there’s been a report (not Saipan Tribune) about the sisters’ pair of sandals. He said the pair of sandals was actually the pair of shoes and that they unlocked the sisters’ suitcase and found the pair of shoes there.

Blas said that 24 DPS and Commonwealth Ports Authority personnel took part in the search using four boats, vehicles, and jetskis.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Ken McCain said they used four aircraft, three helicopters, and two ships that covered 8,100 square nautical miles and 154 hours.