The results of the autopsy on a 15-year-old high-school student slain in Kyoto Prefecture earlier in May show she was struck repeatedly around the face and head with a heavy, blunt object, and that her attacker had a strong intention to kill, investigators said May 10.

Miho Kosugi KYODO PHOTO

In addition to the fatal injuries, Miho Kosugi also bore unnatural abrasions on her back that would not have been made if she had fallen down on her own.

The sources said May 9 that police had begun investigating an acquaintance of the girl who might know about the circumstances surrounding the murder.

The girl's body was found in a forest in Maizuru on May 8. Authorities decided to treat the case as a homicide because of the large amount of blood found at the site.