KANAZAWA (Kyodo) -- A man who served a seven-year sentence for the 1986 murder of a 15-year-old girl in central Japan is almost certain to be acquitted in a retrial held at a high court branch, with the hearing on Thursday concluding the same day.

During the first retrial hearing at the Kanazawa branch of the Nagoya High Court, Shoshi Maekawa, 59, once again pleaded not guilty, saying, "I am not the culprit by any means." The ruling will be handed down on July 18.

Prosecutors insisted that Maekawa is guilty, but did not present new evidence, which means that the Kanazawa branch will come up with a conclusion based on evidence that was shown during court deliberations that resulted in the start of the retrial.

Maekawa was accused of murdering the junior high school student at her home in Fukui Prefecture in March 1986 after a quarrel. The Fukui District Court acquitted him in 1990, but the Kanazawa branch convicted him in 1995, a ruling that was later finalized.

There was no direct evidence linking Maekawa to the murder. He has maintained his innocence and filed two requests for retrial since 2004, after serving his term.

The start of the retrial was decided in October last year, after the credibility of the testimonies from Maekawa's acquaintances, including a statement claiming to have seen him with blood on his person, was called into question.

During Thursday's hearing, prosecutors argued that the testimonies were "generally" reliable, while Maekawa's defense team contended they were "far from" reliable.