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Aichi: Suicide ruled as cause of death of man whose corpse found near river

The body of a 58-year-old man was found along a river in Obu City last week
The body of a 58-year-old man was found along a river in Obu City last week

AICHI (TR) – Aichi Prefectural Police revealed have revealed that a man whose corpse was found along a river in Obu City last week very likely committed suicide, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Jan. 6).

At around 8:15 a.m. on Friday, Masaharu Noguchi, a resident of Nagoya’s Midori Ward, was found collapsed and bleeding by his son, 21, in a grove of trees near the river in the town of Kyowacho.

Noguchi was later confirmed dead at a hospital. The neck of the victim appeared to have been slashed with a knife, according to the Tokai Police Station.

On Saturday, police revealed that the results of an autopsy indicated that Noguchi died from a self-inflicted wound, a conclusion reached after an examination of the shape of the wound he suffered. As well, a knife believed to be from his residence was found about one meter from his body.

According to a previous report, Noguchi left his residence, located about 200 meters from the grove, with his wife, 45, to walk their dog at just past 6:00 a.m. on Friday.

At some point thereafter, the pair became separated in the wooded area and his wife returned home. His son then went out looking for him, police said.

The case was initially treated as murder.