TOCHIGI (TR) – Tochigi Prefectural Police have arrested an 85-year-old man for allegedly strangling his bedridden wife to death at their residence in Ashikaga City, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Feb. 7).
At around 10:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Tokuji Imai allegedly used a towel to strangle his wife, 78-year-old Akie, to death inside the residence, located in the Akamatsudai area.
“I wanted to comfort my wife, who was suffering from a disease, as quickly as possible,” the suspect told the Asahikaga Police Station.
The morning after the incident, a female Peruvian national, aged in her 70s, who serves as a nurse for Akie, arrived at the residence. The nurse then found Akie’s body on a bed.
At the time of the discovery, Imai was not at the residence. A letter addressed to police was found inside the residence. “I killed my wife,” the letter read.
Police later located Iami at a parking lot in Ashikaga. During questioning, the suspect said that he planned to take his own life.
Akie suffered from paralysis over a portion of her body. The nurse began taking care of her in April of last year, police said.
