CHIBA (TR) – Chiba Prefectural Police have arrested a 54-year-old woman for the murder of her elderly mother two years ago, revealing she squandered millions of the victim’s yen tipping online video creators, reports Fuji News Network (Aug. 12).
Hideko Ishigami, a part-time worker residing in Mobara City, was taken into custody on the 10th for allegedly strangling her mother, Shizuko, inside her home in Isumi City.
Upon her arrest, Hideko vehemently denied the allegations, telling investigators, “I did not kill my mother.”
Livestreaming video creators
The incident came to light in August two years ago when Shizuko was found dead, lying on her back in a second-floor bedroom of her residence. While there were no obvious signs of a struggle at the scene, a subsequent autopsy determined the cause of death to be asphyxiation due to compression of the neck.
Following a two-year investigation, police uncovered a bizarre financial trail linking the mother’s death to the daughter’s online habits.
Investigative sources revealed that Hideko had control over her mother’s bank accounts. Using those funds, she allegedly blew more than 10 million yen on digital “tips” or “super chats” for livestreaming video creators.
“I can’t believe it”
Neighbors expressed shock at the grim resolution to the two-year-old cold case.
“She was a nice old lady. I can’t believe it,” one local resident said. “We were just chatting right before it happened. I asked her where she was going, and she said the osteopathic clinic. I told her to be careful in the summer heat.”
Acquaintances of the family noted that the mother and daughter frequently visited each other’s homes. According to one person who knew the pair, Shizuko had completely paid for the construction of Hideko’s house in Mobara, as she was her only child.
However, fatal financial friction appeared to be brewing behind closed doors. The same acquaintance noted that Shizuko had previously spoken about her savings, stating, “I have plenty of money, but I’m not giving it to her.”
Police are continuing their investigation, operating under the suspicion that the murder was fueled by a severe financial dispute over the daughter’s excessive online spending.
