IWATE (TR) – Iwate Prefectural Police have launched a murder investigation after the corpse of a 78-year-old woman was found inside a burned-out vehicle in Kamaishi City last week, reports Fuji News Network (Aug. 25).
At around 2:15 a.m. on August 23, police responding to a report about a fire at the residence of Nobuko Ueno found her body inside the vehicle, which was parked inside a garage about 15 meters from the main structure.
The spread of fire inside the vehicle was limited to the interior, police said.
Police said the following day that the results of an autopsy revealed the cause of death of Ueno was death by fire. The time of death was two days before the discovery.
An examination of the body showed signs of wounds to the head delivered by a blunt weapon, but the injuries did not have a role in her death, police said.
The residence of Ueno, who lived alone, burned to the ground. Officers found her body after arriving at the scene to ensure the safety of anyone living in the area. The front door of the residence was locked, police said.
