SHIZUOKA (TR) – Shizuoka Prefectural Police are investigating whether the son of an elderly woman played a role in dumping her body in the mountains in Hamamatsu City before he died, reports TV Asahi (Sept. 25).
Last week, police arrested Masaya Morishita, 47, and Kanami Koide, 49, for allegedly burying the body of Hisayo Takahashi, 83, in a mountainous area of Tenryu Ward around February 2018.
During questioning, Morishita divulged the location of Takahashi’s body. Police found the corpse on August 6.
In the latest development, police are investigating whether Takahashi’s son, whose name and age have not been revealed, played a role in the crime.
Morishita also told police that Koide and the son requested that she assist in the dumping of the body.
Police added that the son has died and his body was found buried on another mountain. No other details were provided.
Targeted pension payments
In April, police first arrested Morishita and Koide, both of no known occupation, as a part of a fraud investigation. At the time, they were in possession of bank cards belonging to Takahashi and her son.
Police later arrested the pair for allegedly using the card belonging to the son to withdraw a total of 600,000 yen from his account between July of last year and April.
Takahashi was an acquaintance of the suspects. At this point in the investigation, her whereabouts were unknown. But police knew that the son had already died.
This month, police further accused the suspects of using a joint card belonging to Takahashi and her son to withdraw a total of 4 million yen from their account.
Police suspect that the suspects targeted pension payments that Takahashi was still receiving with the withdrawals from the later account.
“Unbelievable”
NHK (Sept. 25) interviewed Koide’s mother. She said that her daughter became acquainted with Takahashi through Koide’s father about 5 years ago. As a result, a relationship existed between the families.
As well, Koide consulted with Takahashi about various problems. The mother added that her daughter got to know Morishita about 10 years ago.
“Since I don’t know the reason, it is unbelievable,” the mother said in commenting on the arrest of her daughter.
