AICHI (TR) – Aichi Prefectural Police have launched a murder investigation following the discovery of the body of a 62-year-old woman at her residence in Ichinomiya City, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Sept. 1).
At around 12:30 p.m. on August 30, the body of Yoko Watanabe, a part-time worker, was found lying face-up in her living room by a male acquaintance. She was soon after confirmed dead.
Watanabe’s neck had markings consistent with strangulation. According to the Ichinomiya Police Station, the results of an autopsy revealed the cause of death to have very likely been suffocation.
Watanabe, who lives alone, was last seen at work on August 26. Police suspect she was killed sometime between that evening and the following morning since since newspapers dated August 27 and after were found collected at the residence.