FUKUSHIMA (TR) – Fukushima Prefectural Police on Thursday arrested a 62-year-old woman for an arson attack in Minami Soma City that resulted in the death of her mother-in-law, reports Nippon News Network (Nov. 26).
At 6:30 a.m. on November 16, Mitsuko Shirakawa allegedly started a fire inside the residence in Haracho Ward that she shared with her husband and his mother, 91-year-old Matsuyo.
The fire was started in Matsuyo’s bedroom. She perished in the blaze due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
At the time of the incident, Shirakawa’s husband, who is an independent businessman, was in the hospital. Shirakawa was responsible for serving as a nurse for Matsuyo.
Shirakawa, who has been charged with murder-arson, admits to starting the fire. “I also intended to die,” the suspect is quoted by police, according to TBS News (Nov. 26). She added that she had become overwhelmed by the day-to-day life of taking care of her mother-in-law.