At around 2:40 p.m., officers found the bodies of Kenichi Hata, 70, and that of his wife, 71-year-old Michie, collapsed and lying face-up inside the residence, located in the Kamiyama area.
According to the Hakodate Chuo Police Station, the bodies had unspecified wounds. As well, both persons appeared to have died several days before the discovery, and the interior or the residence showed no signs of having been ransacked.
The couple shares the residence with their eldest son, Naoya. Officers later arrested him on suspicion of abandoning a corpse. Police did not reveal if he admits to the allegations.
Officers initially entered the residence after the couple’s second son indicated that they had been out of contact for an extended period.
The results of autopsies will be used to determine the causes of death, said police, who are also questioning Naoya on suspicion of murder.
