SAITAMA (TR) – Saitama Prefectural Police are investigating what is believed to have been a murder-suicide following the discovery of the bodies of a woman and her daughter inside their residence in Saitama City on Wednesday, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Feb. 14).
At around 7:00 a.m., police were tipped off about the discovery of the bodies of the woman, 36, and her second daughter, 8, lying face-up atop futons in the residence, located in Minato Ward.
According to police, the upper body of the girl was bleeding from severe injuries. No information was provided on the condition of the body of the woman.
The front door of the residence was locked, and the interior showed no signs of having been ransacked, police said.
The woman shared the residence with her two daughters. Relatives of the family live in an adjoining building, police said.
The eldest daughter discovered the bodies after awaking in a separate room that morning. She then alerted relatives in the other building.
Police suspect the woman killed her daughter before taking her own life, according to TV Asahi (Feb. 14).