GUNMA (TR) – Gunma Prefectural Police have arrested a 41-year-old woman on suspicion of bodily injury resulting in death after she allegedly beat her brother-in-law to death at a prominent family estate,
According to police, Rieko Mochizuki initially attempting to cover up the crime by claiming 44-year-old Sumio Mochizuki, the younger brother of her husband, had fallen from a roof, reports TV Asahi (Aug. 7).
Mochizuki is accused of fatally assaulting her relative on the night of February 13 last year at a residence in Shibukawa City.
According to police, the suspect made a suspicious emergency call on the night of the incident, telling dispatchers, “A man fell from the roof and is collapsed at the entrance.”
However, when paramedics arrived, they found Sumio lying inside the house on a dirt floor (doma), rather than outside. Sensing foul play, emergency responders immediately contacted the police.
An autopsy later revealed multiple bruises covering the victim’s head and upper body, including severe wounds consistent with being struck by a blunt object.
Local elites
The incident took place on a sprawling estate owned by the Mochizuki family, described by neighbors as local elites. Sumio lived in a separate home on the same property but routinely visited the house shared by the suspect and his older brother.
At the time of the fatal beating, the suspect’s husband was out of the prefecture.
Upon her arrest, Mochizuki admitted to the allegations. “There is no mistake,” she told investigators, adding that she harbored resentment toward the victim. “I was frustrated with his daily behavior and attitude.”
Police are continuing their investigation and suspect that Sumio was subjected to routine, ongoing physical abuse prior to his death.
