NAGANO (TR) – A 46-year-old man was arrested over the alleged attempted murder of his teenage son had apparently tried to take his own life before the discovery of the bodies of his ex-wife and daughter, police revealed on Thursday, reports Nippon News Network (July 2).
Keisuke Iijima was initially taken into custody on Wednesday after a brief manhunt. The case came to light when Iijima’s 14-year-old son made a desperate plea for help, reporting that he had been attacked by his father.
Upon arriving at the family’s residence in Tomi City, authorities made a grim discovery: the lifeless bodies of Iijima’s 49-year-old ex-wife, Hitomi, and his daughter.
Iijima had fled the scene in a car but was tracked down and apprehended in Nagano City approximately four hours later. However, during his subsequent interrogation, the suspect began complaining of severe physical distress.
“I drank a toxic substance,” Iijima reportedly told investigators, indicating he attempted suicide while on the run. He has since been temporarily released from police custody and hospitalized for treatment.
“I want to die”
According to investigative sources, the suspect had been exhibiting troubling behavior in the lead-up to the bloodshed. Late last month, he was heard muttering to those around him, “I want to die, I want to die.”
Nine days before the attack, Iijima called his employer, falsely claiming that his younger brother was in critical condition with cancer. He then cut off all contact and went off the grid.
Despite being legally divorced, Iijima and Hitomi had continued living together under the same roof with their two children. Relatives indicated that the former couple had been grappling with deep anxieties regarding the upbringing of their son and daughter, with one relative noting that Iijima had appeared unwell and devoid of energy in recent weeks.
Police plan to formally re-arrest Iijima once his health recovers. The suspect has already hinted at his involvement in the deaths of his ex-wife and daughter, and investigators are moving forward to pursue double murder charges.
