HYOGO (TR) – Police in Nishinomiya City have arrested a 67-year-old woman and her 35-year-old son after a decaying corpse, believed to be her missing husband, was discovered in their home, reports TV Asahi (July 9).
Chihiro Osaki and her eldest son, Eisuke, are facing charges of abandoning a corpse. Upon her arrest, Chihiro offered a bizarre justification to investigators, stating, “I didn’t report it because I thought it was for my husband’s sake.”
The investigation began in April when concerned relatives contacted the police, reporting that they had been unable to reach Chihiro’s 68-year-old husband. When officers initially phoned the residence, Chihiro brushed off their inquiries, claiming, “He is sometimes at home, and sometimes not.”
The following month, officers physically visited the home. Both Chihiro and Eisuke spoke with the police, playing dumb and insisting they had “no idea” of the man’s whereabouts.
However, the case took a grim turn on Wednesday. When officers returned to the property for a follow-up, they immediately noticed a foul odor permeating the house. Proceeding to a second-floor bedroom, police pulled back a futon on a bed to reveal the unidentified corpse.
Eisuke has since admitted to the allegations, pointing the finger at his mother.
“My mother told me she didn’t want me to call an ambulance,” the 35-year-old told investigators. “I knew my father had passed away, but I just left him there.”
Police are currently working to officially confirm the identity of the body and determine the exact cause of death.
