A 50-year-old girl has been arrested in Kobe on suspicion of abandoning the dismembered physique of her former husband in a big freezer at a condominium unit, the place she allegedly continued paying lease for greater than 14 years whereas hiding his dying.
Hyogo Prefectural Police stated the suspect, Aki Mochizuki, was the spouse of the sufferer, Yutaka Nishiguchi, round 2012, when he’s believed to have died. Police stated Mochizuki positioned Nishiguchi’s physique in luggage, left it inside a freezer and deserted the corpse.
According to police, Mochizuki continued paying lease on the unit for greater than 14 years after allegedly abandoning the physique, even whereas residing in one other condominium in Kobe. She has admitted the allegation, telling investigators, “There is no mistake that I did it. I did something terrible, and I have nothing to say in my defense.”
Nishiguchi’s physique was discovered on June 20 inside a big freezer in a condominium unit in Kobe’s Chuo Ward, the place he had as soon as lived. The physique had been lower on the stomach, with the higher half, wearing a T-shirt, and the decrease half, sporting underwear, every positioned in separate luggage.
After the case got here to mild, investigators centered on Mochizuki, Nishiguchi’s former spouse, who was seven years youthful than him and the tenant of the unit.
Mochizuki now not lived on the scene and had moved to a different condominium in central Kobe. Residents of that constructing stated police had been preserving watch on the ground the place she lived. One resident stated, “There were quite a few people coming and going, so I wondered if something had happened. It felt like they were checking around the area.” Another stated, “Police had been watching the place for two or three days. When I asked what they were doing, they said they were police and apologized, saying they were on a stakeout.”
According to investigative sources, Mochizuki initially denied involvement throughout voluntary questioning. On June 22, nonetheless, she contacted police and admitted, “I did it,” resulting in her arrest.
More than 14 years have handed because the incident is believed to have occurred. Police stated that after Nishiguchi died, Mochizuki hid his dying, went via a divorce and moved elsewhere. She is at the moment believed to be unemployed.
At the identical time, she remained the tenant of the unit the place the physique was discovered and continued paying lease till not too long ago. Her present dwelling and the condominium the place Nishiguchi’s physique was deserted are about 10 minutes aside by automotive. Police imagine Mochizuki continued coming into the unit even after the incident.
An individual who lived within the unit earlier than Nishiguchi and Mochizuki stated there had been no freezer there on the time. “The only thing I left behind when I moved out was the air conditioner. I took everything else with me. It wasn’t the kind of home where someone would leave a freezer,” the particular person stated.
Although Mochizuki continued paying the lease every month, she stopped paying the electrical energy invoice in 2025, in line with investigators. The energy was lower off, inflicting the physique contained in the freezer to decompose, which is believed to have helped alert others to one thing uncommon.
Another query for investigators is whether or not Mochizuki had assist over the 14 years, together with in making ready or shifting the freezer. Former Saitama prefectural police investigator Narumi Sasaki stated it was attainable that folks unaware of the circumstances helped transfer a big freezer, however added that the very fact the physique was by no means moved out suggests she might have acted alone.
Mochizuki has additionally reportedly made statements hinting that she killed Nishiguchi. Police are persevering with to research the detailed circumstances and motive behind the case.
Source: FNN