Single mother’s dismembered body found in Japan; married man arrested
The body of a 33-year-old single mother was found dismembered in Japan in the home of a married man with whom she had allegedly been having an affair.
Body parts of the victim, Ms Ito Ayumi, were found on the balcony of the suspect’s home in Shizuoka prefecture on the south coast of Japan, as well as in his car.
Police arrested the suspect, Tsuchiya Yuki, 31, on Feb 23, Fuji News Network reported. The crime is believed to have been committed on Feb 21.
Tsuchiya has since confessed that he chopped up Ms Ito’s body in his home.
Public broadcaster NHK, citing unnamed sources, reported on Monday that he told investigators he hit Ms Ito on her head with a blunt object in her car, and strangled her with a cord.
Neighbours reportedly heard suspicious noises coming from his home in Numazu, a city in Shizuoka, where he lives with his wife, two young children and his elderly father.
A neighbour in his 60s told NHK that he heard “rattling and banging” noises at night on Feb 20 or Feb 21.
Ms Ito lived in Iwata, about 130km away, or a two-hour drive. Her car was found in a carpark about 280m away from the suspect’s home.
Ms Ito is believed to have met Tsuchiya in 2022, when they were members of a committee that contributes to the development of Shizuoka prefecture.
According to screenshots of his LinkedIn page, which has been taken down, he has been working as an adviser at insurer Manulife since 2020.
The news of this murder follows that of Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi, 28, whose headless body was discovered on Friday. Parts of her body – including her bashed head – had been cooked in a large soup pot, with some kept in a refrigerator.
Four people have been charged in connection with the murder, including Ms Choi’s former husband, former brother-in-law, former father-in-law and former mother-in-law. The mistress of Ms Choi’s former father-in-law has also been arrested.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
