A Japanese court on Thursday acquitted a 28-year-old woman of murdering her wealthy elderly husband who called himself the "Don Juan" of the western Japan area where he lived, ruling it could not discount that he may have mistakenly taken a lethal dose of illegal stimulant drugs.
Saki Sudo was charged with causing 77-year-old Kosuke Nozaki to ingest a lethal amount of a stimulant on May 24, 2018, just months after they got married, according to the indictment. Sudo denied the charges, saying she did not kill her former husband.
In handing down the ruling, Presiding Judge Keiko Fukushima of the Wakayama District Court said that as it was the first time Nozaki had used the stimulant, "it cannot be stated that there is no possibility he ingested a lethal amount by mistake."
With no direct evidence to tie Sudo to the alleged crime, the trial was fought over whether a criminal incident had taken place, and if she was acting with criminal intent.
Prosecutors had sought a life sentence, claiming Sudo, who received a monthly allowance of 1 million yen, married Nozaki for his money and to inherit his fortune. They alleged her online searches included "perfect crime" and "stimulant drugs, lethal amount," and she obtained drugs from a dealer.
Sudo was the only person with Nozaki at the time he ingested the drugs, prosecutors said, arguing that it was unlikely that he killed himself given that he had planned a memorial service for his beloved pet dog and scheduled a doctor's appointment in the days after his death.
Following Thursday's ruling, the Wakayama District Public Prosecutors Office said in a statement that it will examine the ruling and respond after consulting with higher prosecutors.
The ruling said that neither the possibility she would inherit Nozaki's fortune nor the web searches were sufficient to presume intention to kill or that she was planning a murder.
In denying the charges, Sudo said she was asked by Nozaki to buy the drugs for him. Her defense claimed it was possible Nozaki ingested the drugs himself.
"If there is only suspicious evidence and there are doubts about concluding that someone is the culprit, they should be considered not guilty," her counsel said.
As the president of a liquor sales company and real estate business in Wakayama Prefecture, Nozaki is said to have had a personal worth of around 1.3 billion yen. Sudo married Nozaki, who was more than 50 years older than her, in February 2018.
Nozaki gained notoriety for publishing an autobiography titled "Don Juan of Kishu: The Man Who Gave 3 Billion Yen to 4,000 Beautiful Women" in 2016, likening himself to the mythical Spanish playboy. Kishu is a historical name for the region in the prefecture where he lived.
Sudo is already serving a finalized sentence of three years and six months for defrauding a man of 29.8 million yen.
© KYODO
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Asiaman7
Not Guilty!
Powerful ruling!
After carefully reviewing all evidence and prosecution claims, the citizens participating in this criminal trial alongside Judge Keiko Fukushima have spoken.
The trust the public has in prosecutors seems to be fading.
Jay
The twists in this case are truly mind-boggling. An elderly simp marries an ultimate opportunist pornstar - against all common sense and likely driven by blind infatuation and viagra, only to meet an untimely death under suspicious circumstances. Then, as if pulled from the pages of a satire, the opportunist wife gets arrested but is ultimately acquitted, walking free despite the glaring cloud of doubt hanging over her actions. Wow.
This isn't just top-notch legal drama, it’s a stark reminder to value self-respect and discernment over reckless devotion to someone who obviously doesn't give a stuff about you.
dagon
Given the man's proclivities it was hard to imagine he was a sober, continent individual.
Who knows but he certainly wasn't any Don Juan, not any Casanova.
Random
I paid 4000 women for sex should have been the title of his book.
Fighto!
The old man looks confused (drugged?) in this photo.
Wow. She is probably a very, very lucky woman. And now a very wealthy one, too.
Mirchy
Judging by the photo: Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet
wallace
Unusual case and an unusual verdict. Is she now free to inherit his money?
factchecker
Nozaki gained notoriety for publishing an autobiography titled "Don Juan of Kishu: The Man Who Gave 3 Billion Yen to 4,000 Beautiful Women" in 2016, likening himself to the mythical Spanish playboy. Kishu is a historical name for the region in the prefecture where he lived.
Delusional. He gave that money to prostitutes. genuine Don Juan gets it for free or better still he gets the cash as a gigolo.
Eugene
Probably the only ruling in Japanese legal history that included the words "She's Hot".
KazukoHarmony
Is she though?
Abe234
Wow. There should be a Netflix script for this. You really couldn’t make this up.
It’s truly amazing how much money can make an old man sooooo handsome without having any plastic surgery. Gold digger! But then again if she’s a porn star, she got paid for doing that and there’s no difference in doing this. Or even being a lady of the night. Her mother and father must be sooo proud of her.
Ricky Kaminski13
Wow. There was little doubt that she killed him. The sordid details of the case have gripped the nation. Surprising verdict but apparently she never ended up with his money, so in the end it maybe a judgement against silly old men choosing opportunistic ladies of the night for life, or in this case death, partners. There will be a movie made, fo sho.
himawari23
Wow I’m actually surprised she was acquitted. If she really did do it I guess the “perfect crime” search worked. She’ll still go to jail though for 3.5 years for defrauding another guy.
Tokyo Guy
I'd hit it.
Bamboozler
"Sudo-san, what was it about the ¥-billionaire Nozaki that first attracted you?"
Futaro Gamagori
First thing that came in my mind after seeing the photo is I would get someone much better looking if i had that much money to throw away
owzer
Excellent idea! I can’t wait to find out what their genders are!!
owzer
It must hurt to know that people go for things other than just looks.
kohakuebisu
If interested in the "is she hot?" angle, you can easily find images from the adult films she appeared in while he was alive. Let's just say she's not my type.
The evidence points to her doing it, but is not conclusive and she didn't confess. In Japan at least, this means acquittal. If interested in Netflix, they have a special on the Lucie Blackmon case which shows how the huge amount of evidence against her killer was still insufficient to get the initial prosecution against him. It took another trial to do it.
Sudo bought him the drugs, was there when he took them, likely did the dog in first, and her web search history is off the chart, but demonstrating curiosity in detailed ways to kill your partner, including how to do it with crystal meth or whatever kakuseizai she bought, and buying that kakuseizai are not conclusive evidence that you actually did it. Japan famously convicts 99% or whatever it is of people taken to trial, but here's Saki Sudo as one example of the 1% who don't.
Jtsnose
While the presumption of innocence seems just, . . . the rights of the aged should never be forgotten . . . .
Abe234
I think what’s really interesting here is, some guy rots in prison for 40 odd years get dementia, finally released, then acquitted and get an opology.
some ex porn star, gets acquitted in a few years, and there was way more evidence suggesting she did it. Anyway she is most certainly culpable of something, she searched for the drugs, brought the drugs to him, and gave it to him. I think if You or I did this to someone who wanted to kill themselves, we’d be arrested and charged and sent to jail. Most certainly not acquitted!
did the old man have any pre-existing conditions suggesting he would take his own life? Any past history or evidence of self harm or any history of suicidal ideation? Seen any psychiatrists? If the answer is no…… it’s smells very suspect. She’s certainly guilty of aiding and abetting. Possibly the wrong charges!
リッチ
She should sue for liable accusing her of that. An old rich man wanting a young woman. What not new about that. If you have money you can get anyone. It’s not illegal and for her she wouldn’t need to kill him a few nights more and well he would die of natural and pleasant causes.