Police in Osaka have arrested a 59-year-old woman on suspicion of killing her 82-year-old husband by hitting his head with two flower vases while he slept.
According to police, a man called 110 at around 2 p.m. Monday in which he said a female acquaintance had killed her husband, Kyodo News reported. Police went to the apartment in Sumiyoshi Ward and found the body of Haruo Azuma collapsed on a bed and bleeding from his head. He was declared dead at the scene.
His wife, Yoshiko Azuma, a company executive, admitted killing her husband and was arrested at the apartment. There were two flower vases weighing about 3 kg and 5.5 kg, respectively, covered in bloodstains.
Police said the woman told them she killed her husband at around 7:45 a.m. on Monday by hitting his head multiple times with the vases. She was quoted as saying she killed him because caring for him "had become like torture."
Police said the man who called them was the suspect’s acquaintance and had gone to the apartment after receiving several calls from her in the morning.
Editor: Story has been changed to correct the woman's motive for killing her husband. We apologize for the mistranslation.
© Japan Today
21 Comments
Login to comment
Elvis is here
That's a first. Could she not have moved out and gotten a divorce instead?
falseflagsteve
WTF! She married a fella 23 years her elder. 23 years! Can you believe it? What kind of old sort is going to complain about being taken care of?
She sounds like a lunatic, possibly a money grabber who wanted the poor old fella to pop his clogs yet he was still going strong it seems.
Ask Trade
She was quoted as saying she got fed up with her husband always trying to take care of her.
Maybe a typo or mistranslation?
My thinking it would be the other away around.
Elvis is here
I thougt the same. But she is a CE, so maybe some bad blood there regarding who wears the trousers.
Lindsay
Always trying to take care of her? I think something got lost in translation. Hassling her about her whereabouts and who she was with, expecting to be in constant contact and be home on time every day is more like it. Killing someone for taking care of you doesn’t make sense.
Ken Holcomb
Well, that's a new one, for me anyway. Usually it's the opposite.
Also, why was the "male acquaintance" the one who called the cops? Makes one wonder how "acquainted" were they and was his call more a preventative measure for self preservation? Hmmm.....
garypen
Definitely either a mistranslation or typo. I imagine it was actually that he was always trying to control her, or that she was taking care of him, being 82-years-old.
3RENSHO
'take care of' could be a translation from the original Japanese expression, 'seiwa wo suru' 世話をする
which would necessitate a degree of responsibility; perhaps this is what she grew tired of...
Chico3
Wow! That's something you don't hear so often. And the huge age gap. Any guesses why she really did it?
That's rare. I'm sure lots of women would like that. He was a good gentleman. What was the complaint?
Moderator
Readers, the story has been changed to correct the woman's motive for killing her husband. We apologize for the mistranslation.
garypen
I'm gonna go out on a limb, and say she didn't like him.
jeffy
falseflagsteve Today 06:54 am JST
I can believe it. They have probably been together for a long time. Since the time he was a seasoned older man and she was a young woman still learning about life in the mid-80's. And it was fun back then. Living the high life without a care in the world. But the days of summer are over and the winter has come. He has gotten older and needs her help to do even the most basic things. And well, she wants to be the seasoned one with her new acquaintance. . . But he had other plans.
Sven Asai
Anyway, something is very wrong in general with system and in economy when even a company executive can't afford to send the sick or otherwise problematic and very old husband Into a senior residence or caring station etc. and the only way out of 'torture' is a psychopathic murder with vases. And additionally also she hasn't any moral compass. What about her parents at the time when she was a toddler and had their 'torture' with her, feeding and changing diapers and working hard for her baby food? What if they had ended their 'torture' then early too?
Jind
"She killed him because caring for him "had become like torture."
Might have health issues or may be too demanding.
No need to kill and seek other alternative avenues.
Redemption
This is definitely a risk if you marry a much younger person who doesn’t want to change your diapers.
TaiwanIsNotChina
If your young wife makes it with you all the way until you are in diapers, I say mission accomplished.
Redemption
Not if she bashes your head with vases!
Danielsan
Taking care of elderly can be physically and emotionally exhausting, in some cases extremely so.
For a woman to react so violently, I'd imagine that caring for the victim was a real chore. Had she planned on killing him, she'd have made it look like a natural death or an accident.
The poor woman simply snapped. Temporary insanity..
Chico3
No worries, moderator. Thanks!
shogun36
Psycho..............
So, who is this DUDE? Or is he just a DUDE? He also sounds suspicious. Check out his background while you are at it.