SAPPORO, (Japan): Police on Thursday (April 30) arrested a man for allegedly burning his wife’s body in an incinerator at his workplace, Asahiyama Zoo, in the city of Asahikawa in the northernmost Japan prefecture of Hokkaido.
Arrested by the Hokkaido police department was Tatsuya Suzuki, a 33-year-old employee of the Asahikawa municipal government. The zoo, which is very popular, is run by the city.
He admitted to the alleged damaging of his wife’s body, telling the police, “It’s true.”
Suzuki is suspected of carrying the body of his wife, Yui, also 33, into the zoo and burning it in the incinerator on or around March 31.
The suspect also made statements hinting that he killed his wife. The police will investigate details of the case, including his motives, with in mind the possibility of charging him with murder as well.
According to investigative sources, Yui’s relatives had reported to police that she became unreachable in late March. Suzuki and Yui were living by themselves.
During voluntary questioning prior to his arrest, Suzuki told investigators that he abandoned Yui’s body in the incinerator at the zoo, and the police detected part of her body from the incinerator, which is used to burn dead animals from the zoo.
Due to the police investigation into the incident, Asahiyama Zoo has postponed the start of its summer operations from Wednesday to Friday.
“We apologize deeply for causing great concern and inconvenience,” Asahikawa Mayor Hirosuke Imazu said in a statement issued after the arrest of Suzuki.. “We will continue to fully cooperate with the investigation,” he added. - Jiji Press
