Japan's alleged 'black widow' admits killing husband

Jul 10, 2017 | News On Japan

Jul 10, 2017 (Japan Times) - A 70-year-old woman dubbed the â€œblack widowâ€ admitted Monday to fatally poisoning her husband.

"I killed my husband," Chisako Kakehi said after taking the stand for the first time in her lay judge trial at the Kyoto District Court.

Besides murdering her husband, Isao Kakehi, who died in 2013 at age 75, Chisaki Kakehi is accused of using poison to kill her two common-law husbands and attempting to murder a boyfriend. Prosecutors allege these crimes were all committed between 2007 and 2013.

When the trial started on June 26, Kakehi only provided an opening statement that said, "I'm leaving everything to my lawyers." Her legal team asserted her innocence, claiming she cannot be held liable for crimes because she has dementia.

Kakehi's husband died on Dec. 28, 2013. A fatal dose of a cyanide compound was detected in his body.

During her testimony Monday, Kakehi said she tricked her husband into taking the poison and that she probably put it in a health food capsule.

Kakehi also said she obtained chemicals containing cyanide from a supplier when she was running a T-shirt printing business.

Asked about her motive for the killing, Kakehi said she thought she would be able to repay her debts if her husband died, admitting she murdered him for his money.

Kakehi said her husband treated her poorly when it came to financial matters, especially when compared with a different woman he used to date.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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