Woman suspected of killing brother and making it look like suicide

According to police, Akemi Adachi, who is the president of a construction company in Sakai City, Osaka, was arrested on suspicion of killing her brother Masamitsu, who managed another company, at their parents' house in Naka Ward sometime between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on March 27, Fuji TV reported. Police allege that Adachi gave her brother sleeping pills.

Police said Adachi called Masamitsu's wife and urged her to come to their parents' home because something had happened to Masamitsu. When Masamitsu's wife arrived just before 7:30 p.m., Adachi showed her a suicide note and said Masamitsu had shut himself in the toilet on the second floor. The toilet door had been sealed with an adhesive bond. When Masamitsu's wife and Akemi managed to open the door, they found Masamitsu’s body lying on the toilet floor. Traces of charcoal briquettes were found in the toilet.

Masamitsu was taken to hospital where his death was listed as a probable suicide due to carbon monoxide poisoning. However, traces of sleeping pills were found in his body after an autopsy. Furthermore, the empty adhesive bottle was not found inside the toilet, but in another room, along with a lighter. Police have learned that Adachi had been prescribed sleeping pills which they believe she somehow gave to her brother via a spiked drink. A suicide note, purportedly from the victim, was found by his wife who said the writing did not look like Masamitsu’s. Police said they found the text of the note on Adachi's computer.

The Adachis' 67-year-old mother was also found collapsed at the house that day. Police said she told them later that she blacked out after drinking a matcha latte made by Akemi, Kyodo News reported. Also, the siblings' father, who has diabetes, has been brain dead due to low blood sugar since collapsing at the home in January. Police suspect Akemi may have been responsible for his condition, too, by withholding his insulin.