HOKKAIDO, Apr 26 (News On Japan) - A male employee of Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, has told investigators that he disposed of his wife's body in the zoo's incinerator and burned it for several hours, police said, as officers continued voluntary questioning of the man in his 30s, according to sources close to the investigation.
Police have been questioning the man, who is in his 30s, on a voluntary basis. Investigators are continuing their inquiry after he allegedly stated that he abandoned his wife's body in the incinerator at the zoo and 'burned it for several hours.'
The case emerged after the man's wife, also in her 30s, became unreachable from late March. Her whereabouts remain unknown, and authorities have not confirmed whether she is safe.
Investigative sources said the man has also suggested involvement in her death, prompting police to examine the possibility of murder.
At the zoo on April 24, forensic investigators continued searches at the animal hospital facility where the incinerator is located. No body has been found so far.
Before her disappearance, the woman had sent smartphone messages to acquaintances saying she was afraid because her husband had threatened her, according to people familiar with the matter.
Footage from the scene showed a light truck bearing the words 'Asahiyama ZOO' being taken into a warehouse at Asahikawa Higashi Police Station as the investigation intensified.
Police are proceeding cautiously as they seek to verify the man's statements and determine what happened to the missing woman.
Source: FNN
