TOKYO - A former nurse has been indicted on a murder charge for allegedly killing a 75-year-old hospital patient by injecting fecal matter into his intravenous drip at a hospital in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture.
Miyuki Furukawa, 51, a licensed midwife who was working as a nurse at the hospital at the time, was arrested on suspicion of killing Eiji Aida in January 2026 by injecting fecal matter into the tubing connected to his IV drip.
Investigators believe Furukawa obtained the fecal matter from a waste disposal room inside the hospital and injected it into the tube using a syringe.
The Chiba District Public Prosecutors Office indicted Furukawa on August 4 on a charge of murdering Aida.
Furukawa told investigators at the time of her arrest, "I deny putting fecal matter into the tube." She continues to deny the allegation, according to investigative sources.
The alleged contamination occurred at Kashiwa Tanaka Hospital in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, at around 3:55 a.m. on January 30, while Miyuki Furukawa was working an overnight shift. She was reportedly the nurse responsible for the floor and was working with one assistant nurse.
The victim, Eiji Aida, 75, was an unemployed resident of Toride, Ibaraki Prefecture. At around 4 a.m., another staff member found him pale and breathing shallowly. Medical treatment was provided, but he died at around 10:30 p.m. on January 31. His death was attributed to multiple-organ failure caused by sepsis.
Investigators said a brown-colored substance was visible inside an extension tube connected to Aida's intravenous drip. Testing detected intestinal bacteria in the tube, while the same type of bacteria was found in Aida's blood.
Police believe fecal matter was taken from a hospital room used to dispose of patients' waste and injected with a syringe through a port normally used to administer medication. Investigators also reportedly seized a nursing uniform belonging to Furukawa that had fecal matter on it.
Hospital security footage reportedly showed Furukawa entering Aida's room and leaving about one minute later. Other accounts said she entered the room several times during the overnight shift.
The hospital became suspicious immediately after Aida's condition deteriorated. Staff removed the discolored IV tubing and placed it in a sterile container, but the tube later disappeared or appeared to have been replaced or cleaned. The hospital suspended Furukawa from work that day. She subsequently left the hospital at the end of February.
A hospital representative contacted police on February 1, reporting that a patient had died after a possible foreign substance was found in his intravenous line. Police arrested Furukawa on July 15 after examining security footage, forensic evidence and other material.
Investigative sources also said Furukawa had searched online for words meaning whether injecting feces could cause death. She reportedly denied knowing anything about the incident during voluntary questioning and continued to deny the charge after her arrest and indictment.
The prosecution has not publicly disclosed an alleged motive, and no reliable reporting has established that Furukawa had a personal dispute with Aida. The indictment means prosecutors believe there is sufficient evidence to take the case to trial, but the allegations have not yet been proven in court.
