Man suspected of carving up corpse of mother bought ice chest before

CHIBA (TR) – The son of a woman whose corpse was found dismembered along the coast of the prefecture earlier this year purchased an ice chest before committing the crime, police have revealed, reports Nippon News Network (Nov. 25).

On Saturday, police sent Motohiro Yamada, a 37-year-old company employee, to prosecutors on suspicion of destructing and abandoning the corpse of his mother, 75-year-old Yoko, at several locations along the coast.

“I carried out the job on September 26 and 27,” the suspect was quoted by police in admitting to the allegations. “I used a saw.”

The suspect lived with his mother at a residence in Yachimata City. In the latest development, police revealed that the suspect was seen purchasing an ice chest — measuring 1 meter in width — in security camera footage taken inside a store at some point before the crime took place.

As well, wall coverings in the bathroom in the residence were changed. Further, a seat in the suspect’s vehicle was replaced. He also had planned to sell the vehicle, police said.

Police believe the activities were a means for destructing evidence.

Washed up along beaches

As previously reported, a fisherman found the torso of the woman later identified as Yoko floating at the mouth of a river by a fisherman in Oamishirasato City on September 29.

Over a roughly 10-day period, various other body parts were found washed up along beaches and floating in a harbor in the towns of Kujukuri and Shirako.

Police used DNA analyses to confirm that the all of the remains belong to the same woman. Dental records and other information were later analyzed to confirm that the body is that of Yoko.

An examination of surveillance camera footage taken along the coast of Kujukuri showed the suspect’s vehicle in the area between the night of September 26 and the following morning, police said previously.

On November 16, officers began questioning Yamada. They also searched the residence.

Police are now examining the circumstances that led to the incident.