Japanese court acquits woman in millionaire poisoning trial
A court in Japan acquitted a 28-year-old woman accused of poisoning her wealthy, much older husband shortly after their wedding. The 77-year-old Kosuke Nozaki wrote an autobiography in 2016 in which he boasted about spending large sums on "beautiful women," reported the Kyodo agency. The prosecution had demanded a life sentence.
6:41 AM EST, December 12, 2024
Saki Sudo admitted that she married the 77-year-old Kosuke Nozaki, a tycoon in the alcohol and real estate market, for money, but she denied the accusation that in May 2018, three months after their wedding, she murdered him to inherit his estate, valued at 8.8 million USD.
The "Japan Times" portal points out that prosecutors only presented circumstantial evidence, claiming that the woman searched the internet for terms like "perfect crime" and "stimulants, lethal dose."
Sudo was reportedly the only person present with Nozaki when he took the dangerous substance. According to investigators, it was unlikely he wanted to commit suicide, given that he had planned a memorial service for his beloved dog and a doctor's appointment in the following days.
Sudo claimed that it was Nozaki who asked her to purchase the dangerous substance, and her defense argued that Nozaki could have taken too large a dose himself.
Millionaire womanizer released an autobiography
The millionaire's death attracted media attention due to his questionable reputation. In 2016, he published an autobiographical book titled "Don Juan of Kishu: The Man Who Gave 20.4 million USD to 4,000 Beautiful Women." Kishu is the place in Wakayama Prefecture where Nozaki lived.
