Japanese court acquits widow of "Don Juan of Kishu" poisoning
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 news agency. The prosecution had sought a life sentence.
Saki Sudo admitted that she married the 77-year-old Kosuke Nozaki, a tycoon in the alcohol and real estate markets, 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 approximately 12 million CAD.
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 ingested the dangerous substance. According to investigators, it was unlikely he intended to commit suicide, given that he had planned a memorial service for his beloved dog and a doctor's appointment in the days ahead.
Sudo claimed that it was Nozaki who asked her to purchase the dangerous substance, and her defence argued that Nozaki might have taken too large a dose himself.
The millionaire's death attracted media attention due to his questionable reputation. In 2016, he published an autobiography titled "Don Juan of Kishu: The Man Who Gave 28 million CAD to 4,000 Beautiful Women." Kishu is the place in Wakayama Prefecture where Nozaki lived.
