An 81-year-old man in Japan has confessed to killing his wheelchair-bound wife by pushing her into the sea.
Local authorities at the Kanagawa Prefecture apprehended Hiroshi Fujiwara in his home in the town of Oiso on Thursday.
Fujiwara told investigators that he had grown tired of taking care of his 79-year-old wife, Teruko, who lost the ability to move her legs over four decades ago.
Authorities believe Fujiwara brought Teruko to Oiso port by car on Nov. 2 under the pretense of taking her out for a walk. Fujiwara reportedly pushed her into the sea at around 5:30 p.m.
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Teruko’s body was later discovered floating in the water by a fisherman, who reported it to a local government official.
According to The Asahi Shimbun, the couple’s eldest son reached out to local authorities at around 7 p.m. to tell them: “My father said he pushed my mother [into the sea].”
One of the couple’s neighbors residing in the same apartment complex expressed shock over the incident.
“He is friendly and often gave a ride to his wife, who I understand was bed-ridden,” she was quoted saying. “He was devoted to his wife, and there was nothing to suggest [he could kill her], but I guess he was struggling inside.”
