Corpse of woman in freezer in Shiga possibly wife of suspect

SHIGA (TR) – It all started with a suicide note found in Sakai City on April 1. After that, police found a woman’s corpse in a freezer and made three arrests.

In the latest development, the body is possibly that of the wife of one of the arrested suspects in the case, which unfolded this week in two locations more than 100 kilometers apart, reports Nippon News Network (Apr. 4).

On Wednesday, police accused Koichiro Iwase, 72, his son, 49-year-old Tatsuhiko, and 62-year-old Hidenori Nonaka, of abandoning a corpse.

“There is a body”

The day before, police searched the residence that Koichiro and Tatsuhiko share in Nagahama City. The body of the woman was found in a commercial freezer.

The fully clothed body exhibited no signs of external injuries, police said.

Police have yet to identify the body. However, they have a lead.

The third suspect, Hidenori Nonaka, is a part-time cleaner from Higashi Ward, Sakai. According to relatives, Nonaka’s wife has been living at Iwase’s home for several years. However, she has not been in contact recently.

120 kilometers apart

The incident came to light when a 57-year-old man and his wife, 71, were found dead in their house in Sakai on April 1.

Around 8:30 p.m., the eldest daughter of the couple called police. “My parents are dead in the closet,” she said. Police officers who rushed to the scene found the couple in a walk-in closet. The case is believed to have been a double suicide.

The suicide note left at the scene contained the name “Koichiro Iwase.” The letter went on, “I heard that someone died in Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture. There is a body.” It added, “I will report it.”

Based on the note, Osaka police alerted law enforcement in Shiga. Officers then searched Iwase’s home.

“Snack” bar

Koichi is believed to be an acquaintance of the couple who are thought to have committed suicide. A reporter for TV Asahi (Apr. 4) interviewed another acquaintance of theirs.

The acquaintance says the couple ran a “snack” bar. “She seemed like an ordinary snack bar hostess,” the acquaintance says.

Nonaka lives in the same city as the deceased couple. However, it is not known if he has a connection to them.