GUNMA (TR) – Gunma Prefectural Police on Thursday arrested a 53-year-old unemployed man after the skeletonized remains of an elderly woman were discovered in his home in Isesaki City, reports NHK (Oct. 16).
Police believe the deceased is the mother of Takehiro Hashizume, a resident of the Yasakacho area. His mother is aged in her 80s.
According to police, a city official contacted authorities on October 6, reporting that they had been unable to confirm the safety and well-being of the elderly woman for several years.
When police officers visited the residence on Thursday morning, Hashizume answered the door and attempted to wave them off, claiming, “My mother is hospitalized.”
However, officers proceeded to search the property and made a grisly discovery: a skeletonized corpse lying in the first-floor living room.
Hashizume, who is believed to have been living alone with his mother for the past two years, has denied allegations of abandoning a corpse. Despite the severe decomposition of the remains, he told investigators, “The body is my mother, but she was alive until today.”
Police reported no obvious external injuries on the body. Authorities are now working to formally identify the remains while investigating the exact time and cause of death, as well as the bizarre circumstances surrounding the incident.