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DNA Match Leads to Arrest in 1999 Nagoya Apartment Killing

The victim's husband kept the apartment rented for 26 years, allowing investigators to reexamine the scene after the arrest.

Overview

  • Police arrested 69-year-old Kumiko Yasufuku on October 31 after DNA from the 1999 crime scene matched her profile, according to Aichi Prefectural Police.
  • Investigators had questioned her since summer and say she repeatedly declined DNA requests before consenting on October 30, when she also turned herself in.
  • After the match was confirmed the next day, she was taken into custody and is now cooperating with interviews, investigators say.
  • At the time of the killing, she lived in Nagoya’s Minato Ward with her family, and neighbors recalled her PTA and children’s association roles alongside reports of past disputes.
  • Asahi Shimbun reports the apartment still contained a bloodstain matching her DNA, and police conducted a scene inspection there on November 1 with the suspect present.