Top court upholds death penalty over 1998 curry poisoning case

Tuesday 21st April, 07:00 AM JST

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8 Comments

jkoffman at 04:15 PM JST - 21st April

I hope curry is her last meal before she is hung...
timorborder at 05:57 PM JST - 21st April

This is not news, it was a forgone conclusion that the high court would uphold the death penalty. The thing I remember about this case was not the crime itself, but the fact that Hayashi's likeness graced a Photoshop mockup of a curry package in one of the best pieces of black humor I have seen in Japan in modern times.

On a more serious note, the victims of this incident should not be forgotten. I hope their next of kin get some sense of satisfaction in this woman being condemned to death.
Nessie at 06:38 PM JST - 21st April

She also said that she has ‘‘an idea’’ who actually committed the crime, but did not elaborate.

I have "an idea" of who's going to actually hang for it. I won't elaborate.

The news is that it's a death penalty conviction on circumstantial evidence (i.e., without a confession beaten out of her), which is rare here.
some14some at 11:08 PM JST - 21st April

A very fair and as such very rare judgement in Japan, but i would not be surprised if this case takes a dramatic turn in the near future (retrial appeal).
Beelzebub at 11:13 PM JST - 21st April

She won't swing. Japan hasn't executed a woman in over 40 years.
knews at 12:09 AM JST - 22nd April

Beelzebub, I reckon the penalty will be carried out in this case. She is a nasty piece of work. Justice Minister Hatoyama will probably go ahead and sign the permission form.
vrfriendrv at 02:38 AM JST - 22nd April

How can somebody can be punished without any solid evidence is beyond my imagination. Is the police is not capable of finding the evidence or may be the actual criminal.
techall at 03:56 AM JST - 22nd April

@vrfriendry; you should do a little research on this case. The evidence is overwhelming. She had a grudge against the other women in the neighborhood, she was the only person who was tending the curry by herself, she has confessed to trying to kill her husband (on more than one occasion) with the same poison. The evidence goes on and on.