Japan. A 70-year-old woman could face the death penalty after being accused of multiple murders for insurance benefits. Channel News Asia reported that Chisako Kakehi has been dubbed the "Black Widow," by Japanese media for her propensity to kill off the male once she is done with them. She surprised reporters when she was questioned about the possibility of facing the death sentence. Asahi quoted her as saying "I'd be happy to die if you give me a drug now."
Through history, women have often chosen poison to dispose of their unwanted male partners, and true to form it is alleged that Chisako used cyanide to kill at least one of the men in her life.
She is on trial for the murder of two lovers, her fourth husband of just two months and an attempted murder of a fourth man.
Japan 2014 CNN covered the start of the murder investigation
CNN covered the story two and a half years ago when Chisako was being questioned by the police about a recent death. At that time she said that she had not killed anyone as she was incapable of it. CNN reported that over a period of twenty years, the police believe she killed at least five men to get their insurance money.
On Monday this week, now standing trial for the murders, Fuji television network Asahi reported that the "Black Widow" stunned the court when she admitted to killing her husband in 2013. "I was waiting for the right timing as I wanted to kill him out of deep hatred," she said, but she later reportedly said that the killing was just about money.
'Black Widow' amassed a fortune by killing men for insurance money
The courts allege that the elderly men the Black Widow killed off over the years had amassed her an insurance fortune of over $8 million. Prosecutors allege that Chisako met men through dating agencies where she reportedly "stipulated that prospective partners should be wealthy and childless."
Chisako Kakehi, aka the Black Widow, has dementia and her lawyers are arguing that she acted out of diminished responsibility.
Despite her dementia, Channel News Asia wrote that the "Kyoto District Court said last year that medical examinations found that Kakehi had early-stage dementia but was fit to stand trial. If convicted for murder she could face the death penalty."
The multiple murders have riveted Japanese citizens and there are reports that the Japanese judicial system is under fire as it is hard to understand how she got away with it for so long.
In some cases, there were no autopsies ordered. The one-time multi-millionairess who allegedly left a trail of dead lovers behind her was not arrested or investigated until recently.
The trial is expected to last until October and a verdict is expected in November this year.
Insurance murder in the USA backfires on another woman
In the meantime, back in the USA, another woman is awaiting sentencing for the murder of her husband. Currie-Walker was found guilty on Friday for arranging the murder of her firefighting husband for his insurance money, but it was still in the name of his previous wife, ABC News reported. Walker could face life imprisonment without parole when she is sentenced on Aug. 8, according to Cleveland.com.
