‘I didn’t mean to kill them’ and ‘I was tired of caring for them’…Husband and son killed in arson attack on home by 66-year-old woman “sad family situation”

I did not intend to murder my son.

At the first trial of the jury trial held on December 12 at the Chiba District Court, the defendant denied part of the indictment and claimed that she did not intend to kill her son.

The defendant, Toshiko Ohashi, 66, an unemployed woman, is accused of arson and murder. According to the indictment, around 6:30 a.m. on November 17, 2009, Ohashi poured kerosene on the first floor of their two-story wooden house in Asahi City, Chiba Prefecture, and set it on fire. Her son Yoshihito (then 32), who was on the second floor when the house was filled with smoke, died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Behind the horrific incident was a sad family story.

The husband had a stroke and the son had cerebral palsy. ……

The Ohashi family has always been close. Yoshio was a master carpenter and readily responded to requests for repairs from neighbors. The couple liked to drink, and we are told that they looked forward to having a drink every evening together. Toshiko was a quiet person and did not say much when she drank.

The family’s fortunes took a dark turn several years ago. Yoshio suffered a stroke and became bedridden. Later, Yoshito also suffered from cerebral palsy and was unable to get up. Toshiko also had a serious physical disability, but she took care of her husband and son almost by herself while using a day service. Her legs and back were so bad that she used to take a cab to go shopping,” said a reporter from the society section of a national newspaper.

Her husband and son were bedridden, and Toshiko could not afford to take care of them. Naturally, she tends to lose touch with her neighbors. She has no one to talk to. The incident occurred under such a stifling situation.

A neighbor who heard the defendant screaming immediately after the fire broke out went outside and found the defendant with his face blackened with soot and his socks soaked with an oily liquid. He was crouched down, stunned, and yelling, ‘My son is still inside! I heard that he was crouching down and shouting, “There is still my son inside!

The defendant, who was arrested at the Sosa Station of the Chiba Prefectural Police, admitted to setting the fire, but denied his intention to kill, saying that he did not intend to kill his son. He also stated that he was tired of caring for his son.

At the first trial, the prosecutor claimed that the defendant, who had lost his income and was worried about his future, suggested to Yoshio that they “set fire to the house and die together. Yoshio, however, urged him to change his mind, saying, ‘Yoshito will die. On the other hand, according to the defense, the defendant claimed that ‘Mr. Yoshio had consented to the murder. Or the defendant believed he did. The court ruled that a charge of “murder by consent” was appropriate.

Toshiko appeared in court in a wheelchair. She appeared in court in a wheelchair, and although her voice was weak, she again clearly denied any intention to kill her son.