Former Pharmaceutical Employee Arrested for Wife’s Methanol Poisoning

“Everything is wrong.”

The defendant completely denied the charges in court and claimed innocence.

On September 2, the first trial of Yoshida Yoshikazu, a former employee of the major pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo (42), took place at the Tokyo District Court. He is accused of poisoning his wife, Yoko, with toxic methanol in January 2022, resulting in her death.

“The prosecution argues that Yoshida, as a researcher at Daiichi Sankyo, was in a position to handle methanol. They claim that he brought two liters of methanol into his own laboratory just before Yoko’s death and that their marital relationship had deteriorated.

On the other hand, the defense argues that Yoko died because she ingested the methanol herself. Yoshida has completely denied the charges, stating that he never had the intent to kill his wife or administered methanol to her.” (according to a judicial reporter from a national newspaper)

‘FRIDAY Digital’ reported in an article published on September 18, 2022, about the mysterious methanol case in detail. We are reprinting it here to revisit Yoshida’s chilling behavior immediately after his arrest (some content has been modified).

 

He called 119 himself, saying, “My wife is not breathing.”

“My relationship with my wife had been completely cold for several years. We were living separately within the household.”

The man has reportedly stated the following during police questioning.

On September 16, 2022, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s First Investigative Division arrested Defendant Yoshida, a company employee residing in Ota Ward, Tokyo, on suspicion of murder. He is accused of killing his wife, Yoko. Defendant Yoshida was a researcher at the major pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo, involved in the development of new drugs.

“My wife isn’t breathing. She’s lying on the floor.”

Defendant Yoshida made the emergency call himself on the morning of January 16 of the same year, shortly after 7:30. He explained to the responding emergency personnel that when he woke up in the morning, his wife was unconscious. He said she had been vomiting and acting out of control the previous day, including undressing and falling out of bed.

“Yoshida reportedly said that he had put his wife to bed and, when checking on her the next day, found that she wasn’t breathing. Yoko was promptly transported to the hospital, but her death was confirmed there. There were no visible external injuries on Yoko, and the police initially suspected natural causes of death.

However, the autopsy revealed that Yoko had toxic levels of methanol, a lethal substance, in her stomach. Methanol is a type of alcohol produced from natural gas and is a toxic chemical. Even small amounts can cause symptoms like vomiting and headaches, and can be fatal. Yoko’s cause of death was acute methanol poisoning.’” (a reporter from a national newspaper’s social department)

 

 

The police began their investigation from both the perspectives of a crime and suicide. As a result, they found no reason for Yoko to have taken her own life and discovered that there was no methanol present at her home, despite her having ingested it. This indicated a high likelihood of methanol being introduced by someone else, leading the police to conclude that it was a homicide.

“Defendant Yoshida handled methanol as part of his job. There were no signs of third-party involvement, and the police believe Yoshida staged Yoko’s death as a natural cause. Yoko was known to regularly drink shochu from paper cartons. Yoshida is suspected of having mixed methanol into the shochu beforehand.’” (same source)” 

Defendant Yoshida completed his graduate studies at a prestigious national university and joined Daiichi Sankyo in April 2007. He continued his education by attending another national university graduate school while working, earning a doctoral degree, and spent two years studying abroad in the United States. His wife, Yoko, also graduated from a prestigious national university graduate school and joined Daiichi Sankyo. After marrying Yoshida, she left the company, and at the time of the incident, they were living together with their young son, who was in elementary school.

 

However, their marital relationship appears to have deteriorated about five years prior.

 

“Defendant Yoshida stated in the investigation that they were living separately within the household. There are rumors that their relationship worsened due to Yoshida’s infidelity. It is said that the couple had no communication and that Yoshida was sometimes locked out of the house by Yoko. However, Yoshida has denied the allegations, claiming that he never harbored any intention to kill his wife or brought methanol into the home.” (previously mentioned social department reporter)

 

The verdict for Defendant Yoshida is scheduled to be announced on October 30.

 

 

The apartment in Ota Ward where the incident occurred (the image has been partially edited)