Japan: Elderly mother kept daughter's remains in freezer for decades

Japanese police have arrested a 75-year-old woman after the body of her daughter was discovered inside a freezer at her home in Ibaraki prefecture, northeast of Tokyo.

Authorities said the suspect, identified as Keiko Mori, reportedly confessed to keeping the remains of her daughter, Makiko, who was born in 1975 and would now be around 49 or 50 years old.

Investigators found the body on Tuesday after Mori approached police with a relative, admitting that she had stored it in a freezer. The remains were discovered dressed in a T-shirt and underwear, positioned kneeling face-down inside the appliance.

Police said decay had advanced significantly, and an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death. Mori has been arrested on suspicion of abandoning a body.

According to police, Mori told investigators that she placed the remains in the freezer after the smell began spreading inside her home.

She had been living alone since the death of her husband earlier this month. While police confirmed Mori had multiple children, no further details were provided about their statements to investigators.