Japanese Zookeeper Arrested for Incinerating Wife's Body at Zoo

Japanese police have arrested a 33-year-old zookeeper on suspicion of transporting his wife's body to the Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, and incinerating it in an animal waste facility there. Tatsuya Suzuki was taken into custody Thursday evening after authorities recovered partial human remains from the zoo's incinerator.

Suzuki's wife, Yui Suzuki, also 33, had been out of contact with relatives since late March, prompting them to report her missing on April 23. Police contacted Suzuki at the zoo that day, and he agreed to voluntary questioning. During the session, he admitted to disposing of his wife's body in the incinerator, which is used for dead animals and waste, local media reported. Investigators searched the facility and found fragments consistent with human remains, leading to his formal arrest on suspicion of corpse mutilation.

Relatives told police that Yui Suzuki had previously shared concerns about threats from her husband. According to investigative sources cited by public broadcaster NHK, she said he warned her, "I'll burn you completely so nothing remains." During questioning, Suzuki made statements suggesting involvement in her death, prompting police...