Chisako Kakehi

Chisako Kakehi
Born
Chisako Kakehi

(1946-11-28) 28 November 1946 (age 77)
Yahata, Fukuoka，Occupied Japan
Criminal statusIncarcerated on death row
Conviction(s)Aggravated murder (3 counts)
Attempted murder
Criminal penaltyDeath
Details
Victims3–10
Span of crimes
2007–2013
CountryJapan
Date apprehended
2014

Chisako Kakehi (筧 千佐子, Kakehi Chisako, born 28 November 1946) is a Japanese serial killer who was sentenced to death for the murders of three men, including her husband, and for the attempted murder of a fourth.[1] She is also suspected of being responsible for at least seven other deaths.[2]

Kakehi was arrested in 2014, after an autopsy on her fourth husband, Isao Kakehi,[3] revealed traces of cyanide poisoning.[4]

She initially pleaded not guilty, but during her 2017 trial, confessed, stating on the witness stand that she had no intention of hiding the guilt and wanted to kill her husband out of deep hatred;[5] two days later, she retracted this confession, claiming to not remember having said it.[6] Her lawyers subsequently argued that she suffered from dementia[7] and could not be convicted due to diminished responsibility.[5]

In June 2021, the Supreme Court of Japan rejected her final appeal.[8] One of the judges explained the decision based on Chisako's "ruthless crime(s) based on a planned and strong murderous intention."[9]

  1. ^ Japan's 'Black Widow' sentenced to death for murdering a string of lovers, by Agence France-Presse, via the Guardian; published November 7, 2017; retrieved November 11, 2017
  2. ^ Japan's 'Black Widow' Gets Death by Hanging for Murdering Her Lovers, by Drew Schwartz, at Vice; published November 7, 2017; retrieved November 11, 2017
  3. ^ Killer Wives: 8 Most Infamous Black Widow Murderers: Chisako Kakehi, by Melissa Locker, in Rolling Stone; published August 25, 2016; retrieved November 11, 2017
  4. ^ Japan woman arrested for 'poisoning husband with cyanide' at BBC.com; published November 20, 2014; retrieved November 11, 2017
  5. ^ a b Japan’s ‘Black Widow’ given death penalty for murders, by Megan Palin, at news.com.au; published November 7, 2017; retrieved November 11, 2017
  6. ^ Japan 'Black Widow' confesses to killing husband No 4, then backtracks Archived 2017-12-20 at the Wayback Machine, at ChannelNewsAsia; published July 12, 2017; retrieved November 11, 2017
  7. ^ Japan’s ‘black widow’ serial killer gets death sentence, at the Japan Times; published November 7, 2017; retrieved November 11, 2017
  8. ^ Black Widow: Japanese serial killer loses death sentence appeal, at BBC.com; published June 29, 2021; retrieved July 1, 2021
  9. ^ Yeung, Jessie; Ogura, Junko (30 June 2021). "Japan's 'Black Widow' serial killer loses death sentence appeal". CNN. Retrieved 10 July 2021.