HOKKAIDO (TR) – A municipal employee working at the famous Asahiyama Zoo has confessed to disposing of his wife’s remains in the park’s garbage incinerator, police said Friday.
The suspect, an Asahikawa City worker in his 30s, has been undergoing voluntary questioning by police since Thursday after his wife was reported missing, reports HTB News (Apr. 24).
“I dumped the body of my wife, who is in her 30s, in the incinerator at Asahiyama Zoo,” the man told investigators during his admission.
The investigation was triggered earlier in April when an acquaintance of the woman contacted the Hokkaido Prefectural Police, stating she could no longer reach her. The inquiry quickly led authorities to question the husband.
On Friday, forensic investigators clad in white protective suits erected a blue tarp around the beige incinerator building located near the zoo’s former East Gate. The facility is typically used to dispose of general waste.
“I can’t believe he would dump a body there,” a shocked zoo official told local media.
Despite an ongoing search of the site, police have yet to find any human remains inside the incinerator, leading authorities to suspect the body may have been completely immolated.
Police are continuing to interrogate the suspect to corroborate his confession and determine the exact circumstances surrounding his wife’s death. Asahikawa City officials are also scrambling to verify the details of their employee’s alleged actions.
Asahiyama Zoo, one of Japan’s most popular tourist attractions, is currently closed to the public for its seasonal transition. The park shut its doors on April 8 and is scheduled to reopen for the summer season on April 28.
AloJapan.com