A woman was found fatally stabbed in her home in Monbetsu, eastern Hokkaido, prompting police to launch a murder investigation.

According to the police, Toshie Morita, 93, was found lying on a bed on the first floor of her house at around 8:30 a.m. Sunday. She lived alone.

She had been stabbed in the neck, but no weapon was found. The house showed no sign of having been ransacked, but the killer could still have taken something, the police said.

The incident was reported by a female acquaintance who was scheduled to visit a hot-springs resort with Morita. She alerted the police after she was unable to contact her friend.