KUMAMOTO (Kyodo) A dead body found in a sack outside a house in Tamana, Kumamoto Prefecture, was identified Monday as that of Akira Higashi, who had lived in the house and was missing for the last month, police said.
Fingerprints of the partially decomposed body — which appeared to be that of a man who died about a month ago — confirmed it was that of the 78-year-old Higashi, police said.
His 70-year-old cousin alerted the police to the sack, which had an unusual odor, at around 6:15 p.m. Sunday, saying he had lost contact with Higashi about a month ago.
Police said they found no external injuries on the body. Authorities were set to question a woman believed to have been living with Higashi for the past 10 years.