Three men were arrested on Thursday for allegedly hiding a body, believed to be of a woman, inside a home freezer in the city of Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture.
Shiga police arrested Tatsuhiko Iwase, 49, a court clerk at the Nagahama Summary Court, his unemployed father, Koichiro Iwase, 72, who lives with him, and Hideki Nonaka, a 62 year-old part-time cleaner in the city of Sakai, Osaka Prefecture.
The three are accused of conspiring to store the body in the freezer at Iwase’s home, according to police.
The frozen body was found in a crouched position, still wearing clothes, and is thought to have been kept in the freezer for a long time. There were no visible external injuries, NHK reported. The broadcaster also reported that an examination is likely to take time due to the body's condition.
The suspects' responses to the allegations have not been disclosed.
According to the police, the case came to light on Tuesday through another incident in Osaka Prefecture, in which a suicide note was found at the scene.
The note reportedly contained information indicating the involvement of Iwase and the others in the case of the body in the freezer. Police in Shiga conducted an investigation based on information provided by the Osaka Prefectural Police.
Shiga police are working to identify the body and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the victim’s death in detail.
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