An Arizona mother, Yui Inoue, 44, has been found guilty of first-degree murder, child abuse, and disorderly conduct in the brutal 2021 killings of her two young children, Mia, 9, and Kai, 7. The verdict was delivered on Monday, Feb. 24, in Maricopa County Court, though Inoue waived her right to be present during the trial, according to reports from AZ Family.
Prosecutors argued that Inoue murdered her children in an act of revenge against her husband following a heated argument about finances amid their divorce. The tragic incident unfolded on May 15, 2021, when Inoue’s husband left their Tempe home after the dispute and contacted police. Officers initially responded to the apartment but reported minimal damage and noted the children were asleep.
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However, later that day, police returned to the home after Inoue drove to a Tempe Police substation and confessed to hearing voices urging her to kill her children. Upon arriving at the scene, officers discovered a gruesome sight. The children’s bodies were found under a blanket and boxes, “which appeared to have been used to minimally conceal them,” according to a police statement.
Both Mia and Kai had suffered multiple cuts and amputations, consistent with a violent attack and defensive wounds. Authorities confirmed the weapon used was a meat cleaver, a tool designed to cut through bone. Inoue told police she woke up that morning with blood on her hands and arms, finding her children dead and bloodied near the bedroom doorway, 12 News reports.
Prosecutors, however, argued that the murders were premeditated, stating, “Mia and Kai Inoue were sleeping soundly in their beds when their own mother came into their bedroom holding a knife. A meat cleaver, that is literally designed to cut the bones of animals. And she attacked them with it. She had to think. She had to act. And there’s nothing unclear or speculative about any of that.”
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Inoue’s defense team contended that she lacked the physical strength to commit the murders and highlighted the absence of eyewitnesses. Despite these claims, the jury found her guilty on all charges. Records revealed that Inoue had previously been investigated by the Arizona Department of Child Services for alleged neglect, though the case remained open at the time of the children’s deaths.
The case has shocked the community, leaving many to grapple with the horrifying details of the crime and the loss of two innocent lives. Sentencing for Inoue is expected in the coming weeks.
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