Police in Japan have arrested a 75-year-old woman, Keiko Mori, after discovering the body of her daughter, which she allegedly kept hidden in a freezer for two decades.
Authorities in Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, said the remains of an adult woman were found inside a deep freezer at Mori’s residence on Tuesday.
The body, dressed in a T-shirt and underwear, was reportedly placed face-down inside the freezer.
Mori told investigators that the body belonged to her daughter, Makiko, who was born in 1975 and would be about 49 or 50 years old if alive.
She allegedly confessed that she had stored the remains to contain the smell after her daughter’s death.
Police said the body showed signs of advanced decay. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause of death.
Mori, who recently lost her husband and now lives alone, went to the police station with a relative to report the situation. She has since been arrested on suspicion of abandoning a body.
Authorities have not disclosed how many children Mori had or whether her other children knew about the incident.