Japanese woman suspected of killing her husbands

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese police arrested a 67-year-old woman whom they suspect poisoned her husband late last year, one of about half a dozen former husbands or partners of the woman who have died.

She has denied involvement in the deaths.

Kyoto prefectural police arrested Chisako Kakehi on Wednesday after cyanide was found in the body of her 75-year-old husband, according to Japanese media reports. They were married one month before he died in December 2013, the reports said.

Kyodo news service said that Kakehi had married four times, and that several partners had died within a few years of marrying her or starting relationships with her.

Cyanide has also been found in the blood of a 71-year-old partner who fell while riding a minibike in 2012, Kyodo said. His death was initially attributed to heart disease.

The media reports suggested that she could have killed the men for insurance or inheritance money, but that could not be confirmed. The deaths occurred in the western Japan area around the cities of Kyoto and Osaka.