A 33-year-old employee of Asahiyama Zoo in Hokkaido was arrested on suspicion of mutilating and disposing of his wife's body using the zoo's incinerator. Police found human remains in the facility after launching an investigation.
The suspect, Tatsuya Suzuki, was taken into custody on Wednesday evening. Authorities allege that he burned and dismembered his wife's corpse, then placed the remains in the industrial incinerator used by the zoo. The discovery was made during a search prompted by the woman's disappearance.
Suzuki, who worked as a zookeeper responsible for animals including red pandas and hippos, has not yet commented on the charges. The zoo is cooperating with the investigation.