Photo/Illutration The care facility for senior citizens in Koga, Ibaraki Prefecture, where at least two residents have died under suspicious circumstances (Mikio Kano)

MITO—A former nurse is suspected of murdering two elderly residents of a care facility in Koga, Ibaraki Prefecture, by injecting air into their bodies, prefectural police said.

Police said on Dec. 29 they had rearrested Megumi Akama, 36, on suspicion of murder.

She was originally arrested on Dec. 8 over the death of Setsuji Yoshida, 76, in July 2020.

Akama is believed to have killed Yoshida by injecting air into his leg veins, police said.

After that arrest, police re-examined other deaths at the care facility.

Before Yoshida’s death, Kisaku Suzuki, 84, died on May 30, 2020, when Akama was working as a nurse at the care facility.

According to the latest police announcement, Akama around 3:30 p.m. that day is suspected of using a syringe to inject air into the IV drip connected to Suzuki’s right arm. He was pronounced dead at a hospital less than two hours later.

Suzuki was initially believed to have died because of an illness, so no autopsy was conducted.

But a CT scan taken at the hospital remained in the computer system, and it confirmed that air had been injected into Suzuki’s body, police said.

They determined that Akama was involved in Suzuki’s death after consulting with a medical expert about the CT image and obtaining an account from a witness who said Akama entered Suzuki’s room by herself shortly before his condition worsened.

Akama was also the first to report that Suzuki’s condition had suddenly deteriorated.

Although Suzuki required care from the facility, he was not bed-ridden and not in a condition that would suddenly worsen, sources said.

According to police, Akama began working as a nurse at the care facility in April 2020.

But from mid-June 2020, after Suzuki’s death, facility officials removed Akama from nurse duties and had her provide care for elderly residents. That meant she could no longer use a syringe.

But an eyewitness saw Akama use a syringe next to Yoshida’s bed in July shortly before he died, police said.

After Akama was questioned by other workers, she decided to voluntarily leave the facility.

(This article was written by Shun Hayashi and Ryo Sasaki.)

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