Warning: This article contains discussion of child death which some readers may find distressing.
A mom-of-two has been found guilty of killing her children in what prosecutors in the case claimed was an act of revenge against her then-husband.
Yui Inoue, from Tempe, Arizona, was found guilty on Monday (February 24) of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of child abuse and one count of disorderly conduct following the death of her two children, aged seven and nine, in March 2021.
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Before the killings took place, police were called to the home on a report of a domestic dispute which was taking place between Inoue and her husband at the time, Tsubasa Inoue.
Prosecutors alleged that 'immediately' after police left the scene, Inoue likely took the lives of her two children as an act of revenge against her husband after the fight, which is said to have centered around financial issues in their upcoming divorce.
Shaylee Beasley, a prosecutor in the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, told the jury: "She was already angry that Tsubasa wasn’t getting her the money she wanted, and now he sent police to the house."
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In the early hours of the day after police went to the home, Inoue drove to a police station with clothes that were covered in blood, as well as a meat cleaver.
After being taken into an interview with police, Inoue claimed she had gone to bed with her children before waking up with blood on her hands.
According to court documents, the mom alleged she found her two children dead near the doorway of a bedroom.
Upon investigating the scene, law enforcement found a large amount of blood and the two children covered by a blanket, having suffered 'significant injuries'.
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Prosecutors pointed to acts Inoue had carried out, including gathering luggage, showering and closing the blinds, which indicated intent and planning in the murders.
Inoue's attorney, Rebecca Felmly, hit back to argue that as a small woman, Inoue lacked the strength to carry out the killings which were described by the medical examiner as being carried out with a force similar to a guillotine.
Felmly also asked the jury to question why Inoue would go to the police station if she was the killer. But in spite of the lawyer's arguments, Inoue was found guilty on all counts.
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The mother, who waived her right to be present in the courtroom for the verdict, is set to be sentenced on March 21.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues or want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.
Emily Brown