Murder of a pregnant woman in Nagoya.

What would you do if you went home one day from work and your pregnant wife was lying on the floor with a dial phone receiver and a key chain inside of her belly, while the child that was not supposed to be born yet was lying next to her lifeless body?

As scary as that sounds, this situation actually happened to a couple in Nagoya on the 18th of March, 1988. And it is still one of the top unsolved mysteries in Japan. 

Let me set the scene for you. The pregnant woman showed signs of being choked out by an electrical wire. Her child was surgically taken out of her womb, left lying right next to her, replaced by a Mickey Mouse keychain and a dial phone receiver. When the husband came home to this scene, he panicked, called an ambulance and later called the police as well. The wife had unfortunately passed away by then. However, the child miraculously survived the ordeal.

The victim’s wallet and other valuables were stolen. There were no fingerprints at the crime scene but some footprints were present, indicating that the perpetrator was male. 

According to investigations, the estimated time of death is from 2:30 PM to 7:30 PM. But at about 1:30, the victim had a female visitor. They were allegedly eating strawberries together when there was a sound at the door. Despite being a very careful and sensitive person, the victim apparently dismissed the weird noise. Afterwards, the victim walked her friend home through the parking lot.

People speculated that the perpetrator snuck into the house as she got out. The husband was initially suspected but he had an alibi, with no legit evidence or motivation to point at him being the murderer. 

The statute of limitations for this case has run out, therefore, it was officially declared unsolved.

Even years after this incident, the husband still lives in the apartment in deep mourning. The child lived with other relatives and was never told of his mother’s tragic fate.

Some people say that the perpetrator is a serial killer, with the Mickey Mouse keychain being their MO. It being left inside of her womb signifies their return to childhood, making up for the killer’s lack of familial affection. The dial phone receiver might signify the final act of the wife, desperately trying to contact her husband to save her. Some think that her female friend killed her, fabricating the male footprints to make herself look innocent. Simpler suggestions like her being killed by a secret lover also exist…