Hanoi [Vietnam], March 25: On March 23, the Osaka High Court (Japan) upheld the December 2024 ruling by the Wakayama District Court, declaring Saki Sudo (30 years old) innocent in the 2018 murder of her husband, Kosuke Nozaki. In the appeal trial, the model was accused of murdering her wealthy husband and violating the Drug Control Act by forcing him to take drugs. However, the Osaka High Court rejected the prosecution's charges, acquitting Sudo in the case that had caused a public uproar for many years.
Why was the female model accused of murdering her wealthy husband?
The incident began in May 2018, when Kosuke Nozaki (then 77 years old) was found dead from acute methamphetamine poisoning in his bedroom at his home in Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture (Japan). At that time, the wealthy businessman had been married to Saki Sudo (a model 55 years younger than him) for only three months.
In 2021, the young woman was prosecuted for murder, with prosecutors alleging that Sudo had incited her 80-year-old husband to take a lethal dose of drugs. The prosecution argued that the model had purchased a substance suspected to be methamphetamine from a seller and searched online using keywords such as "methamphetamine," "overdose," "elderly man," and "perfect crime." They requested a life sentence for Sudo. However, the model vehemently denied the charges, stating, "I did not kill Nozaki, and I did not force him to use drugs."
In December 2024, the Wakayama District Court initially acquitted Suki Sudo. The district court concluded that the circumstantial evidence, including Sudo's actions on the day of the incident and her internet search history, was insufficient to conclude that she had murdered her husband. The court stated that it could not be definitively confirmed that the substance Sudo purchased from the seller was an illegal stimulant, nor could the possibility that Nozaki had accidentally administered a lethal dose could be ruled out. Following Sudo's acquittal, the prosecution appealed.
According to Mainichi , during a hearing at the Osaka High Court in December 2025, they argued that Sudo had a clear motive for murder. They claimed the young woman married the businessman, who was 55 years older than her, for his wealth, and that shortly after the marriage, the 77-year-old tycoon mentioned his intention to divorce, prompting her to act. Prosecutors objected to the initial ruling, arguing that the assessment of indirect evidence was fragmented and illogical. They argued that Nozaki had no history of drug use and asserted that a comprehensive review of the indirect evidence clearly indicated Sudo's involvement in the case. However, the defense for the young model countered that the prosecutors once again failed to rule out the possibility that Nozaki himself possessed and used the drug.
Kosuke Nozaki is a well-known business tycoon in Wakayama, Japan, and is also nicknamed the "Don Juan of Kishu" for boasting about sleeping with thousands of women. After numerous relationships tainted by sex and money, Kosuke Nozaki decided to marry the beautiful Saki Sudo in February 2018, despite his declining health and the significant age difference.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
