Mother Convicted for Pre-Planned Killings of Her Two Children with a Meat Cleaver

A 44-year-old woman from Tempe, AZ, has been convicted of first-degree murder and other charges related to the tragic deaths of her children in 2021 amid a contentious divorce.

Tempe, AZ

In a case that has shocked the community, 44-year-old Yui Inoue has been convicted of first-degree murder, child abuse, and disorderly conduct in connection with the 2021 deaths of her two children—a 9-year-old daughter, Mia, and a 7-year-old son, Kai. In a courtroom proceeding held on Monday, February 24, multiple news outlets, including AZ Family, The Arizona Republic, and Fox 10 Phoenix, reported that Inoue was found guilty. However, she waived her right to be present during the verdict.

Prosecutors argued that Inoue committed the killings as a calculated act of revenge against her husband following a heated argument over money amid their divorce. On May 15, 2021, after her husband departed and contacted Tempe police, officers initially reported that the apartment sustained minimal damage and that the children were asleep. However, later that same day, authorities returned to the residence and discovered a gruesome scene. In a dramatic turn, Inoue had driven to a Tempe Police Department substation, confessing that she heard voices urging her to kill her children—a confession further corroborated by the fact that she possessed a meat cleaver at the time.

According to police accounts, Inoue stated that she went to bed and awoke early the following day with blood on her hands and arms, only to find her children lifeless and bloodstained near the bedroom doorway. When officers arrived, they found the children covered by a blanket and placed in boxes, seemingly used in an attempt to obscure the scene. The children bore multiple cuts and amputations, injuries that authorities described as consistent with a violent attack and signs of defensive wounds.

During the trial, prosecutors maintained that the murders were meticulously planned. They emphasized that Mia and Kai were sleeping peacefully in their beds when their mother entered their room wielding a meat cleaver—a tool designed to cut through bone—underscoring the deliberate nature of the act. In contrast, Inoue's defense argued that she lacked the physical strength to commit such a brutal crime and pointed out the absence of eyewitnesses to the slayings.

Adding another layer to the case, records show that before the tragic incident, Inoue had been under investigation by the Arizona Department of Child Services for alleged neglect. Although this investigation did not lead to the children being removed from her care, it remained open at the time of their deaths.

As the community grapples with the devastating loss and the complexities of this case, the verdict marks a grim milestone in a family tragedy that continues to raise difficult questions about domestic strife and child welfare.

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