Toshio Hosoya was sentenced to death at the Akita District...

Toshio Hosoya was sentenced to death at the Akita District Court in Japan for killing his wife and her mother to obtain insurance money. Hosoya, 66, drove his car into the sea in Konoura, Akita Prefecture, on October 13, 2002, drowning his wife Kazumi, 59, and her mother Haruko, 84, who were in the rear seat, the court ruled. Hosoya escaped from the submerged car. The defendant immediately appealed to a higher court. Hosoya had debts of 18 million yen and planned the murder to repay the debt with the life insurance money, the ruling said. During the hearings, Hosoya denied the charges, saying he had made a driving error. Presiding Judge Makoto Tamura said Hosoya intentionally drove his car into the sea with murderous intent. ''The crime is extremely inhuman and we can make no allowance for it,'' the judge said.