Japanese "Black Widow" Accused of Killing Six Partners Charged

A 68-year-old woman has been charged in the death of her romantic partner, the sixth man to die while she was romantically involved with them.

The Associated Press reports that Japanese authorities have charged Chisako Kakehi with murder in the death of her husband, 75-year-old Isao Kekehi.

Isao was found dead just one month after tying the knot with Chisako in Dec. 2013. An autopsy found cyanide in Isao's blood stream and Chisako was then arrested.

After Chisako's arrest, the police located a small portion of cyanide buried inside the soil of a potted plant.  

The New York Times notes that Chisako is suspected in so many deaths that she has been given the nickname of "the Black Widow," in the Japanese media. The black widow is a species of spider that is one of the world's most deadly. It also kills its mates, making the name that much more apt.

The AP reports that the police are speculating there may have been a financial motive for the crime. Lending credence to this train of thinking is the fact that the men died not long after making wills that named Chisako as their sole heir, according to the Times. She may have accumulated as much as $8 million with her ruse.

Chisako is also believed to have played a role in these deaths because she met many of the men through online dating services.  

Chisako's previous partner before Isao, a 71-year-old, died in 2012, according to the AP. Although his death was first attributed to heart trouble, subsequent tests revealed that he had cyanide in his blood as well.

In addition to those two deaths, Chisako married or had romantic affairs with four other men, all of whom died within a few years of becoming involved with Chisako.