Arizona Mother Convicted of Killing Her Two Children with Meat Cleaver in Revenge Attack

PHOENIX, AZ — A jury has found Yui Inoue guilty of murdering her two children with a meat cleaver in what prosecutors described as a revenge attack against her estranged husband.

The Maricopa County jury convicted Inoue, 42, on February 24 of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of child abuse, and one count of disorderly conduct in the brutal 2021 killings of 7-year-old Kai Inoue and 9-year-old Mia Inoue. She is set to be sentenced on March 21 and faces the possibility of life in prison.

A Disturbing Crime

The case began on May 15, 2021, when Tempe Police responded to a horrific scene at Inoue’s apartment on South Mills Avenue. Hours earlier, around 12:30 a.m. on May 14, officers had been called to the home for a domestic disturbance between Inoue and her husband. Police separated the couple, determined that the children were alive and unharmed at the time, and left the scene.

The next morning, Inoue reportedly flagged down a police officer at a substation and claimed she was hearing voices telling her to kill her children. Officers rushed to her apartment, where they discovered the bodies of Kai and Mia hidden under boxes and a blanket.

Tempe Police Sgt. Steven Carbajal described the crime scene as traumatic, saying both children had sustained significant injuries, including multiple deep lacerations and amputations, consistent with a violent struggle. Investigators later learned that Inoue had brought the bloodied cleaver with her in the car when she went to the police station.

Motive: Revenge Against Estranged Husband

According to prosecutors, Inoue killed her children out of rage after her husband called the police the night before the murders. The couple was in the process of divorcing, and Inoue wanted money from him to move to Japan.

Prosecutor Shaylee Beasley stated during closing arguments that Inoue “tried to decapitate two souls.” She added that the children were asleep in their beds when Inoue entered the room with the cleaver and attacked them.

“This was a deliberate, brutal act,” prosecutors argued. “She had to think. She had to act. And there’s nothing unclear or speculative about any of that.”

The Defense: “Too Small to Kill” Argument

Inoue’s defense did not dispute that the children were murdered, but they argued she lacked the physical strength to commit such a violent attack.

Defense attorneys pointed to the medical examiner’s report, which described the level of force used as similar to that of a guillotine. They claimed Inoue, a small and slightly built woman, would not have been capable of inflicting such extreme injuries.

Despite this argument, the jury ultimately sided with the prosecution, concluding that Inoue had planned and carried out the attack in a fit of revenge-driven rage.

Sentencing Awaited

With her conviction secured, Inoue now awaits sentencing on March 21. She faces a mandatory life sentence, either with or without parole eligibility, for the brutal murders of her own children.