Woman found stabbed to death in flat after fire

CHIBA (Kyodo) Police said Saturday they are investigating the apparent stabbing death of a Chiba University student whose body was found in the bed of her gutted apartment Thursday evening.

Yukari Ogino, 21, was stabbed in the neck and chest. She lived alone in the apartment in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, which was believed to have caught fire around 8:20 p.m. Thursday, the police said. Ogino was from Hyogo Prefecture.

The police examined the gutted flat Saturday morning and plan to carry out an autopsy on her soon.

Her apartment was locked, but the windows to the balcony were open, they said.

Ogino had been absent from class since Wednesday and had not recently made contact with friends.