Tempe mom found guilty of killing her kids to be sentenced

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TEMPE, Ariz. – A Valley woman who murdered her two children at an apartment nearly four years ago is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday.

Last February, Yui Inoue was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her 9-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son.

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The backstory:

Police say on May 15, 2021, Inoue flagged down an officer at a police station, and officers later went to her apartment in the area of Mill and Southern Avenues to investigate.

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“Officers went to her apartment and found a 9-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy dead with “obvious signs of physical trauma,” Tempe Police spokesperson Sgt. Steven Carbajal said, at the time of the incident.

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Law enforcement discovered a large amount of blood on the floor, with the two children covered by a blanket. Officials say there were “significant injuries” to their bodies, including lacerations, cuts and amputations “consistent with a violent attack and defensive wounds.”

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Dig deeper:

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At the time, police said the scene was “very traumatic” for officers to walk into.

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“There is something elevated about that when it’s a 9-year-old and a 7-year-old. This should have never happened,” Carbajal said at the time.

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In court, prosecutors said “the medical examiner determined the cause of death for each was sharp force and chopping injuries.” They also alleged that Inoue was motivated by anger.

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At the time of the murders, the kids’ father told police he and Inoue had been arguing about finances, and she wanted to return to Japan. He claimed he left their apartment after she threatened to stab him.

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Map of where the murders happened

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