Ariz. Mom Who Butchered Children with Meat Cleaver Learns Fate

• Yui Inoue will spend the rest of her life in prison for killing her two children with a meat cleaver
• She was convicted in February for first-degree murder, child abuse, and disorderly conduct
• Inoue reportedly denied killing her children, saying in court that they were with her parents

A woman in Arizona who killed her two young children with a meat cleaver four years ago has learned her fate.

According to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, Yui Inoue, 44, was sentenced on May 2 to two consecutive natural life sentences for the murders of her 7-year-old son, Kai Inoue, and her 9-year-old daughter, Mia Inoue. The sentence follows her conviction in February for two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of child abuse and one count of disorderly conduct.

Prosecutors also announced that Inoue received an additional 35 years in prison for the child abuse and disorderly conduct convictions, which will be served consecutively to the life sentences.

According to court records and police reports cited by the County Attorney’s Office, Tempe police officers responded to Inoue’s apartment near Mill and Southern Avenues just after midnight on May 15, 2021, following a domestic disturbance. Inoue and her ex-husband had recently divorced and were reportedly arguing about finances and her planned move back to Japan.

The County Attorney’s Office stated that Inoue’s ex-husband told officers she had become physically aggressive and used a meat cleaver to destroy his electronics. He left the apartment before police arrived. Officers reported that both children were alive and sleeping when they checked the apartment, and they departed without further incident.

Shortly after officers left, prosecutors say Inoue went into her children’s bedroom and “held each child down on the floor while she delivered dozens of blows with the meat cleaver.” One prosecutor told the court that a “very conservative guess” was that Inoue struck the children approximately 100 times.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said Inoue then attempted to clean up the scene. She showered, put her blood-stained clothing in a trash bag, and partially washed the weapon. She also packed a bag containing her passport, cash, and jewelry. Authorities said she then covered her children’s bodies with trash, a mattress, and other household items before locking the apartment and leaving.

According to officials, Inoue went to a nearby Tempe police station and told an officer she had heard voices telling her she had killed her children and saw blood. Police returned to the apartment and discovered the children deceased.

During sentencing, Inoue allegedly denied killing her children and made bizarre claims to the court. According to local media reports, including KTVK-TV, Inoue told the judge: “My children are not dead. My parents have them. They are spending their time with my parents.”

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Rueter called the crime unimaginable. “Words can’t adequately describe what occurred,” he said during sentencing, per the outlet. “I can’t imagine what those children went through in their last minutes. The fear, the pain, the suffering, it’s incomprehensible.”

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell also issued a statement condemning the crime and praising the work of law enforcement and prosecutors.

Inoue will never be eligible for release.