In a case that stunned Arizona and the nation, Yui Inoue, a mother from Tempe, has been sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison after being found guilty of brutally murdering her two young children, Mia and Kai Inoue, ages 7 and 9, in 2021.
The horrific crime involved the use of a meat cleaver—one designed for cutting animal bones—and left even the presiding judge at a loss for words.
A Heinous Crime in Tempe, Arizona
On May 15, 2021, Inoue attacked her two children while they were sleeping peacefully in their beds. Prosecutors said she used both a knife and a meat cleaver to repeatedly strike the children, describing the gruesome act as deliberate and planned. They also stated she heard “voices telling her to kill” the children before carrying out the killings.
Authorities found the children’s mutilated bodies inside their Tempe apartment after Inoue walked into a nearby police substation and reportedly confessed in Japanese. A meat cleaver soaked in blood was later recovered from her car.
Life Sentences for Unthinkable Acts
On Friday, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Rueter handed Inoue two life sentences plus two additional 20-year terms, all to be served consecutively. “Words can’t adequately describe what occurred,” Judge Rueter said in court. “I can’t imagine what those children went through in their last minutes.”
Inoue, 44, spoke through an interpreter during her sentencing and claimed she did not believe her children were dead. “They are spending time with my parents,” she said. “My children are with my parents.” Despite her denial, the court confirmed she will die behind bars, with no possibility of parole.
History of Mental Health Issues and Prior Reports
Inoue’s defense team argued she suffered from serious mental illness and claimed she did not remember committing the murders. According to police documents, she told officers she woke up with blood on her hands and found the children dead. She claimed she then took a bath before realizing what had happened.
Earlier that year, in March 2021, Inoue’s husband reported a troubling incident where she allegedly left with Kai without telling anyone.
She was later found behind a convenience store and taken to a psychiatric hospital. While the Department of Child Safety investigated, they found no visible signs of abuse or neglect and chose not to remove the children from the home.
Divorce, Mental Breakdown, and Tragedy
During the trial, prosecutors revealed the murders may have been connected to a bitter divorce between Inoue and the children’s father.
Prosecutor Shaylee Beasley told the court that Inoue “delivered chop after chop” as the children desperately tried to shield themselves. She described the level of force as extreme—likened to the effect of a guillotine.
While Inoue’s defense lawyer, Rebecca Felmly, claimed she lacked the physical strength to cause such brutal injuries, the jury was convinced otherwise.
The detailed and disturbing evidence, including photos of the children’s injuries, led to her conviction in February 2024 on two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of child abuse.