Japanese Businessman, Charged In '81 Attack Plot, Hangs Himself

Los Angeles, CA (AHN) - Japanese businessman Kazuyoshi Miura, 61, hanged himself by his shirt in a Los Angeles prison cell Friday, the same day he arrived in the states to face trial for allegedly plotting the murder of his wife 27 years ago.

The incident reportedly occurred just before 10 p.m. when a detention officer spotted Miura and rushed into the cell to perform CPR, though Miura did not respond.

Miura was pronounced dead a short time after at USC Medical Center, where he was taken.

Miura had been held in the commonwealth of Saipan before his arrest there in February.

He was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday before deciding to end his life in a case followed by the Japanese media since it occurred.

L.A. prosecutors say Miura had someone shoot the couple to make it appear as if they both targets of a hit.

Miura was hit in the leg, while his wife was shot in the head and later died in the 1981 incident in L.A.

They contend that Miura sought to cash in about $750,000 in life insurance premiums on his wife.

L.A. prosectors were seeking to convict him on a conspiracy charge for the murder, which could have sent Miura to the pen for 25 years.