Teen tries to kill uncle with poisoned miso soup over loud snores

Dubai: A Japanese high school student has been arrested on suspicion of attempting to murder his uncle by lacing his miso soup with extracts from a deadly oleander plant, police said this week.

The 18-year-old, from Ichihara in Chiba Prefecture east of Tokyo, allegedly ground oleander leaves and mixed them into the soup on July 17 because he was enraged by his uncle’s loud snoring, according to a report by Nippon TV.

The uncle, a 53-year-old self-employed man living with the teenager and his mother, noticed an unusual taste in the miso soup and spat it out. Soon after, he experienced numbness in his mouth and stomach pains, prompting a trip to the hospital. 

Tests later showed the soup contained a lethal concentration of oleandrin, a toxic compound found in oleander plants.

During questioning, the teenager reportedly admitted his motive, telling police: “I couldn’t stand my uncle’s loud snoring, so I decided to kill him.”

Oleander, an evergreen shrub often planted along roadsides and in gardens, bears red or white flowers but is highly poisonous, with all parts of the plant containing toxic compounds.

Fortunately, the uncle survived after receiving medical treatment. Prosecutors are now weighing formal charges of attempted homicide against the teenager, who remains in custody.