Police in Wakayama, Japan, suspect that Kenichi Fujitaki brainwashed his adopted son into killing himself so that he could claim an insurance payout of 25 million yen on a car (approximately $230,000), the Mainichi Shimbun reports. In addition to convincing the suicidal Hiroshi Umino to drive Fujitaki's car off a cliff and into the sea, Fujitaki is said to have opened the window just enough to ensure a steady flow of water into the vehicle, but not enough to allow Umino to escape if he were to have had second thoughts.
In the days leading up to Umino's suicide, Fujitaki had researched the coastline, checking out several ports in the region, investigators said. Fujitaki considered such factors as break-waters, the number of people around, and the depth of the water before deciding on a place to recommend to Umino, according to the Shimbun.
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