Mayuko Matsumoto, an 82-year-old disabled woman, was found heavily bleeding in bed at her home in the town of Mifune, Kumamoto Prefecture. The victim, who is reportedly unable to speak, had more than 20 cuts on her face, some of which were quite severe, so she was rushed to a hospital to receive emergency care.
Japanese police opened an investigation into the attempted murder but found no signs of people entering or leaving Matsumoto's house. Who did this remained a mystery until investigators realized the wounds looked pretty much like cat scratches. After a citywide cat hunt, officers found traces of what might be human blood on one of the stray cats loitering around Matsumoto's house. A sample taken from the claw of the furry suspect is being analyzed at a forensics lab, local media reported on November 10.
