Wakayama curry-poisoning incident
| Wakayama curry-poisoning incident | |
|---|---|
| Native name | 和歌山毒物カレー事件 |
| Location | 34°09′13″N 135°06′44″E / 34.1535644°N 135.1123586°E Wakayama, Japan |
| Date | 25 July 1998 17:50 – c. 19:00 (JST) |
Attack type | Poisoning |
| Weapon | Arsenous acid |
| Deaths | 4 |
| Injured | 63 |
| Charges | Murder, attempted murder, fraud |
| Convicted | Masumi Hayashi |
The Wakayama curry-poisoning incident refers to a criminal poisoning case that occurred on 25 July 1998 at a matsuri summer celebration in Wakayama, Japan. A communal pot of curry was intentionally contamined with lethal amounts of arsenic, leading to the hospitalization of 67 attendants, of whom four died.
Three months after the poisoning, 37-year-old Masumi Hayashi (林 眞須美, Hayashi Masumi) was apprehended as the perpetrator based on witness accounts. She was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Hayashi maintained her innocence and repeatedly sought retrial.