A 44-year-old woman has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering her son and daughter in a Tempe apartment by hitting them dozens of times with a meat cleaver.

Yui Inoue received two consecutive life sentences in the 2021 deaths of the 7-year-old boy and 9-year-old girl, authorities said Friday.

Hours before the children were killed, Inoue’s ex-husband called Tempe police to report a domestic dispute. The two had recently divorced and were arguing about money ahead of Inoue’s move to Japan, a Maricopa County Attorney's Office release stated.

“He left the apartment after his ex-wife – the defendant – became aggressive and used a meat cleaver to destroy his computer and other electronics. At the time officers responded to the apartment near Mill and Southern avenues, they saw both children alive and sleeping.”

At some point after officers left, authorities said, Inoue went into the children’s bedroom and held each child down on the floor while she delivered dozens of blows with the meat cleaver.

“Inoue put her bloody clothes in a garbage bag, partially cleaned the knife, took a shower, and packed a backpack with her passport, cash and jewelry. She threw trash, boxes, a mattress and other items over her son and daughter’s bodies before locking the front door and leaving the apartment,” the release stated.

Inoue then went to a Tempe police station and told an officer she heard voices telling her that she killed her kids, and she saw some blood. Officers went back to the home and found the children.

A jury convicted Inoue of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of child abuse and one count of disorderly conduct. She was also sentenced to an additional 35 years for child abuse and for disorderly conduct to be served consecutive to the life sentences.

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