US police are investigating the death of the wife of a Japanese Nobel Prize-winning chemist after her body was discovered at a landfill site in Illinois.
Ei-ichi Negishi and his wife, Sumire, were reported missing on Monday. Ei-ichi was found by police early the next day wandering along a rural Illinois road about 200 miles from the couple’s home in West Lafayette, Indiana, where he is a professor at Purdue University.
After taking him to hospital, deputies found Sumire’s body in her car at a nearby rubbish dump, according to the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Police have said they do not suspect foul play. According to Ei-ichi’s family, Sumire was “near the end of her battle with Parkinson’s”. In a statement released to media, they said that they believe he was “trying to get to the airport for a trip”.
The Orchard Hills Landfill, where Sumire was found, is about eight miles (12km) from Chicago Rockford International Airport, the BBC reports.
"We are very proud of his distinguished career, but more importantly know him as a beloved and loyal husband, father and grandfather,” the family said. “Thank you for your compassion and for respecting our privacy as we process this tragic loss."
Ei-ichi Negishi was awarded a Nobel Prize in 2010 for his work in palladium-catalysed cross coupling to link carbon atoms and synthesise molecules.
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
