Japan's top law court has rejected a last-ditch appeal by a Japanese serial killer, dubbed the black widow, to avoid the death penalty.
Chisako Kakehi, 74, was found guilty of murdering one husband and two boyfriends, and attempting to kill a fourth man.
Kakehi poisoned the men with cyanide and inherited millions of dollars which she used to try get out of debt. She was sentenced to death in 2017.
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Her lawyers appealed the death sentence on the grounds that she had dementia, which was growing more severe, and she did not understand the court proceedings, Kyodo News reports.
However, the Supreme Court upheld the 2017 ruling, clearing the way for her death sentence to be finalised.