The Takamatsu High Court upheld a death sentence handed down to a 73-year-old woman for conspiring with other defendants to kill her husband in 1987, and a woman living with her in 1992, to collect insurance money. The high court rejected appeals filed by Haruno Sakamoto of Kochi, the former owner of a bar, and the 3 other defendants in the 2 murder cases. Thursday's ruling was the 1st of its kind to sentence a defendant over the age of 70 to death, according to the Supreme Court. On Jan. 17, 1987, Sakamoto conspired with her 60-year-old sister, Yoshino Teraoka of Muroto, Kochi Prefecture, and Teraoka's 67-year-old husband, Kazutoshi, to kill her 54-year-old husband, Junichi, by plying him with alcohol and then striking him with a rock. The 3 collected about 50 million yen in insurance money.