TOKYO — Japanese prosecutors have indicted a U.S. Marine on murder and robbery charges in the killing of a woman on Okinawa, a court spokesman said Monday, according to CBS News, citing AFP.
Okinawa police arrested Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, who is stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, on suspicion of strangling 39-year-old Anna Yagi in a hotel in Naha. The Yomiuri Shimbun reported the indictment alleges he strangled her with a telephone cord on Oct. 3 and stole a backpack with her wallet.
Ballard initially denied the allegations but has since made statements suggesting some involvement, Japanese media reported, citing investigative sources.
Japan’s prime minister called the killing “heinous,” and the case has renewed anger over the large U.S. military presence on Okinawa. Japanese and U.S. officials are reviewing the rules for American troops’ off-base conduct.
Sources: CBS News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Suikotei / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
