US marine arrested in Japan on suspicion of killing woman, police say
Suspect allegedly killed woman at hotel in Okinawa as prime minister calls crime ‘exceptionally brutal and vicious’
TL;DR
- A US marine, Lance Cpl Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, has been arrested on suspicion of murdering Anna Yagi, 39, in Naha, Okinawa.
- Ballard is also accused of stealing the victim's wallet and backpack.
- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi lodged a protest with US authorities and called the crime "exceptionally brutal and vicious."
- The incident has intensified protests on Okinawa, which hosts about 70% of US military facilities in Japan and has a history of crimes by US personnel.
- US ambassador George Glass pledged cooperation with the investigation.
- CCTV footage reportedly shows a foreign man matching the suspect's description with the victim and her belongings.
- The victim's brother expressed devastation over the loss of his sister.
- Recent incidents include a 2025 sentencing of a marine for sexual assault and a 2017 life sentence for a former marine for rape and murder.
- Alcohol consumption by US personnel was banned in 2017 after an intoxicated marine caused a fatal accident.
- Approximately 6,000 US military personnel have been arrested in Okinawa since 1972, with arrests in 2024 reaching 80, the highest in 20 years.