Japanese prosecutors have charged a US Marine with robbery and murder in connection with the death of a Japanese woman in Okinawa, the country’s southernmost prefecture, according to Japanese media reports.
Lance Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard, who is based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, allegedly killed 39-year-old Anna Yagi at a hotel in Naha, Okinawa’s prefectural capital, earlier this month.
Ballard has denied the accusations.
Public broadcaster NHK reported that prosecutors indicted Ballard on Sunday. Citing the Naha District Public Prosecutors’ Office, it said he was accused of strangling Yagi with a telephone cord and taking a backpack containing a wallet.
The Prosecutors’ Office was unavailable for comment outside regular business hours.
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The case has triggered protests in Okinawa and Tokyo, drawn condemnation from Japanese political leaders and led to a curfew and alcohol ban for US service members stationed in Okinawa.
It is the latest in a series of incidents over many years to deepen concerns about the sizeable US military presence across the island chain, which lies near Taiwan and China.
The III Marine Expeditionary Force said in a statement that it was aware Ballard had been indicted.
“We recognize the seriousness of the charges and will continue to cooperate fully with Japanese authorities in their ongoing investigation as the legal process moves forward,” it said.
