A US Marine has been taken into custody in Okinawa on suspicion of murdering a woman in a hotel and stealing her wallet and backpack.
Lance Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, who is stationed at Futenma Air Station, is accused of strangling 39-year-old Anna Yagi in Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Yagi was found unconscious in a hotel room after staff became concerned that she had not checked out at the designated time. An employee unlocked the door and discovered her inside.
Emergency services were called at about 4.20am, but Yagi was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators believe she was killed between 2am and 4am.
Police said security footage showed a man leaving the hotel carrying belongings that belonged to Yagi. Her wallet and backpack were later found around the building.
An officer searching Naha’s entertainment district later located Ballard. Police said his shaved head and tattoos matched the appearance of the man captured on the footage.
Japanese prosecutors are examining the case and deciding whether to bring formal charges. If convicted, Ballard could face life imprisonment or the death penalty.
Outrage over US military presence
The arrest has prompted anger among local politicians and renewed protests over the presence of US military bases on Okinawa. Japan lodged a formal protest with the United States following Yagi’s death.
Okinawa Governor Genta Koja said: “The case deals a major shock and adds fear to the Okinawans who have already been forced to live next to U.S. bases.”
“It is absolutely unforgivable and we are outraged,” he added. “I must say, discipline and troop education are not working at all.”
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the incident as “extremely regrettable”, while Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi summoned George Glass, the US ambassador to Japan.
Mr Glass expressed condolences to Yagi’s family and said the United States was co-operating with Japan and local governments in the investigation.
Okinawa has been under growing local scrutiny over crimes linked to the US military presence. The prefecture was under US occupation from the end of the Second World War until 1972, and around half of the US troops deployed in Japan are stationed there.
Prefectural police figures cited in the case indicate that US military-related criminal cases rose to 101 last year, compared with about 40 in 2020. Local critics have also questioned arrangements under the 1960 Japan Status of Forces Agreement, including Japan’s jurisdiction over crimes involving US service personnel.
Under the agreement, Japanese authorities do not generally take custody of US personnel accused of crimes committed off duty while they remain on a US base until they have been indicted.
Military imposes alcohol ban
In response to the outrage, the US military said it would halt normal operations and prohibit alcohol at its Okinawa bases for 48 hours from noon on Wednesday to noon on Friday.
During the period, service members will take part in discussions about liberty policies, enforcement, alcohol awareness, Okinawan culture and the responsibilities of the alliance.
Alcohol consumption will also be banned on and off US military installations for 30 days. The military said it would increase supervision at the gates of all installations in Okinawa while reviewing its liberty policies and procedures.
Lieutenant General Benjamin Watson, commander of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, said: “Liberty is a mission, and like any other mission it requires discipline, trust and teamwork to complete it successfully.”
He urged service members to “live up to the high standards that come with the uniform you wear”.
Ballard enlisted on August 8, 2024, completed recruit training in South Carolina and later attended military schools in North Carolina before being assigned to Okinawa. He was promoted to lance corporal in October 2025.
His current duty status is recorded as being in the hands of foreign authorities.
