Japan indicts U.S. Marine on murder charge over woman's killing

Key points

• Japanese prosecutors indicted U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, on suspicion of murdering 39-year-old Anna Yagi on Okinawa.
• The indictment, confirmed by a Naha court spokesman, alleges Ballard strangled Yagi with a telephone cord at a Naha hotel on October 3 and stole her backpack.
• Japan's foreign minister said officials are reviewing the off-base code of conduct for U.S. troops following the killing.

Japanese prosecutors have indicted a U.S. Marine on suspicion of murdering a woman on Okinawa, a Naha court spokesman told AFP on Monday. The case has caused public outrage and renewed controversy over the heavy U.S. military presence on the southern Japanese island.

Okinawa prefectural police arrested Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, who is stationed at Futenma Air Station, on suspicion of strangling Anna Yagi, 39. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, the indictment alleges Ballard strangled Yagi, who was from Naha, with a telephone cord at a hotel in the island's capital on October 3, and stole a backpack containing her wallet and other belongings.

Suspect's statements and official response

The Marine denied the allegations when he was arrested but has since made statements implying some involvement in the case, the Yomiuri and other media reported, citing investigative sources. Japan's premier condemned the "heinous crime," according to the article.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said officials were reviewing the off-base code of conduct for U.S. troops in Japan. He said bilateral consultations would examine off-duty conduct and the "liberty" policy governing off-base private activities, including whether existing rules are working and matters such as patrols and curfew management.

We plan to hold discussions including whether the existing rules are effectively functioning

— Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi

Background on U.S. military crimes

Crimes by U.S. military personnel have long triggered protests on Okinawa, which has urged other regions to share the burden of hosting U.S. troops. The number of arrests related to U.S. service members and their families exceeded 100 last year, according to prefectural police.

The existing liberty policy, updated in 2024 after a string of sexual assaults in Okinawa, bans personnel from drinking in public off base or going to bars between 1:00 am and 5:00 am. After the Marine's arrest, the U.S. military held a two-day operational pause and a month-long curfew. Okinawa hosts 70% of America's military facilities and most of the 54,000 U.S. troops in Japan, though it makes up just 0.6% of the country's landmass.