Marine accused in Okinawa Japan protests woman's death

Oct 3

Lama Hasan reports Okinawa police accusing 20-year-old US Marine Devin Jacob Ballard of killing and robbing 39-year-old Anna Yagi at a Naha hotel between 2 and 4 a.m. Saturday. Police say surveillance shows them entering together and Ballard leaving alone with her belongings. Ballard denies the allegations. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi calls the incident brutal and heinous and says Japan lodged a strong protest. The US ambassador was summoned and the US says it is fully cooperating with Japanese authorities. Hasan places the response against the history of the American military presence in Okinawa and previous cases and protests, without reporting a new public protest. The criminal allegation and diplomatic positions remain attributed.

Okinawa police accuse US Marine Devin Jacob Ballard of killing and robbing Anna Yagi at a Naha hotel between 2 and 4 a.m. on October 3. ABC reports police citing surveillance of their arrival together and his departure alone with her belongings, followed by his arrest. Ballard denies the allegations. No adjudicated finding of guilt is reported.