Isophoric News · Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Prosecutors in Okinawa indict a US Marine on robbery and murder charges over the killing of a 39 year old woman
Public prosecutors in Okinawa indicted US Marine Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, on robbery and murder charges on Sunday, The Japan Times reported. According to the indictment and other sources, the paper said, he allegedly strangled a 39 year old woman with a telephone cord in a Naha hotel room between about 2:10 a.m. and 4:15 a.m. on Oct. 3 and took a backpack holding her wallet and other belongings. The Naha District Public Prosecutors Office had not disclosed whether he admitted the charges, The Japan Times reported. CNA, citing the Yomiuri Shimbun and AFP, reported that he denied the allegations when arrested but has since made statements implying some involvement, according to Yomiuri and other media citing investigative sources, and said prosecutors were not immediately reachable. CNA reported that the case drew public outrage, that Japan's prime minister called it a "heinous crime," and that it reignited controversy over the US military presence on the island.