Key facts
- US Marine Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, was charged with murder and robbery in Okinawa.
- Anna Yagi, 39, was found dead in a hotel in Naha, Okinawa.
- Ballard is accused of strangling Yagi and stealing her backpack containing a wallet.
- Ballard was arrested on October 4, with prosecutors filing charges on Sunday.
- Surveillance footage reportedly linked Ballard to the crime scene.
Japanese prosecutors have charged a US Marine, Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, with the murder and robbery of Anna Yagi, 39, in Okinawa. Ballard, assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, is accused of strangling Yagi at a hotel and stealing her belongings. He was arrested on October 4 after surveillance footage reportedly placed him at the scene. The incident has led to protests and a curfew for US military personnel in Okinawa, a region with a significant US troop presence. Crimes by US service members have historically strained relations between Japan and the US.