Updated Oct. 4, 2026, 8:08 a.m. ET
A U.S. Marine stationed in Japan was arrested on suspicion of murder and robbery on Oct. 4, a day after local police in Naha city on Okinawa Island discovered a woman’s body in a hotel room.
The alleged murder has prompted outrage from Japanese politicians. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi condemned the “extremely brutal and heinous incident” and urged the U.S. government to cooperate with Japanese authorities.
“As the Government of Japan, we have lodged a strong protest with the U.S. side and firmly demanded maximum cooperation with the investigation, strict discipline among U.S. military personnel, and thorough measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents,” Takaichi wrote in a post on X.
The Marine accused in the case was identified by police as Devin J. Ballard, a 20-year-old lance corporal stationed at the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma as part of the III Marine Expeditionary Force.
Police in Okinawa alleged Ballard killed and robbed Anna Yagi, a 39-year-old woman who was pronounced dead at the hotel room in Naha in the early hours of the morning on Oct. 3.
Japan’s foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi summoned U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass over the incident. Motegi urged the U.S. military “to strengthen discipline and to prevent the recurrence of incidents so that such a tragedy will never be repeated,” according to Japan’s foreign ministry. Ballard has not been convicted in the case.
The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said on social media that it is “aware that a US service member is in custody following the death of a Japanese national in Okinawa.”
“We extend our sincere condolences to the victim’s family,” the embassy added. “As an investigation is underway to determine the facts of the case, the United States is communicating and cooperating with the Government of Japan and local authorities.”
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The III Marine Expeditionary Force wrote in a post on X that it is “actively cooperating with Japanese authorities, in response to allegations of serious criminal actions by a Marine.”
“The Marine is in custody of local authorities while investigations proceed,” it added.
Local residents have long expressed opposition to the large U.S. presence on Okinawa Island due to the behavior of American personnel.
In 1995, three U.S. service members raped a 12-year-old girl in Okinawa, prompting locals to take to the streets in mass protests. In 2017, Kenneth Franklin Shinzato, a former Marine, was sentenced by a court in Japan to life in prison for raping and murdering a 20-year-old woman in Okinawa.
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