US Marine Indicted in Okinawa Robbery-Murder

Okinawa prosecutors indicted 20-year-old U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard on robbery and murder charges in the death of 39-year-old Naha resident Anna Yagi. The indictment alleges that Ballard strangled Yagi with a telephone cord in a hotel room on Oct. 3 and took her backpack and belongings; Ballard has denied the allegations. The case has renewed public and political scrutiny of the U.S. military presence in Okinawa and calls to review rules governing U.S. personnel in Japan. Japanese officials demanded cooperation with the investigation and steps to prevent further incidents, while U.S. military officials said they would cooperate and imposed temporary restrictions on troops in Okinawa.