US Marine arrested over murder of woman in Okinawa, Japan
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US Marine arrested over murder of woman in Okinawa, Japan
Image source: Getty Images
Image caption: The US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa, Japan
By Sakshi Venkatraman
Published 4 October 2026
A US Marine has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman's body was found in a hotel in Okinawa, Japan, local officials say.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the crime as a "brutal and heinous" robbery and murder. She stated she had urged the US to "enforce stricter discipline" of its personnel.
Japan's public broadcaster NHK identified the victim as Yagi Anna, 39, and the suspect as Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, who is stationed at US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.
"We are actively cooperating with Japanese authorities, in response to allegations of serious criminal actions by a Marine," the Marine Corps said on social media, extending condolences to the victim's family.
Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi stated that the woman's body was discovered early Saturday morning in a hotel in Naha City, the capital of the Okinawa prefecture.
"Such an incident is utterly inexcusable and fills me with strong indignation," Koizumi wrote on social media, adding that "incidents and accidents involving U.S. military personnel cause significant anxiety to the local community and must never occur."
The US Embassy in Tokyo stated it was fully cooperating with the Japanese government and local police. Japan's foreign ministry said it summoned US ambassador George Glass to discuss the incident on Sunday.
Okinawa is home to several US military bases and tens of thousands of American troops.
Okinawa Governor Genta Koja expressed his frustration, stating that the prefecture had repeatedly demanded the US take action to prevent such incidents and viewed the alleged crime as a sign of a lack of discipline.
"The fact that this kind of event has happened again leaves us no choice but to conclude that the U.S. military's efforts in maintaining discipline, educating personnel, and other such measures are completely ineffective," he said.