Okinawa murder: US marine indicted after strangling victim
Devin Jacob Ballard faces charges for killing Anna Yagi and stealing her belongings in Naha.
By Layla Fontaine ·
Japanese prosecutors formally charged a United States Marine with the murder and robbery of a local woman on Okinawa Island.
Devin Jacob Ballard, a 20-year-old lance corporal assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, is accused of strangling Anna Yagi, 39, to death at a hotel in Naha. Investigators also allege he stole her backpack, which contained her wallet.
Ballard was arrested on October 4, roughly one day after Yagi’s body was discovered. Surveillance video from near the hotel showed a man entering a room with Yagi and leaving with her items. Ballard matched the suspect's description and voluntarily accompanied police to a station.
He denied involvement during initial questioning, stating, “I don’t know anything about it.” Later, investigators said he made statements that partially hinted at his role in the death. He denied the formal charges filed on Sunday.
A statement delivered to Yagi’s family on Sunday expressed the hope that Ballard would confront his actions and make amends. The family noted that she was 39 and wanted to live much longer.
The incident has renewed scrutiny of US troops stationed in Japan. Most of the 54,000 US military personnel in the country are based in Okinawa. The killing followed a curfew and alcohol ban for US service members implemented after previous incidents.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said such incidents cause great anxiety in the local community. The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that about 6,000 US military personnel have been arrested in Okinawa since 1972. In 2024, there were 80 arrests, a 20-year high. A court sentenced Marine Jamel Clayton to seven years in prison in June 2025 for choking and assaulting a woman.
