US Marine seen for first time after he was accused of murdering woman, 39, while serving on Japanese island notorious for rowdy troops

A United States Marine accused of murdering a woman while serving on the Japanese island of Okinawa has been pictured.Lance Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, who is stationed at Futenma Air Station, was taken into custody on Saturday on suspicion of strangling 39-year-old Anna Yagi at a hotel and stealing her wallet and backpack.The victim was found still inside the hotel room in Naha, the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, after staff members noticed she failed to leave during the designated checkout time earlier that day.A concerned hotel employee then unlocked the door and entered the room, where Yagi was found unconscious. Emergency services were alerted at around 4.20am, but Yagi was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities now believe she was killed sometime between 2am and 4am.As the investigation unfolded, police uncovered security footage they said shows Ballard leaving the hotel entrance with Yagi's belongings in his hand. Those belongings were later found around the hotel, police said. Lane Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, was arrested by Japanese authorities on Saturday for allegedly strangling a 39-year-old to death Japanese police cordon off an area in Naha, Okinawa, as officers investigate the death of Anna Yagi, who was found inside a hotel roomA police officer combing the streets of Naha's entertainment district later that night located Ballard, whose shaved head and tattoos reportedly matched those of the man caught in the security footage.Ballard has denied any wrongdoing. Still, Japanese prosecutors are now looking into the case as they work to determine whether to press formal charges, CBS News reports.If convicted, Ballard could face life in prison or even the death penalty. The disturbing crime has left locals and politicians terrified, with Japan lodging a formal protest against the US – a strong diplomatic message that expresses strong disapproval of a policy, action, or violation of international law.'The case deals a major shock and adds fear to the Okinawans who have already been forced to live next to U.S. bases,' newly elected Okinawa Governor Genta Koja told reporters in the aftermath.'It is absolutely unforgivable and we are outraged.'I must say, discipline and troop education are not working at all,' she added, slamming the measures America has taken in response to past criminal cases in the country. Okinawa residents held a protest against US military presence following Ballard's arrest In recent years, locals have grown irate over the increasing number of crimes linked to the US military presence on the island A woman is seen protesting against the US military presence at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo, Japan on MondayPrime Minister Sanae Takaichi also spoke out after the woman was found dead. 'The occurrence of the heinous crime is extremely regrettable,' she posted on X. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also summoned George Glass, the US Ambassador to Japan, to his office amid the 'outrage.' Glass took to X, sharing condolences with the victim's family. He said the US is cooperating with the Japanese nation and local governments in the case. Around 500,000 US troops are deployed in Japan, and half of them are stationed in Okinawa – which had been under US occupation from World War II until 1972.But in recent years, locals have grown irate over the increasing number of crimes linked to the US military presence on the island – including the heinous gang rape of a 12-year-old girl in 1995.The number of US military-related criminal cases rose to 101 last year from about 40 in 2020, according to prefectural police.Many now argue that the 1960 Japan Status of Forces Agreement left US military bases in the country virtually immune to Japan's domestic laws.Under the agreement, Japanese authorities are hard-pressed to conduct an on-site probe into alleged environmental pollution inside the bases and regulate low-altitude flights.Among the most contentious of the issues is Japan's lack of primary jurisdiction over crimes committed by US military personnel while on duty. Even when crimes are committed off-duty, as long as the individual responsible remains on base, their custody won't be handed over to Japan until they are indicted, according to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations. Okinawa Gov. Genta Koja, right, hands a letter of protest to U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Benjamin T. Watson at Okinawa prefectural office on MondayAmid the outrage, the US military announced on Tuesday it will halt normal operations and ban alcohol at its bases on Okinawa for a 48-hour-long period beginning at noon on Wednesday and ending at noon on Friday.During that period, service members will participate in 'discussions on liberty policy, enforcement mechanisms, alcohol awareness, Okinawan culture and alliance responsibilities,' said Lt Gen Benjamin Watson, III Marine Expeditionary Force Commander.Alcohol consumption will also be prohibited on and off US military installations for 30 days, during which the military will institute 'enhanced supervision at the gates across all installations on Okinawa.'Military leaders will use that time to 'conduct a more deliberate review of our liberty policies and procedures and make recommendations to the Okinawa Area Coordinating Committee,' Watson wrote in a memo obtained by Stars and Stripes.'Liberty is a mission, and like any other mission it requires discipline, trust and teamwork to complete it successfully,' he wrote before urging service members to 'live up to the high standards that come with the uniform you wear.' Ballard was stationed at the US Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station (pictured)Join the discussionShould the US military face stricter oversight when crimes involve American troops abroad?What's your view?Ballard had enlisted on August 8, 2024 and completed recruit training at Parris Island, South Carolina. He then went on to attend the School of Infantry – East at Camp Geiger in North Carolina and the Marine Corps Engineer School at Camp Lejeune before being assigned to Okinawa.He was promoted to lance corporal on October 1, 2025.Ballard's awards include the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, a Letter of Appreciation and a Meritorious Mast.His current duty status is listed as 'confined foreign civil authority/IHFA,' an abbreviation for 'in hands of foreign authorities,' according to Stars and Stripes.