A 20-year-old US Marine arrested on suspicion of robbing and killing a woman at an Okinawa hotel was referred to Japanese prosecutors on 5 October. Japanese law permits the death penalty for homicide and robbery causing death, but any sentence would depend on the charges brought and the court's findings.
Lance Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard is suspected of killing 39-year-old Anna Yagi at a hotel in Naha, Okinawa's capital, in the early hours of 3 October and taking her belongings. He has denied the allegations and remains in Japanese custody.
