Japan Media reports indicate that Japanese prosecutors have charged a US marine with the alleged murder of a woman in Okinawa.
The case sparked public outrage, with Japan’s Prime Minister also condemning the “heinous crime” and reigniting controversy over the large presence of US troops in Okinawa, Agence France-Presse reported.
According to the indictment, the 20-year-old suspect allegedly strangled a 39-year-old woman from Naha city with a telephone cord at a hotel on October 3, Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
The man was also accused of stealing a backpack containing the deceased’s wallet and other items and was charged with robbery, the report said.
The Yomiuri Shimbun and other media, citing investigation sources, reported that Marin had denied the allegations when he was arrested, but has now made a statement indicating his involvement in the case.
There was no immediate response to Japanese prosecutors contacted by AFP.
Cases of rape, assault, hit-and-run and drunk driving involving US military personnel stationed in Japan have long sparked protests in Okinawa. For years, Okinawa has called on the rest of Japan to share the burden of US troop deployment.
