‘Barely making it through each day’: Okinawa homicide victim’s family speaks out

Anna Yagi is pictured April 24, 2022, in this screenshot from her Facebook page. (Facebook)

The family of a Japanese woman killed this month on Okinawa is demanding punishment equal to the severity of the crime, saying they are struggling through each day with grief, anger and fear.

Relatives of Anna Yagi, 39, who was found dead Oct. 3 at a hotel in Naha’s Wakasa district, issued a statement this week through their attorney, Kenichi Kobayashi.

“We want the person who took her life to face consequences equal to the gravity of the act,” wrote the family members, who were not identified.

Okinawa Prefectural Police arrested Marine Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, on suspicion of killing and robbing Yagi. He has denied the allegations, according to police.

The family declined to discuss the circumstances of Yagi’s death while the investigation is ongoing but said “taking a human life is something that can never be justified.”

“We are barely making it through each day, grappling with a multitude of emotions — deep sorrow, shock, regret, anger, fear and anxiety,” they wrote.

The family expressed “heartfelt gratitude” to those who had offered condolences and encouragement, while asking others to respect their privacy.

“Her dignity has been violated even after her death,” they wrote. “We feel a profound emotional pain, as if she has been killed all over again.”

Kobayashi could not be reached for comment by phone Wednesday because he was in court.

Okinawa police have accused Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, right, of killing a Naha woman at a hotel in the city’s Wakasa district on Oct. 3, 2026. (Threads)

The arrest has prompted new restrictions for U.S. troops on Okinawa and criticism from Japanese officials.

Lt. Gen. Benjamin Watson, commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force, imposed a midnight-to-5 a.m. curfew for all U.S. service members on the island as part of a monthlong “Period of Reflection.” The restrictions remain in effect until noon Nov. 8.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi questioned the effectiveness of the curfew during a House of Representatives budget committee meeting Tuesday, calling it “inadequate” to prevent similar incidents.

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told the same committee that Japan and the United States began high-level discussions last week about reviewing liberty policies for American troops throughout Japan.

Those talks include “matters such as patrols and curfew management,” he said.