Japan indicts US Marine on murder charge in Okinawa: reports

Japanese prosecutors have formally charged a U.S. Marine with murder in connection with the death of a woman in Okinawa, according to reports on Monday. The incident has sparked widespread outrage and prompted Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to condemn the "heinous crime." The 20-year-old suspect is accused of strangling a 39-year-old woman from Naha with a telephone cord inside a hotel on October 3, police sources report.

Additionally, he is alleged to have stolen the woman's backpack, which contained her wallet and other possessions, leading to robbery charges against him. The Marine initially denied the allegations during his arrest, but later statements suggest some level of involvement, according to media reports citing investigative sources.

Prosecutors have not yet commented on the matter. Incidents involving U.S. military personnel, including sexual assaults, violent crimes, and drunk driving, have historically provoked protests on Okinawa, an island that has long demanded greater autonomy from Japan's southern region.