Japanese prosecutors indicted Lance Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, on murder and robbery charges. The case covers the death of a woman in Okinawa earlier this month. CNN, ABC News, and the Washington Examiner reported the Sunday news. They cited Japanese media and prosecutors. Ballard is assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force at Futenma Air Station.

Prosecutors allege he strangled Anna Yagi, 39, with a phone cord at a hotel in Naha on October 3. They also allege he stole her backpack with a wallet. Police previously said she was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death was listed as suffocation. Ballard was arrested less than a day later while walking in the city, police said.

The case has stirred fresh anger over the conduct of US troops in Japan. Local leaders have pressed for tighter rules around bases on Okinawa. The Marine Corps has not issued a detailed public reply on guilt in the pages reviewed here. Ballard has not been convicted.

US bases on Okinawa have long been a flashpoint in local politics. Past crimes by service members have driven large protests. Prosecutors said the robbery charge covers the stolen backpack and cash taken from the room.

What we know: Japanese prosecutors have indicted Ballard on murder and robbery charges in Yagi's death.
What we don't: Ballard's plea, and whether any US military court action will run in parallel.