Police arrested a 32-year-old male working for the U.S. military in Prefecture Thursday on suspicion of disposing of a missing 20-year-old woman’s body.
Having discovered a body the same day, police are working to confirm whether it is that of missing office worker Rina Shimabukuro, from Uruma in central .
Police began questioning the man, a resident of the town of Yonabaru, on a voluntary basis earlier in the day after investigating locations in Uruma and the neighboring town of Kin.
Shimabukuro has been missing since she contacted her boyfriend through the free messaging app LINE at around 8 p.m. on April 28, saying she was going for a walk. The boyfriend reported her missing to the local police the following day.
Given that Shimabukuro left her car and wallet at home, the police believe that she was involved in a crime or an accident.
GPS data from Shimabukuro’s smartphone shows her last confirmed location was an industrial area near her home in Uruma, according to the sources.
After checking traffic in the area, police came to suspect the American man. The suspect, who lives off base, has voluntarily submitted his car to police for checks, according to the sources.
The police have released photos of Shimabukuro in an effort to solicit information about her disappearance.
hosts the bulk of U.S. military facilities in Japan. The city of Uruma is the location of such U.S. bases as Camp Courtney and Camp McTureous.
(Japan Economic Newswire)
