Wife of Murdered US Airman Held in Okinawa, Japan Stabbing Death
The wife of murdered US Air Force Staff Sergeant Curtis Ecclestone is under arrest and charged with murder in the stabbing death of her husband. 32-year-old Japanese-Brazilian, Barbara Keiko Ecclestone, was taken into custody after voluntary questioning by Japanese investigators and is being held at an Okinawa Prefecture police station. She maintains her innocence.
Barbara Keiko Ecclestone had left her Kitaya, Chatan, Okinawa home a few days prior to the killing to live with a friend. The friend has not been identified but it is known that Ecclestone’s wife dated a 26-year-old airman that is currently being held at the Camp Hansen Brig under pre-trial confinement. Although no charges have been announced, he could possibly face conspiracy or murder charges.
It should be noted that although the crime occurred off-base, the airman under pre-trial confinement (he was arrested February 13, 2011) will remain under the US Status of Forces Agreement and Barbara Keiko Ecclestone will be held and tried under Japanese law.
US Force Japan personnel have an arrest rate of 0.174 percent, about half that of Japanese in Okinawa (0.342) and the entire country (0.351) of Japan!
For U.S. tourists and U.S. citizen residents of Japan not covered by the SOFA, the arrest rate would be 0.054 percent. And if we were to assume arrests of U.S. tourists to be negligible, the arrest rate for U.S. citizens not covered by the SOFA would increase to 0.575 percent. (Source article)
Stay posted for additional updates ! If you missed the first story, you can find it here. Click here for the Japanese news video.
R.I.P. Staff Sergeant Ecclestone, I hope your killer(s) get what they deserve!
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