US to hand over sailor who murdered Japanese woman

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The US agreed Saturday to hand over an American sailor who admitted killing a Japanese woman to Japanese authorities, the Foreign Ministry said. Japan had requested custody of the suspect, who was being held at the US Navy base in Yokosuka, and the US agreed to hand him over, an official of the Foreign Ministry said on condition of anonymity, citing ministry policy. It was not clear when the suspect would be transferred to police, he said. Earlier Saturday, a Japanese court issued an arrest warrant on robbery-murder charges for the sailor, police said. Police said Friday that the suspect admitted killing Yoshie Sato, 56, during questioning. Sato was found beaten and unconscious in Yokosuka on Tuesday, and later died of internal bleeding.