Prosecutors seek life term for U.S. sailor for killing taxi driver

Thursday 18th June, 06:36 AM JST

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IchyaWarFare at 11:25 AM JST - 18th June

I guess I am lucky, I get voices, but fortunatly they haven't told me to kill anyone, they just tell me which teams I should bet on.

Got any good predictions...football season starting up soon...

Moderator: Back on topic please.
wanderlust at 12:09 PM JST - 18th June

He should take a leaf out of the Sumo Association's Book. Apologise profusely, deeply, profoundly; swear never to do it again, attest that he is a changed man after the experience, and he should get off with the usual 3 year suspended sentence.
zhazam05 at 01:20 PM JST - 18th June

How this sorry sack of shite got into the navy is just over the top!I,for one hope he hearsMany Voices Locked up (in regular population)for the rest of his Shameful LIFE!!!
Tetsujin at 01:36 PM JST - 18th June

How did he rack up a 19,000 yen taxi fare?
elzey02 at 02:13 PM JST - 18th June

Dumb ass rot in prisoin, you make it harder for military living in Japan!
toguro at 02:16 PM JST - 18th June

Tetsujin: After paying 5000 yen for a cab ride from Yokoham to Yokosuka back in 88', I could easily see how. This guy deserves death.
timorborder at 03:58 PM JST - 18th June

Serious lack of guts on the part of the prosecution. They should take this guy to the mat and try for the death penalty.
Everton2 at 04:51 PM JST - 18th June

All the Americans here are just gunning for the death penalty. They never learn that it just does not work. And I see he is Nigerian now. Timothy Mcvay was in the military and for a while he was the pride of the US armed forces, serving with distinction in th Gulf War. Look what he did.
flatearther at 05:34 PM JST - 18th June

If Japan is unwilling to give him the death penalty, perhaps they should turn him over to the Navy for sentencing.
Monoflow at 06:55 PM JST - 18th June

I guess, a lot of these people in military service... So Ugubogu, rot in hell...
toguro at 08:40 PM JST - 18th June

Everton2: Did you ever think that maybe the Americans calling for the death penalty feel it has more to do with the fact that he took a life, so why should he continue to breath free air? I think it has more to do with "an eye for an eye" than it does with deterance.
flatearther at 08:54 PM JST - 18th June

@monoflow- Please try not to judge all military members by the actions of one sailor, a deserter, mind you who chose to commit a crime. All service members and Americans are not alike. For the record, this man was neither American nor does he belong to any branch of service any longer. He chose his path when he deserted the Navy and turned to a life of crime. The military's reputation should not be tarnished in your eyes because of one clearly unstable individual, that's simply unfair to the fine men and women who choose to obey the laws of their host country.
Fadamor at 09:38 PM JST - 18th June

The navy must be getting desperate to fill manning quotas. Back when I was in (late 70's - early 80's) you could only join if you were a U.S. citizen or came from a U.S. terrirory... or the Philippines.

Even in the "bloodthirsty" U.S., we don't execute mental cases. This guy seems to be fitting that description. Life in prison sounds appropriate.
flatearther at 10:18 PM JST - 18th June

For the record, I doubt this guy's claims of "hearing voices" are credible. A problem that severe would certainly not have cropped up overnight, and it would have been noticed screened before he even made it to Japan. Boot camp is difficult for sane people to get through, let alone some one hearing voices.
sharky1 at 06:16 AM JST - 19th June

They should force him to work at hard labor for life, so he can provide support for the taxi driver's family.