Life term sought for ex-U.S. base worker over murder of Okinawa woman

Prosecutors on Friday demanded life imprisonment for a former U.S. civilian base worker charged with raping and killing a 20-year-old woman in Okinawa in April last year.Claiming Kenneth Franklin Shinzato, 33, committed "extremely heinous and selfish crimes," the prosecutors sought the life term, while the defendant denied intent to murder the victim. The Naha District Court will hand down a ruling on Dec. 1.The case sparked public anger and strengthened anti-U.S. base sentiment in Okinawa, which hosts the bulk of U.S. military facilities and has seen a series of crimes committed by U.S. se…READ FULL ARTICLE