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American military employee questioned in disappearance of Okinawa woman

Rina Shimabukuro
Rina Shimabukuro

OKINAWA (TR) – Okinawa Prefectural Police are questioning a man employed in the U.S. military in connection with the disappearance of a 20-year-old woman in Uruma City, reports NHK (May 18).

At around 8:00 p.m. on April 28, Rina Shimabukuro, a company employee, informed a man she is living with via the smartphone application Line that she was headed out for a walk. She has not been heard from since.

On May 12, police issued a photograph of Shimabukuro in an effort to obtain information from the public about her whereabouts.

During the investigation, police learned that Shimabukuro’s smartphone stopped transmitting data between one and three kilometers from her residence, an area that includes a number of factories.

After an examination of security camera footage in the area at the time of her disappearance, a vehicle belonging to a male civilian employed in the U.S. military came under scrutiny.

The U.S. military employee denies being involved in Shimabukuro’s disappearance. Police are now examining his vehicle for clues in the case.