On January 3, 2006, Reese, then a United States Navy airman, murdered 56-year-old Japanese woman Yoshie Sato in Yokosuka, Japan.
On January 3, William Oliver Reese was near the Yokosuka-Chūō train station when he accosted 56-year-old Yoshie Sato, demanding money.
When Sato began yelling for help, Reese dragged her to a nearby stairwell and beat her for 11 minutes.
[4][5][6] When Reese was indicted and convicted after making a full confession there were many calls for a Status of Forces Agreement revision.
[7] While judges called the murder "shocking" and "dreadful," they cited Reese's confession, among other factors, as their justification for sparing him from a possible death sentence.