The family of the victim, Rina Shimabukuro, opted to seek state reparations after they were informed that Kenneth Franklin Gadson, the now-convicted killer in the case, is unable to pay the full amount of the court-ordered settlement, Stars and Stripes reported.
Though Gadson has filed an appeal of his murder conviction, he did not do the same for the court-mandated settlement, which led to the decision being finalized, The Japan Times reported. The amount of the court-ordered settlement has not been disclosed.
"Details of the decision cannot be disclosed," Naoko Murakami, the family's lawyer, said in a statement. "We plan to claim for compensation for damages to both Japan and the US governments based on Status of Forces Agreement Article 18 paragraph 6 when the verdict is finalized."
According to Stars and Stripes, the Japanese government is expected to consider the claim, assess the compensation amount and then proceed by filing a report with US authorities. Afterward, the US government will decide whether or not it will issue the payout and the amount.
Gadson was found guilty of murder, rape resulting in death and the illegal disposal of a body on December 1, 2017, for the April 2016 death of Shimabukuro. The victim went missing April 28 and Gadson became a prime suspect after security footage placed Gadson in the same area that Shimabukuro went missing. According to police, the 34-year-old later confessed to killing the Urumu resident. Gadson was doing civilian work for an internet company at the air base at the time of the murder — he is currently serving a life imprisonment.
A trial date for Gadson's appeal has not been announced.