A South Jersey family is stunned by the arrest of 21-year old American sailor William Reese Jr.

NBC:

The Pittsgrove Township man is in custody in Japan, accused of murdering a Japanese woman. Reese has been stationed in Japan with the U.S. Navy. for two years.

Reese's father, William Reese Sr., told NBC 10 News that he can't believe his son killed someone.

"Does that look like the face of a murderer?" Reese Sr. asked, showing NBC 10 reporter Jason Pizzi a picture of his son in uniform.

Reese Sr. said that his son had always wanted to be in the Navy. For the past two years, Reese Jr. has been onboard the USS Kitty Hawk in Japan.

The US Navy turned Reese Jr. over to Japanese authorities in Yokosuka City Saturday.

"It's terrible. It tore my heart out," Reese Sr. said.

Investigators have released a surveillance tape that they said shows Reese and 56-year-old Yoshie Sato, who was beaten so badly that she eventually died of a ruptured liver and kidney.

The attack happened near a train station in Yokosuka City on Jan. 3.

"That's not the son I know," Reese Sr. said.

Police said they do not know the motive for the attack, but that Reese Jr. allegedly stole 15,000 yen from the victim -- the equivalent of $130.

"I want to believe that he didn't do it, but according to the captain, he admitted to it," Reese Sr. said.

Reese Sr. hasn't talked to his son, but did talk to Reese Jr.'s commanding officer on Monday.

"He checked my son and said that he had blood or something on the bottom of his shoe that matched the lady's blood, and it looked like he had been in fight," Reese Sr. said. "All we can do here is pray for him."

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