Found Deceased JAPAN - Trevor Balint, 34, from Hubbard, Ohio, missing from Yokota Air Base, 1 Feb 2021

[Globalgabby]

First: RIP, Trevor. This is such a sad outcome. How did this happen?? So strange.

Second: That’s a question I’ve been curious about. On US military bases in foreign countries, do the people on base live more in line, culturally-speaking, as if they were in the US? Or, on this Yokota base, for instance, are they encouraged to adopt the traditional customs of Japan by removing your shoes or sleeping separate in their home, even though they reside on a US base?

I've worked on a nearby base for almost 20 years and lived off base for that whole time. U.S. bases are an American bubble except for the fact that we drive on the left, follow Japanese driving laws, and interact with Master Labor Contract and other Japanese workers during the day. Most military folks and their dependents are only here for 2 to 5 years, and most live on base - so basically, it is mini-USA. My base has over 25,000 people on it, so it is a mini-US city. On Yokota Air Base, even civilians live on base because they have enough lodging for them (not true on my base). Japanese nationals like to visit base during "open base" events because it feels like a trip to the USA, lol. You can buy a pizza for $15 instead of Y3,000! Sure, some folks study Japanese, learn to eat with chopsticks, etc . . . but in theory, they could live on base for 3 years and never ever have to leave. Sadly, I've known of families that do just that - they never want to leave the American bubble.

 

[bancam]

This is the formal (identifying) statement from Yokota Air Base:

Missing Yokota Member Pronounced Dead

By Staff Report / Published February 17, 2021

A male dependent was found unresponsive at a tower unit on the east side of base at approximately 11:00 a.m. yesterday morning.

The individual has been identified by law enforcement as Mr. Trevor Balint. The deceased was pronounced dead by medical personnel on scene.

Mr. Balint was reported missing on February 1. Security Forces, the Office of Special Investigations and base leadership coordinated assets and launched a search operation to locate Mr. Balint. Search efforts included assistance from Airmen, base families and local law enforcement off base.

“My sincerest condolences go out to the Balint family and friends, both here at Yokota and in the United States,” said Col. Andrew Campbell, commander of the 374th Airlift Wing. “The death of a member of our community always has a significant impact on our team and I’m deeply saddened to see the search for Trevor conclude this way.”

Wing leadership and law enforcement officials have confirmed that there is no indication of any risk to the community.

This investigation remains open and ongoing, pending medical examiner’s official determination of cause and manner of death. No further investigative details are releasable at this time.

Some tougher stuff being asked on their official FB page about the circumstances surrounding this, and how it is that he’s been located in his own tower block that had already been previously searched (more than once). I guess there’s always the possibility he died more recently than everybody is assuming, and so he wasn’t actually missed in the first searches because he wasn’t even there at that time? Or that he was locked in a very unusual spot that got overlooked? I guess we’ll have to wait for the official investigation to conclude, or the family to speak out first (which seems quite probable).

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Bit grim, but if he was hidden away in a container it might have been the smell that eventually alerted them and led to the discovery.

 

[whitelilac]

"Wing leadership and law enforcement officials have confirmed that there is no indication of any risk to the community."

This appears to imply that Trevor's death was due to either self harm or accident. If there was any question about the possibility of homicide, I don't think the statement would have included this sentence.

So very tragic.

 

[PommyMommy]

FEB 17, 2021
Body of missing Yokota spouse found in his own building 16 days after disappearance - Pacific - Stripes
[...]

The investigation into Balint’s death is “open and ongoing,” pending a medical examiner’s official determination of cause and manner of death, according to the statement.

[...]

Britni’s mother, DM, 56, of Brookfield, Ohio, told Stars and Stripes in a Facebook message Wednesday that efforts to find her son-in-law fell short.

“They assured my daughter that all buildings and storage units had been searched,” said DM, who arrived at Yokota on Friday. “To be found in his own building 16 days after disappearing is severely troubling.”

She said authorities had searched the area where the body was eventually found and assured her daughter they found nothing.

“The fact that it could be months to a year or more before the facts are released are troubling,” DM said. “We feel like we know no more today than we did 16 days ago. Yokota Base truly failed Britni and Trevor.”

[...]

 

[Lusitana]

It doesn't make much sense to leave his personal items outside and then commit suicide inside his own apartment building, does it?

 

[ludakristen]

Is it possible he hasn't been in the apartment building the entire time he was missing?

 

[CoverMeCagney]

I assume apartment owners have a key to this storage room, or do they have to ask (it said it was only to be accessed once or twice a year)? Has it been confirmed that’s where Trevor was found?

 

[Arkark]

Family frustrated by lack of answers during investigation of Hubbard man’s death in Japan | WKBN.com

Interesting quote by DM (mother-in-law) in above link: [BBM]

"I'm so sadly disappointed in the Base’s ability to do their job. They assured my daughter that all buildings and storage units had been searched. To be found in his own building 16 days after disappearing is severely troubling, especially after they were alerted to search floor 9 on Feb. 13 and they assured my daughter that had searched it and found nothing,” she said via email.​

 

[Tortoise]

What floor did they live on, do we know?

 

[whitelilac]

From post #10

Yokota Specific Pet Restriction
- Garden Units: Authorized up to two dogs and/or cats--no more than two, total
- Designated Towers, first three floors: Authorized up to two dogs and/or cats--no more than two, total
Trevor lived in a tower apartment with his wife and 3 pets.

So I'm assuming their apt is on the first 3 floors of the tower

 

[HongKongPhooey]

From post #10

Yokota Specific Pet Restriction
- Garden Units: Authorized up to two dogs and/or cats--no more than two, total
- Designated Towers, first three floors: Authorized up to two dogs and/or cats--no more than two, total
Trevor lived in a tower apartment with his wife and 3 pets.

So I'm assuming their apt is on the first 3 floors of the tower

Wonder what the significance was on the 9th floor...

 

[bancam]

I assume apartment owners have a key to this storage room, or do they have to ask (it said it was only to be accessed once or twice a year)? Has it been confirmed that’s where Trevor was found?

Only inferred (and later purged by air base FB page admin) from what I’ve seen. It was originally referred to as a storage container rather than a room or unit, but the latter is what I think they meant. Seems consistent with what mom-in-law is referencing in mainstream news.

Is it possible he hasn't been in the apartment building the entire time he was missing?

That’s what I wonder too. He actually might not have been there but returned days later. I guess the medical examiner will be in a position to determine likely time of death which should hopefully clear this up.

There’s always the possibility this was a tragic accident and his leaving of stuff behind (drunk) the night before was totally unrelated. For example, he woke up to the sound of a cat and decided to go check, only to get stuck in a chute or trapped in an auto-lock room etc. The reason I doubt this is plausible, however, is the reset/wiping of his phone, which his wife has alluded to in published reports.

 

[sahciepachie]

<modsnip: Rumors are not allowed at Websleuths>

I highly doubt it was an accident... why wipe your phone beforehand? Only he could have done that since it requires a passcode.

 

[Lusitana]

<modsnip: Rumors are not allowed at Websleuths>

I highly doubt it was an accident... why wipe your phone beforehand? Only he could have done that since it requires a passcode.

Can it be done just with your finger print though? Like, when you unlock your phone with just your finger print and it doesn't ask you for your passcode.

 

[MissMalowe]

The MIL's statements seem as though she is confident that Trevor was there the whole time. (But missed during 2 searches)

Wonder if there was a note or some other reason for her to think/know that?

 

[sahciepachie]

Can it be done just with your finger print though? Like, when you unlock your phone with just your finger print and it doesn't ask you for your passcode.

That’s true... if he did have fingerprint set up that would be one way.

I’m curious as to how he got in... do people not lock their storage units? Working with MP before I can totally see why’d they do a sloppy job with the search. I guess we won’t know until more info is given...

 

[evilwise]

A person who is very intoxicated will sometimes do things that only make partial sense and a partner who is angry might not be as observant as she thought she was in hindsight. He might have come stumbling in after 1am and already have left his shoes and phone in addition to his jacket but she only noticed him missing the jacket when he went into the other bedroom.

I agree that actually resetting a phone would be an especially unusual thing to do but it's possible that bit of info is not 100% accurate. The phone may have just gotten damp and not wanted to boot up correctly which got confused by the time it was reported. On the other hand, plenty of phones can be reset without passcodes. I don't keep any of my devices locked. Someone could just pick one up and reset it if they were so inclined.

 

[sahciepachie]

Yokota Air Base

This is a public post on the case on the base homepage. There are some “interesting” comments under a comment posted by user C.F. User M.M shared an interesting experience

I feel that there are some who did not take this investigation seriously.

 

[whitelilac]

Wondering....IF Trevor's intention was self harm, why did he come back to the apartment at 1:30 am after leaving his belongings at that garden apt,.. and then leave again later? Did he need to retrieve something? Key to the storage area, sleeping pills or meds? Or pen and paper to write with? (we don't know if he wrote a note, right?)

I only hope that he was not wanting to reach out to his wife, to talk things out, to seek comfort.
As it stood, she was angry at his lateness, which is understandable.

And as I said before, I very much hope that Britni will not beat herself up with "if only". Losing her husband like this is anguishing and shocking enough,... may she have every support possible.

Gosh, they were planning to watch a movie...he was said to be a good mood earlier....before he stated he was going out to "look for the cat".
So sad, one never knows, was there a trigger that night, impulsiveness due to the drinking, or was this building up over time? Likely the latter....