Raye Penber

Ray Penber (レイ・ペンバー, Rei Penbā) is an investigator from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, sent to Japan to aid in tracking down Kira early in the story, by investigating certain suspects in the case- namely, Light and his family.

Penber, an American, has a Japanese mother. Light notices the distinct accent in Penber's voice. Penber, in the beginning of the story, is about to stop investigating Light Yagami, since Light appears to be a normal, serious university-bound student that only goes to school and a preparatory academy. While concluding his investigation of Light, who appears to be going on a date, Penber falls into a cleverly-placed trap set by Light as Kira, once Light finds that Ray is following him. Light tricks Ray into showing him his identification by setting up a bus jacking by controlling the actions of Kiichiro Osoreda, and then creates a trick where a sheet of the Death Note, with deaths already specified, is placed under a blank sheet of paper with windows cut out for the names to be written in by Ray. Light writes Ray's name in the Death Note.

After the bus jacking, Penber speaks to his fiancée about the bus jacking. He tells Naomi Misora to not involve herself in the investigation, since he is concerned for her well-being and because she went to Japan with Penber to see her parents.

At 3:00 PM on December 27, 2003, while wearing a hood to obscure his identity, Light holds Penber hostage in an underground section of the Shinjuku Station by killing Yonegoro Nusumi, an employee at a shop labeled "Cafeel" with a heart attack; Nusumi had raped women but escaped a court conviction due to a lack of evidence, therefore Light feels justified in killing him. Light threatens Penber by stating that non-compliance would lead to Ray's death, the death of Ray's love, and the deaths of Ray's family. Light leads Penber through a turnstile in the western entrance at 3:11 P.M. Penber enters a train on the Yamanote Line at 3:13. Penber obtains the names of the other FBI investigators, and unknowingly writes them on the Death Note page, securing their deaths. Penber receives the FBI file at 3:21 P. M; Penber is the second FBI agent that receives the file. At 4:42 PM, Penber dies from a heart attack three seconds after he exits the train, and his last sight is that of Light's face.

The death of Penber was a major turning point of the story, as L deduced an incredible amount from it later on. It could be considered Kira's worst mistake.

In the Japanese anime version, his identification card signature is firstly spelled "Ray Penbar", although then it's corrected on next episode. The English version corrects the signature to read "Ray Penber."

Ray in the "Death Note film"
In the film series, he is known as Ray Iwamatsu and played by Shigeki Hosokawa. Iwamatsu is a counterterrorism agent headquartered in Dallas, Texas. His date of death is also changed to December 27, 2006, as L's video recording in the first film shows. In the film, Iwamatsu tells Misora that he suspects Light; this allows for Misora to suspect Light and to find Shiori. Iwamatsu, portrayed by Shigeki Hosokawa, cancels his reservations and leaves the hotel, causing a perplexed Misora to follow him. Iwamatsu boards the train at 10:40 A.M. at Asakabashi Station and encounters Kira while on the train. Iwamatsu does not see Kira, instead, he talks to him using a walkie-talkie. Light has the man sitting next to Iwamatsu, Ozaki, killed and tells Iwamatsu to prop Ozaki's body so that it looks like he is sleeping. Light threatens to kill other passengers if Iwamatsu does not cooperate. Iwamatsu receives an e-mail containing names of the other FBI agents investigating Kira. Iwamatsu notices Ryuk as he briefly looks through a window. He then places the paper and walkie talkie on the train, exits at Shinagawa Park and dies three seconds later; Misora witnesses his death, drops her church documents, and cries "Ray!" repeatedly as she holds Iwamatsu's dead body. Misora collapses and sobs at the end of the scene. Light kills the other FBI agents in Japan and Iwamatsu's supervisor along with Iwamatsu.

Ohba said that at the beginning he thought of the idea of the FBI going after Light, and so he created Ray to fill the plot point.

Obata said that as Ray was of mixed American and Japanese descent, Obata "struggled over his design" and tried to make Penber look more non-Japanese. Obata said that he wishes that he could have "drawn him a bit better."