Army officials brought charges against a Hawaii soldier after his six-month pregnant wife went missing. Her family said last week that the 19-year-old is believed to be dead.
Army officials preferred three charges and 14 specifications against Pfc. Dewayne Arthur Johnson II “stemming from the disappearance of his wife, Mischa Johnson,” officials said. Charges include providing false official statements, obstruction of justice, and the production and distribution of explicit images of children.
Johnson is in pretrial confinement pending a required preliminary hearing before charges can be referred for a court martial. He will be arraigned if charges are referred, and a military judge will schedule pre-trial hearings and a trial.
The case is being handled by the Office of Special Trial Counsel, part of the Pentagon’s overhaul in how it addresses criminal cases involving murder, sexual assault and domestic abuse outside the chain of command.
“This case remains an active investigation,” said Michelle McCaskill, an OSTC spokesperson. “We are confident that law enforcement will exhaust all efforts to find Mischa and the likelihood of additional charges is certainly a possibility as the case develops.”
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The family of Mischa Johnson said in a livestream last week that authorities believe she is likely dead and cited evidence found in her husband’s car and their home.
Army investigators are trying to piece together details about Dewayne Johnson’s whereabouts and actions between July 12 and Aug. 1. During that period, Mischa Johnson’s family received texts from her phone, but it is not believed that she sent them.
A local Hawaii news outlet reported that surveillance footage shows Dewayne Johnson purchasing cleaning supplies and various tools before he reported his wife missing.
The Army Criminal Investigation Division was notified on Aug. 1 that Mischa Johnson was reported missing from the Schofield Barracks, O’ahu, Hawaii. According to CID, she was reportedly last seen on July 31 inside her home.
CID also announced a $10,000 reward for information in the case earlier this month. Army investigators are partnering with the Honolulu Police Department, CrimeStoppers and law enforcement in the region on the case.
Dewayne Arthur Johnson, from Frederick, Maryland, enlisted in the Army in November 2022. He is assigned to the 25th Infantry Division and serves as a cavalry scout.