Army accuses soldier of murdering wife and unborn child

Army prosecutors have filed murder charges against a Hawaiian soldier whose six-month pregnant wife has been missing for more than three months. They allege he murdered her and “intentionally” killed her unborn child, officials said.

The four new charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice were filed Wednesday against Pfc. Dewayne Arthur Johnson II for the murder of Mischa Johnson, 19, and the killing of her unborn child “based on evidence obtained through the ongoing investigation,” said Michelle McCaskill, spokesperson for the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel, which is handling the case. case.

The Army confirmed to Task & Purpose on Thursday that Mischa Johnson’s body has not been found.

The new allegations are in addition to the previous ones UCMJ suit filed in August against the soldier for making false official statements, obstruction of justice and the production and distribution of explicit images of children.

Dewayne Johnson is in custody awaiting a preliminary hearing, which is required before the case can be brought before a general court-martial. If the charges are referred, Dewayne Johnson will be charged and a military judge assigned to the case will schedule a trial.

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The case is being handled by the Office of Special Trial Counsel, which is a relative new role in the Pentagon’s justice system to prosecute criminal cases involving murder, assault and domestic violence outside the chain of command.

Army investigators were notified on August 1 that Mischa Johnson was missing from Schofield Barracks, O’ahu, Hawaii, where the couple lived on base. Shortly afterwards, Army officials announced a $10,000 reward for information in the case. So was her husband, Dewayne Johnson taken into military custody free of charge in mid-August. A local This was reported by a Hawaiian news channel That video footage showed Dewayne Johnson purchasing cleaning supplies and various tools before reporting his wife missing.

Dewayne Johnson, of Frederick, Maryland, enlisted in the Army in November 2022 and completed station unit training at Fort Moore, Georgia. He is assigned to the Hawaii 25th Infantry Division and serves as a cavalry scout.

Domestic violence involving pregnant women is far from uncommon; many report that their domestic violence began or worsened when they became pregnant, the report said. National Partnership for Women and Families. According to the American newspaper, murder is the leading cause of death for pregnant women in the US National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

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