WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD, Hawaii — A grim chapter unfolded in Hawaii as a U.S. Army soldier stationed there received a 23-year prison sentence for the murder of his wife and unborn child. The tragic events occurred last summer, with the soldier attempting to cover up his crime by dismembering and discarding her body.
Private First Class Dewayne Johnson II accepted guilt earlier in the week by pleading guilty to charges that included voluntary manslaughter, obstruction of justice, and providing false official statements. The Army Office of Special Trial Counsel released a statement confirming his sentence.
The victim, Mischa Johnson, was a young woman of 19 and six months into her pregnancy at the time of her death on July 12, 2024. Her remains have yet to be discovered. In a tense courtroom, Johnson from the 25th Infantry Division recounted how an argument with his wife at their residence in Schofield Barracks, located on Oahu, turned deadly. Driven by a moment of rage after his wife shouted that their child would not know of his existence, Johnson struck her with a machete.
Johnson explained that his intention was not to kill her, but the impact to her head resulted in her no longer breathing or having a pulse. “I couldn’t picture my life without my child,” he stated sorrowfully. “I regret, I shouldn’t have done it.”
In a distressing effort to conceal his actions, Johnson used a chainsaw to dismember his wife’s body, then disposed of her remains in garbage bags, which he placed into a dumpster at his military unit. He believed the trash was destined for immediate incineration. His alarming decision sent shockwaves as he officially reported his wife missing on July 31, more than two weeks after her death.
Johnson even participated in searches for her around the island of Oahu before being formally charged on August 27, when Army investigators uncovered blood, DNA, and other vital evidence at his home, leading to his arrest.
Prosecutors pursuing Johnson, who hailed from Frederick, Maryland, ensured he received the maximum penalty permitted by law. As part of his plea deal, child sexual abuse image charges were dropped. Johnson now faces demotion in rank to private, forfeiture of pay and allowances, and a dishonorable discharge. His time will be served at a military prison located at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
The impact of this crime resonated deeply, as Mischa Johnson’s sister, Marianna Tapiz, expressed heartache upon learning the brutal details of her sister’s demise. “As a family together, we’re just trying not to focus on the horrific details of her last moment with him,” Tapiz voiced. “And instead, right now, we’re trying to just remember the happy memories that we have and remember her in that life.”
Lt. Col. Nicholas Hurd, an Army prosecutor, extended his hopes for justice and healing to the family. He acknowledged that though the sentencing cannot erase the profound loss of Mischa Johnson and her unborn child, Pfc. Johnson’s admissions of guilt might offer a semblance of closure for the family and involved parties.