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HONOLULU (KHON2) The Army soldier accused of killing his pregnant 19-year-old wife was sentenced on the third day of his trial in a military courtroom in Hawaii.

Private First Class Dewayne Arthur Johnson II has been sentenced to 23 years in prison.

In addition to his sentencing, the military judge reduced Johnson’s rank to E-1, total forfeitures of pay and allowances and a dishonorable discharge at the conclusion on the court-martial.

After almost one year since Mischa Johnson last saw her family, I am relieved that the accused was held accountable for what he did to her and her unborn child in court today. This comes after determined efforts by Army CID, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory and other federal and local law enforcement partners. We extend our sincere gratitude to them in helping to obtain the first step towards closure for Mischa’s family.

Lt. Col. William Wicks, prosecutor, Headquarters, Army OSTC

PFC Johnson admitted in court on June 3 that he killed his wife, Mischa Johnson, during an argument in July 2024. On June 4, witnesses, including Mischa’s mother and sisters, testified to the court. They described the pain of losing her and never recovering her remains.

As part of a plea deal, PFC Johnson admitted to using a machete to hit his wife in the head after an argument in July 2024. He said Mischa accused him of cheating and threatened to keep him out of their child’s life.

In exchange for admitting to using the machete, charges against PFC Johnson have been reduced from murder to voluntary manslaughter.

Mischa’s body still has not been found. PFC Johnson said that he dismembered the body and put it in trash bags that he knew would be taken to an incinerator.

Background

Mischa Johnson, 19, was six months pregnant when she was last seen at her Schofield Barracks home in July 2024. On Aug. 1, 2024, her husband reported her missing.

By Aug. 4, 2024, the United States Army Criminal Investigations Division (CID) had posted a $10,000 reward for information on Mischa’s whereabouts.

On Aug. 19, 2024, a spokesperson for CID told KHON2 that Mischa’s husband, PFC Johnson, was taken into military custody. He was initially facing charges for obstructing justice, providing false statements, and child pornography on Aug. 27, 2024.

In November 2024, the Army preferred four more charges and five additional specifications against PFC Johnson relating to the disappearance of his wife. At that time, PFC Johnson was facing additional charges for the murder of Mischa Johnson and the death of her unborn child.

In February 2025, the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel (OSTC) said PFC Johnson had waived his right to a preliminary Article 32 hearing. By February, the OSTC referred five charges and 19 specifications against PFC Johnson.

On May 29, 2025, the OSTC announced that it had negotiated a plea agreement with PFC Johnson, and a hearing was scheduled for June 2025. Johnson agreed to plead guilty.