A soldier is in custody in Hawaii after his six-month pregnant wife went missing earlier this month, Army officials said.
“An individual has been placed into military custody in the Mischa Johnson missing person case. Mischa Johnson’s husband, Private First Class Dewayne Arthur Johnson II, is currently in military pretrial confinement in Hawaii,” 25h Infantry Division officials said in a statement.
While Dewayne Arthur Johnson is in pretrial confinement, he has not been charged yet, Army officials told Task & Purpose. Officials did not provide more details about a potential Uniformed Code of Military Justice offense.
According to the UCMJ, pretrial confinement “should only be used when necessary” and can only be ordered if there is a reasonable belief that an offense triable by court-martial was committed, the accused committed the crime and it’s necessary under the circumstances.
Earlier this month, the Army Criminal Investigation Division announced a $10,000 reward for information in the Mischa Johnson case. Army CID is partnering with Honolulu Police Department, CrimeStoppers and law enforcement in the region on the case.
Army CID 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.
Dewayne Arthur Johnson, from Frederick, Maryland, enlisted in the Army in November 2022 and attended one station unit training at Fort Moore, Georgia. He is assigned to 25th Infantry Division and serves as a Cavalry Scout.
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“Our efforts remain focused on locating Mischa, support to her family, and the safety and security of all personnel at U.S. Army Hawaii installations. This is a current and ongoing investigation, and no further information is available at this time,” Army officials said in a statement.
Officials encouraged anyone with information on the case to contact Army CID.
Mischa Johnson was six months pregnant when she went missing.
Domestic abuse involving pregnant women is far from uncommon with many reporting that their domestic abuse started or intensified when they became pregnant, according to the National Partnership for Women & Families.
Homicide is the leading cause of death among pregnant women in the U.S., according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
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