Hawaiian soldier arrested after wife's disappearance faces charges of child pornography, obstruction of justice and making false statements

The Army said Tuesday it had filed charges against a young soldier in Hawaii who was arrested earlier this month after his pregnant wife disappeared.

Private Dewayne Arthur Johnson II of Frederick, Maryland, was charged with 14 counts in three counts: making false official statements, obstruction of justice and production and distribution of child pornography, the U.S. Army in Hawaii said.

Johnson, a cavalry scout with the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, was arrested about two weeks after the disappearance of his wife, 19-year-old Mischa Johnson, and is in custody awaiting military trial. The Army has not confirmed when the soldier was arrested.

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While the Army did not go so far as to accuse Johnson of a role in the disappearance of his wife, who was six months pregnant at the time of her disappearance, it said more charges could be added as the case progresses.

It is unclear when Johnson is scheduled to appear in court; the case has not yet been placed on the Army's public agenda. The Army could choose to try the charges outside of a court-martial.

If Johnson goes to trial and is convicted, he faces up to five years in prison for each count of making false official statements, in violation of Article 107 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice; five years in prison for each count of obstruction of justice, in violation of Article 131b; and 30 years in prison for each count of producing and distributing child pornography, in violation of Article 134. It is unclear which of the 14 charges against him are related to each of the charges.

Johnson could also be dishonorably discharged from the Army, demoted in rank, and lose all pay.

“This case remains under investigation,” said Michelle McCaskill, spokeswoman for the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel, in a press release. “We are confident that law enforcement will make every effort to find Mischa.”

Mischa Johnson's family said in an Instagram livestream last week that Army investigators now believe her dead, more than three weeks after she was reported missing on Aug. 1. She was last seen at her home on Schofield Barracks on July 31, the Army said.

“She was so excited to be a housewife and live her dream,” the woman's older sister, Marianna Tapiz, said on the livestream. “She was so happy.”

Mark Lunardi, a spokesman for the Army Criminal Investigation Division, declined to confirm Monday whether investigators believe the woman is dead.

Each branch of the military opened a new office of special trial attorneys last year after Congress mandated that the most serious crimes – murder, sexual abuse, domestic violence, child molestation, kidnapping and others – be handled by independent attorneys outside the chain of command. Johnson's case is expected to be one of the first cases the Army office will hear in its first year of existence.

Proponents of military justice reform argue that having the new office conduct trials would minimize the influence of a defendant's superiors on the legal process.

The search for Mischa Johnson continues intensively at the Army base north of Honolulu on the island of Oahu and in the surrounding area. A poster with the search notice describes her as 5'2″ tall, 175 pounds and of Filipino descent. A large dragon tattoo can be seen on her back.

“Army CID continues to actively search for Mischa Johnson and is asking the public for assistance with any information regarding her whereabouts from July 12, 2024 to August 1, 2024,” Lunardi said.

In the livestream, Tapiz said the family would now work to demand “justice for Mischa” instead of bringing her home.

“What we need to know is everything about [Pfc. Johnson]and that is the focus right now,” said Tapiz.

Mischa's mother, Frances Tapiz-Andrian, fell to her knees and begged the community for help.

“I failed as a mother. I failed as a parent. I let my child down. I let Mischa down,” she said, sobbing on the livestream. “Come out with everything. Call the CID. I can't judge anyone. … I can't even bury my daughter.”

Related: Hawaiian soldier arrested in connection with the disappearance of his pregnant wife from a military base

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