Mischa Johnson was six months pregnant and looking forward to welcoming her daughter Armani when she was brutally murdered by her cheating soldier husband Dewayne Johnson
Nestled on Oahu’s picturesque shores, 19 year old Mischa Johnson was in the throes of an idyllic start to motherhood. At six months pregnant in 2024, Mischa eagerly anticipated her baby girl Armani’s arrival, while also savouring newlywed bliss with Dewayne Johnson, a private first class in the US Army, having tied the knot the previous November.
The couple had begun crafting their nest on Schofield Barracks military base, ready to embrace life as a family unit. As a Filipino native to Oahu, Mischa was a cherished pillar in her close-knit family. Her days often involved caring for her beloved grandmother and younger family members, earning her the affectionate nickname Auntie Mimi from them.
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Her nurturing essence left no doubt that she’d embody the role of a tender mother. Together with Johnson, they curated a baby registry, inviting those dear to their hearts to lavish their unborn Armani with tokens of love.
Mesmerised by the Johnsons’ profound affection for one another, relatives frequently commented on their undying romance – the couple was seldom apart, openly displaying their love unabated by the glare of public eyes. Their connection radiated with the freshness of a honeymoon period that showed no signs of waning, but Johnson held a secret.
Come July, the beatific news of Mischa’s sister Marianna’s pregnancy added to the jubilance. Visions of raising cousins side by side filled their conversations with excitement, prompting plans for a celebratory dinner on the evening of 12 July. Their joint foray into parenthood was a future brimming with shared experiences.
The day prior to the anticipated celebration, on 11 July, Mischa enjoyed a shopping spree alongside her mother and even caught up over the phone the following day. Yet, when the time came to meet at the restaurant, Mischa uncharacteristically failed to appear.
Concerned, Marianna reached out via text to ascertain her whereabouts, receiving a brief response from Mischa that read, “Home, wasn’t feeling good. Sorry.”
Despite Mischa’s physical absence, her acquaintances continued to receive text messages from her. However, something seemed off as the messages didn’t match Mischa’s usual style, tone or punctuation.
Two weeks later, on 31 July, Mischa’s family were taken aback when Johnson reported his wife missing, prompting an investigation. The army put up a $10,000 reward for information and posters featuring 5ft 2in Mischa with her baby bump were circulated.
Locals rallied to search the entire island for Mischa, with Johnson joining in. He mobilised his colleagues to assist in the search and spent time with Mischa’s family as they anxiously awaited news. Her disappearance was entirely out of character, causing her loved ones to fear the worst.
However, investigators began to suspect that Mischa may have been missing for longer than Johnson had claimed. No one had seen her in person since 11 July and her text messages had been peculiar.
They started to scrutinise Johnson’s behaviour and found that he had registered on an online dating app and messaged 18 women since Mischa’s disappearance. There were even photos on his phone of him kissing and engaging in sexual acts with another woman. Evidence suggested that Johnson was discussing starting a new life with this woman. Did he know Mischa wasn’t returning?
Johnson was arrested after police found blood, DNA, and other damning evidence at his residence. The officers concluded that although no body was discovered, Mischa and her unborn child were deceased – Johnson being the perpetrator.
He stood before a military tribunal and, in June this year, admitted to charges of voluntary manslaughter, obstructing justice, and making false official statements. To the dismay of Mischa’s family and friends, he disclosed the grim details of his actions against his wife and their unborn baby – revealing why their remains might never be located.
The 29 year old told the court about a heated argument with his young wife in their room. He claimed she had yelled that his child “won’t know that he existed” and in response, he lost control.
He recounted seizing a machete that was already present in the chamber and striking her on the head, resulting in the blade lodging in her temple. “I couldn’t picture my life without my child,” he expressed his regret. “I regret it, I shouldn’t have done it.”
When Johnson finally extracted the machete from Mischa’s skull, he noticed she was no longer breathing. After checking for a pulse and finding none, he acknowledged her death.
Johnson confessed to initially attempting to dismember his wife’s body with a machete to conceal his crime, but was unsuccessful. He then purchased a chainsaw to complete the task, severing her limbs and head from her torso and placing the body parts into three bin bags, which he then disposed of in a dumpster. Johnson had believed the waste from the dumpster went directly to an incinerator.
He offered an apology to Mischa’s family, stating, “My wife didn’t deserve that. She wasn’t trash… I hate myself for what I did, every day. They both deserved so much more. I failed as a husband, I failed as a father, and I failed as a man… I’ll forever be sorry.”
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Mischa’s family expressed their profound grief, with Marianna describing the loss of Mischa as a “void in her heart that will never be filled again”. Her mother, Frances Tapiz-Andrian, became overwhelmed with emotion as she spoke about her “unbearable grief”.
“I struggle every day, night,” she said. “No matter how many people you meet, losing a person isn’t losing a relationship, it’s losing a piece of yourself.”
Johnson received the maximum sentence of 23 years for the murder of his wife and unborn child. He was also required to forfeit his pay and allowances and was dishonourably discharged. He will serve his sentence in a military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Mischa’s remains have never been discovered.
It is believed she was taken to the island’s rubbish incinerator. Johnson waited a fortnight before declaring Mischa as ‘missing’, providing ample time for her and her unborn child to vanish without a trace.
