Congresswoman’s request follows the insufficient prison sentence for Schofield soldier convicted of killing his pregnant wife Mischa Johnson
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda (HI-02) sent a letter to the Chair of the Joint Service Committee on Military Justice requesting an increase in the maximum sentence for military members convicted of voluntary manslaughter, which is currently lower than in Hawaiʻi and many other states.
Rep. Tokuda is asking the Committee to review and recommend to the President a tougher penalty for voluntary manslaughter, which under the 2024 Edition of the Manual for Courts-Martial, is no more than 15 years in confinement. In comparison, the maximum sentence for this crime is up to 20 years in states like Hawaiʻi, Georgia, Massachusetts, and Texas; up to 25 years in New York; up to 30 years in the District of Columbia, Florida (if a weapon is used), Illinois, and Maine; up to 48 years in Colorado; and up to life in prison in Washington State.
Rep. Tokuda learned of this issue after a horrific crime and conviction in her congressional district. PFC Dewayne Arthur Johnson II admitted to killing his wife, Mischa Johnson, and her unborn child with a machete, dismembering them, and placing their remains in a dumpster on Schofield Barracks. In June 2025, he pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and other crimes and was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
“Considering the perpetrator’s horrific actions to kill his wife and unborn child and cover up his crime through gruesome and unconscionable acts, this sentence seems insufficient. I fear that prosecutors seeking justice were undermined in their ability to impose more stringent consequences by the comparatively low maximum sentence for voluntary manslaughter under the UCMJ,” Rep. Tokuda wrote in the letter.
“While nothing can be done about PFC Johnson’s sentence now, your committee has the power to recommend updates to maximum sentences for offenses under the UCMJ to deliver justice for victims in the future. I strongly urge the Joint Service Committee to recommend to the President a significant increase to the maximum penalty for voluntary manslaughter to ensure that the most heinous and remorseless actions yield the highest sentences. That is the least that we can do for Mischa Johnson and her family.”
A copy of the letter can be found here.
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