Hawaii Marine Detained in Case of Dependent Death Amid Separate Search for Soldier's Missing Wife

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Mishap drill at Marine Corps Base Hawaii
A U.S. Marine with the Provost Marshalls Office, Headquarters Battalion, guards the entrance to the scene of a mishap drill, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Sept. 29, 2020. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Shane Linder)

A Marine stationed in Hawaii remains in custody this week in connection to the death of a dependent, service officials told Military.com on Thursday, yet no charges have been filed.

A service member's dependent died Sept. 1 at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, or MCBH. This comes after a soldier in Hawaii whose pregnant wife went missing was arrested in August as part of a separate case. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is investigating the dependent death, officials said, and the Marine has been in confinement for nearly two weeks.

Meanwhile, the Marine Corps and law enforcement officials have been silent on details regarding the most recent case, to include basic information such as the Marine's rank, the connection to the dependent, as well as names of those involved.

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Military.com sent the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and NCIS a list of detailed questions Thursday, but got few answers as each entity cited the ongoing investigation. NCIS confirmed that no charges had been filed.

"1st Marine Aircraft Wing is aware of an incident on Sept. 1 that resulted in the death of a service member's dependent," 1st Lt. Isis Coty, a spokesperson for the wing, told Military.com on Thursday. "The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is actively investigating the incident, and the command is fully cooperating with that investigation."

    "A Marine is currently in confinement in connection with the incident; however, no charges have been filed at this time," Coty added.

    When pressed for details, Coty said that there was no further information available at the time. It was unclear whether the Marine in detention belongs to the 1st MAW; however, it is common for units that are in charge of Marines involved in an incident to be the point of contact for information.

    The incident comes just weeks after Army Pfc. Dewayne Arthur Johnson II was detained after his 19-year-old wife, Mischa Johnson, disappeared from her home at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. Johnson was charged with providing false statements, obstruction of justice and distribution of child pornography, Military.com previously reported.

    Mischa Johnson was six months pregnant at the time of her disappearance and still has not been located, KHON2, a local Hawaii station, reported Thursday. The search for her was focused on a plot of undeveloped land near the Dole Plantation on Oahu, according to the news station.

    "We're just gonna see if we find anything because there's no evidence recovered as far as a body or anything like that," Mika Paresa, a search party organizer, told the station. "But the fact that his car was allegedly seen in this area, that's why we're focusing here."

    Related: Hawaii Soldier Held After Wife Went Missing Is Charged with Child Porn, Obstruction of Justice, False Statements

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