Preliminary Hearing Date Set For Myria Silva's Alleged Murderer:

The Article 32 Hearing (which is similar to a preliminary hearing) for the Fort Leonard Wood soldier accused of killing another soldiers wife is scheduled to be held in December at the post.

Spc. Jermaine Johnson was charged in mid October with premeditated murder, kidnapping, sodomy, adultery, intent to deceive or provide false statements, assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm and obstructing justice in the death of 23 year-old Myria Silva.

Johnson was arrested in the death of Silva on October 14th at Fort Leonard Wood. Authorities believe the young mother of two was killed on or about Oct. 10th, and her body dumped in a vacant farmhouse near Niangua in Webster County.

No details have been released by the post about how Silva died, but if Johnson's attorney's don't waive his prelim (that usually doesn't happen in a first degree murder preliminary hearing,) prosecutors will lay out there case on December 18th. A judge will then decide if there is enough probable cause for the Army medic to be tried for Silva's murder.

Johnson was serving in Fort Leonard Wood’s General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital as a health care specialist. If convicted of all charges, Johnson could receive the death penalty, or life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is being held in the Fort Knox Regional Confinement Facility in Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Myria Silva was married to another Fort Leonard Wood soldier, Pfc. Benjamin (Benji) Silva, who was deployed to Iraq at the time of her murder.

Her mother, Katie Duniphan, says that she has not received a copy of the autopsy report or incident report that she has requested from those investigating her daughters death. She says the most precious thing she has left are her grand daughters, Paris, and Millie.

Myria's father, Dave Middleton lives in Colorado.

Here is a link to Jermaine Johnson's MySpace page.