Eric Thompson, 37, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for the January 2022 murder of 47-year-old Jon Tokuhara, an acupuncturist in Honolulu. The murder was reportedly linked to an affair between Tokuhara and Thompson’s wife.
Thompson was also sentenced to 20 years for a weapons charge, with both sentences running concurrently. He must serve at least 15 years for the murder charge before becoming eligible for parole. A jury convicted Thompson of second-degree murder in February, after his first trial ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury.
The Murder and Investigation
On January 12, 2022, Tokuhara’s mother discovered her son’s body in his acupuncture clinic. Police quickly gathered evidence linking Thompson to the crime.
Surveillance footage showed Thompson’s truck near the crime scene, and he was seen dropping his hat as he walked back to his car. A homeless man found the hat, and police later used it to track down Thompson.
Court documents revealed that Thompson’s wife had an affair with Tokuhara between May and July 2021. During the investigation, Instagram messages between the wife and Tokuhara suggested that Thompson’s wife feared her husband would find out about the relationship.
Defense and Motive
Thompson’s attorneys argued that he wasn’t at the scene of the murder and suggested that other individuals may have had a motive to kill Tokuhara, who was reportedly involved with several women. However, the evidence pointed to Thompson as the murderer.
A former patient of Tokuhara, who knew both Thompson and his wife, confirmed that the couple had been together since high school and later married. The patient also revealed that Thompson’s wife had confessed to the affair but did not name Tokuhara as the person involved.
Thompson’s wife later admitted to having an affair, and the police investigation uncovered messages showing that she was scared her husband would find out.
Sentencing and Family Support
During the sentencing hearing, Thompson’s wife supported him by sitting behind him, but both she and Thompson’s family declined to speak to the media afterward.
The murder of Jon Tokuhara by Eric Thompson highlights the tragic consequences of personal betrayal. Despite the defense’s claims, the investigation and evidence pointed to Thompson as the killer. He will now serve a life sentence with the possibility of parole, leaving behind a family torn by his actions.
