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Dateline has been one of the foremost news magazine shows that have unveiled the truth behind some of the most bizarre and troubling true crime cases around the country.
Dateline began on NBC in 1992 and evolved from focusing on general interest topics to true crime stories. In Dateline: The Bucket Hat Mystery, the episode focuses on the murder of renowned acupuncturist Jon Tokuhara, who was shot dead in his office on January 12, 2022.
Even though Jon was a respected person in society, his death was a brutal shock to the community of Waipahu in Hawaii. Several aspects of the murder pinpointed to the fact that the murderer did it to take revenge and eventually it was found out that the acupuncturist had died because Eric Thompson, the perpetrator, was angry that his wife had an affair with Jon. More from the Dateline story below.
Dateline: Who was Jon Tokuhara and more details about his murder
Jon was a native of Hawaii and lived with his parents and sister in a loving and supportive home. He was successful in his studies and even played baseball, rugby, and other sports. He attended the University of Portland and also got a degree in Chinese medicine and acupuncture at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine.
Jon was also an adventurous person and after setting up his own practice in Hawaii, he would regularly make time for outdoor activities. However, when he did not answer his calls on January 13, 2022, his mother Lily, went to his office and saw her son shot to death in the face.
Interestingly, $4000 worth of cash was found near Jon’s body, leading the police to believe that there was a personal motive to the case. CCTV footage soon showed a man in a white bucket hat around the office. The hat had fallen off his head, and it was later found with a homeless man, and sent for forensics.
Eventually, the police learned about Jon’s affair with Eric’s wife and a white Chevy Silverado that was seen leaving the clinic matched the vehicle that was owned by Eric Thompson. Eric gave an alibi about being at a dump to dispose off bricks and later being with his daughter, but his alibi did not prove consistent.
In Dateline, it was noted that Eric had a .22 caliber gun, which was also used for shooting Jon and the information about his wife, Joyce’s affair with Jon also made him the prime suspect.
Dateline: Who was Eric Thompson and details about the aftermath of the affair
According to Dateline, Eric Thompson was also from Hawaii and went through many struggles while growing up as he came from a humble, single-parent household. Therefore, Eric realized that he had to do well in life and he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, while also working on the side.
Eventually, Eric became successful when he decided to become an entrepreneur and established a bathtub renovation business. The show reveals that he bought his wife, Joyce, a lavish home worth over $2 million and also sponsored her acupuncture treatments that began in 2017.
Joyce began visiting Jon for fertility treatments but they soon got involved in an affair, which Eric found out about in July 2021. The entrepreneur was enraged and reportedly, there were a lot of fights between Joyce and Eric, and he made her apologize and did not allow her any more visits to the doctor.
Further, Eric and Joyce also signed a post-nuptial agreement that stated that if the duo got divorced, all the assets and even the custody of their daughter Emma, would go to Eric.
The couple signed these on December 29, 2021, which was two weeks before Jon’s death. Coupled with the fact that a note was found with Joyce that stated Eric’s lingering anger over the affair, the entrepreneur was arrested for the murder on February 14, 2022.
Dateline: Details about the trial surrounding Eric Thompson for the murder of Jon Tokuhara
When Eric was taken into custody on the charges of Jon’s murder, he soon posted bail of $1 million but he was placed under house arrest. His first trial took place in August 2023 and it was declared a mistrial as the jury could not get a unanimous decision. His bail was revoked and he was placed in detention until his next retrial in 2025.
While his defense tried to make the jury believe that there were other suspects apart from Eric, the prosecutors asserted that Eric was the only person to be suspected as he was jealous of his wife’s affair and even gave her a note that said, “an unfaithful spouse will not show remorse.”
The defense tried to argue that Joyce was the one who came up with the idea of the post-nuptial agreement but it did not make sense as she always wanted to be a mother and the agreement included the clause of Joyce having to give up her daughter in the event of a divorce.
The prosecution made several other points like the fact that the CCTV footage shows a man of the same gait and clothing as Eric around Jon’s office on the day of his murder and primarily, DNA recovered from a white bucket hat, had pointed towards Eric.
Further, Eric knew how to shoot and owned multiple guns. Jon was shot four times in his face by a .22 caliber gun. All of these facts therefore singularly pointed towards Eric being the killer. Finally, the jury found him guilty of second-degree murder and for the possession of a firearm and he was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Presently, Eric is in the Halawa Correctional Facility in Oahu in Honolulu, Hawaii. There, he must serve a compulsory 15 years in prison before he becomes eligible for parole.
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Dateline is available on NBC.
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