Where Is Eric Thompson Now? His Life After Being Convicted for Killing Jon Tokuhara

Hawaiian acupuncturist Jon Tokuhara was found shot to death in his clinic, a killing authorities tied to a love triangle. But defense attorneys for the convicted defendant argued police overlooked other potential suspects with deadly motives.

In January 2022, Lilly Tokuhara found her son lying dead on the floor of his office with $3,900 in a wrapper labeled “herbs” next to him, per the Hawaii Tribune Herald. He had been shot three times in the head, according to Hawaii News Now.

Surveillance footage led detectives to Eric Thompson, who had discovered six months earlier that his wife was having an affair with Tokuhara. He was arrested a month after the alleged murder.

During Thompson’s 2023 murder trial, deputy prosecutor Benjamin Rose argued he killed the acupuncturist for sleeping with his wife, calling it “a story as old as time.” Thompson’s attorneys argued that the victim “had a track record of cheating” and that police ignored other potential leads who would have shared Thompson’s motive.

Though his first trial resulted in a hung jury, Thompson was convicted at his second in February 2025, Hawaii News Now reported.

So where is Eric Thompson now? Here’s everything to know about his life after he was convicted of the murder of Jon Tokuhara.

Thompson learned of his wife’s affair in July 2021

During his second trial, Thompson told the court that his wife, Joyce Thompson, began displaying odd behavior in July 2021, according to Hawaii News Now. When he confronted her about it, he alleged that she confessed to having an affair with Tokuhara, who had been treating her for infertility, per the Hawaii Tribune Herald.

“I was sad at first, … because my suspicions were confirmed,” he said on the stand. “I was pissed, like … why would this happen or like what did I do to deserve this? … It was just really confusing.”

Thompson admitted he had considered confronting Tokuhara but never did, saying he and his wife chose to focus on repairing their marriage instead. He testified that the affair was “in the rearview mirror” by the time of Tokuhara’s murder.

According to the criminal complaint, a text message between Tokuhara and Thompson’s wife seemed to confirm their affair ended around July 2021.

Six months later, Tokuhara was shot in his acupuncture shop

On Jan. 13, 2022, Tokuhara was found dead inside his clinic in Waipahu, Hawaii, by his mother. According to the criminal complaint obtained by Hawaii News Now, she became concerned after her son stopped responding to her text the night before and failed to show up for dinner.

Police recovered three bullet casings at the crime scene as well as surveillance footage that showed a man in a white Chevrolet Silverado entering the clinic on the day Tokuhara was murdered. He was inside for about 45 seconds.

During the second trial in 2025, Thompson’s attorney, David Hayakawa, revealed to the court that $3,900 in large bills had been found next to Tokuhara’s body. The money was in a wrapper that was labeled with the word “herbs,” per the Hawaii Tribune Herald.

Thompson was arrested in February 2022

In the criminal complaint, police stated that they identified 53 vehicles similar to the one in the surveillance video. Of all the owners, Thompson was the only one who allegedly didn’t have an alibi.

Hawaiian authorities also recovered a hat that the man in the security footage had dropped after leaving Tokuhara’s clinic. DNA testing could not exclude Thompson from the profile found on the hat, per the Hawaii Tribune Herald.

The Thompson home was searched on Feb. 1, 2022, and reportedly turned up a dozen firearms. Thompson was arrested weeks later and charged with individual counts of second-degree murder and carrying or using a firearm in the commission of a separate felony.

Thompson’s defense attorneys claimed multiple people had motives to kill Tokuhara

During Thompson’s second trial in February 2025, Hayakawa told jurors that his client’s wife wasn’t the first woman the victim had cheated with. He described Tokuhara as having “a track record of cheating” and claimed that he also had a gambling addiction, per the Hawaii Tribune Herald.

However, he alleged that the police were “suspect-centric” and ignored “evidence that pointed to other leads.”

Two men whose ex-partners had been engaged in affairs with Tokuhara also took the stand, per Hawaii News Now. They both denied any involvement in his death.

“I knew I’d never be able to trust her again because that was a huge part for me as a person,” John Demarco, one of the men, testified of his relationship. “I was just like good riddance. I called him up and we weren’t yelling or anything. I’m not a fighting type.”

Thompson’s first trial resulted in a hung jury 

In August 2023, a court declared a mistrial in Tokuhara’s case when jurors couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict, per Hawaii News Now. Thompson was retried over a year later in February 2025, and the prosecution pointed out inconsistencies from his 2023 testimony.

He was found guilty of both second-degree murder and carrying or using a firearm in the commission of a separate felony.

“Tokuhara was not a homewrecker,” Elton Escobido, a friend of Tokuhara, told Hawaii News Now. “He’s a nice guy. I mean, he gives back to the community.”

Where is Eric Thompson now?

Four months after he was convicted, Thompson was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. KITV reported that he must serve a minimum of 15 years before he’s eligible for parole and noted that the Hawaii Paroling Authority could set a longer term.

The prosecution confirmed to KITV that they planned to ask for a higher minimum sentence.

Since his June 2025 sentencing, Thompson has been serving time at the Halawa Correctional Facility in Aiea, Hawaii. His defense team told Hawaii News Now that he planned to appeal.