Some disappearances leave behind questions.
Others leave behind silence.
Jonathan Fraser vanished from Honolulu, Hawaii, in 2016. For years, his family searched for answers while investigators slowly uncovered a case tied to organized crime, betrayal, and revenge. In 2024, a federal jury found a powerful businessman responsible for crimes connected to Jonathan’s disappearance. But before final sentencing could happen, the man died in federal custody — leaving behind complicated legal outcomes and a family still without a body to bury.
This is Jonathan’s story.
Who Jonathan Fraser Was
Jonathan Fraser was born on May 11, 1995.
He was 21 years old when he disappeared.
He is described in missing-person records as a white male with brown hair and hazel eyes, approximately 5'7" and 150 pounds.
Jonathan had several distinctive scars:
Two on his chin
One under his left eye
One under his nose
A scar on his left leg
Some agencies spell his name “Johnathan,” but court records and most news outlets use Jonathan Fraser.
Jonathan also suffered from a medical condition requiring daily medication, which raised serious concern when he vanished.
He was described by loved ones as quiet, gentle, and kind — a friend to everyone.
Jonathan was in a relationship with Ashley Wong, and she was pregnant with his child when he went missing.
Caleb later died from complications related to his injuries.
Although witness statements and available records identified Caleb as the driver, Miske publicly blamed Jonathan for his son’s death and later filed legal actions related to the crash.
Federal investigators would later say they believed this anger became the motive for Jonathan’s kidnapping and murder.
The Disappearance
He has never been heard from again.
The car was recovered.
Jonathan was not.
Because of his medical condition and the suspicious circumstances, his case was classified as Endangered Missing.
The FBI later offered a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for Jonathan’s disappearance.
A Criminal Enterprise Uncovered
In 2017, federal authorities arrested Michael John Miske Jr. and several associates, accusing them of running an organized criminal enterprise that had operated for years in Hawaii.
Prosecutors alleged Miske used his pest control company and other businesses as fronts for criminal activity involving:
Drug trafficking
Kidnapping
Murder-for-hire
Robbery
Extortion
Money laundering
Bank fraud
More than ten co-defendants were charged, many of whom later pleaded guilty.
Among the most serious accusations: that Miske had ordered the kidnapping and murder of Jonathan Fraser.
The Boat Investigators Believe Was Used
Agents seized over 100 pieces of evidence, including:
Navigation equipment
SD cards
Engine and vacuum filters
Sponges and brushes
Swabs from multiple areas of the vessel
Knives
A bilge pump and discharge hose
Prosecutors said they believed the boat was used in Jonathan’s abduction and murder, possibly to dispose of his body at sea.
Jonathan’s remains have never been recovered.
Ashley Wong’s Testimony: “We Were Set Up”
One of the most emotional moments of the federal trial came when Ashley Wong testified.
She told the jury that after Caleb’s death, Miske had provided her and Jonathan with housing and a car, which she now believes created a false sense of safety.
Then, on the day Jonathan disappeared, July 30, 2016, Miske arranged a spa day in Ko Olina for Ashley and Caleb’s wife, Delia.
Ashley testified that she now believes the trip was meant to get them out of the apartment while Jonathan was targeted.
While she was gone, she could not reach Jonathan.
By that evening, when friends also could not find him, she became convinced he had been kidnapped.
That night, she drove to Miske’s home in Kailua, hoping Jonathan might be there.
The house was dark. The carport was empty.
When she called Miske and asked where Jonathan was, he told her he was at home — but she did not believe him.
After Ashley began posting online asking for help finding Jonathan, she testified that Miske sent her an all-caps text message, warning her to stop telling people that Caleb had been the driver in the crash.
She said she felt threatened.
Not long after Jonathan vanished, she was also told she had to leave the apartment Miske had been paying for.
Ashley testified that Jonathan was not suicidal, was recovering from his injuries, and was excited to become a father.
“His main goal was to recover and become better than he was before.”
The Defense: No Direct Physical Evidence
During the trial, Miske’s attorneys emphasized that there was no direct forensic evidence — such as fingerprints or DNA — tying him personally to the locations where prosecutors said Jonathan was held or killed.
Honolulu Police forensic specialists testified that fingerprints from Jonathan’s apartment, his car, and another residence did not definitively link Miske to those scenes.
The defense attempted to discredit government witnesses and argued that Miske was a legitimate businessman and community donor.
Miske pleaded not guilty and denied any involvement in Jonathan’s disappearance.
Prosecutors responded that organized-crime cases are rarely built on one piece of physical evidence, but on patterns of control, witness testimony, communications, and coordinated actions among multiple people.
The Verdict: July 2024
After a six-month federal trial and testimony from more than 300 witnesses, the jury reached its decision.
In July 2024, Michael John Miske Jr. was found guilty on 13 federal counts, including:
Murder
Kidnapping
Racketeering conspiracy
Murder-for-hire conspiracy
Obstruction of justice
Additional violent and financial crimes
He faced mandatory life sentences and was awaiting formal sentencing.
Miske’s Death in Federal Custody
On December 1, 2024, Miske was found dead in his cell at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu.
The Honolulu Medical Examiner later reported that he died from toxicity caused by fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl, and that his death appeared accidental, though standard investigations continued.
He was 50 years old.
At the time of his death, Miske was pursuing an appeal and had not yet been formally sentenced.
The Legal Twist: Conviction Vacated After Death
Because Miske died before sentencing, the court applied a legal doctrine known as abatement ab initio, which requires that criminal convictions be vacated if a defendant dies before judgment is finalized.
As a result, in February 2025, the court formally dismissed the charges against Miske and vacated the jury verdict — not because the jury was wrong, but because the law does not allow a conviction to stand without final sentencing.
This is a legal technicality, not a factual finding of innocence.
The trial, testimony, and evidence all still exist in public record.
Continued Fallout: Daughter-in-Law Sentenced
Even after Miske’s death, the federal dismantling of the criminal enterprise continued.
In 2025, Delia Fabro-Miske — Caleb’s widow — was sentenced to seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to racketeering conspiracy.
Judge Derrick Watson rejected claims that she did not understand her role in Jonathan Fraser’s disappearance.
He cited several actions that, taken together, showed knowledge and participation in the conspiracy, including:
Convincing Jonathan and Ashley to live in an apartment paid for by Miske
Disconnecting the apartment’s internet router, limiting communication
Arranging the spa day on the day Jonathan disappeared
Quickly forcing Ashley out of the apartment afterward
“Together they paint a strong and clear picture of a conspiracy to commit murder and kidnapping,” the judge said.
Fabro-Miske was also ordered to pay nearly $50,000 in restitution and will serve three years of supervised release after completing her sentence.
Multiple other co-defendants in the Miske Enterprise have also pleaded guilty to various charges.
Still Missing
Despite years of investigation, federal prosecution, guilty pleas, and sentencing:
Jonathan Fraser is still missing.
His family has never been able to lay him to rest.
There has been no recovery, no burial, no final goodbye.
Justice in court does not replace the loss of a son, a partner, and a father who never got to meet his child.
Remembering Jonathan
Jonathan Fraser was not just a name in an indictment.
He was a young man who survived one tragedy, only to be taken by another.
He was loved. He was wanted. He had a future.
And until he is found, his story is not over.
If you have information about Jonathan Fraser’s disappearance, contact law enforcement or the FBI. Even years later, answers still matter.
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