My latest Miske story was published at Civil Beat this morning: “Newly Unsealed Documents In Miske Case Tell A Grisly Tale Of Kidnap, Torture And Murder.”
It’s a very sad tale that was difficult for me to write.
The lede:
Previously secret search warrants and related court records, made public for the first time last week, contain disturbing new allegations about the disappearance of 21-year-old Jonathan Fraser, who vanished from the Hawaii Kai apartment where he and his girlfriend were living on July 30, 2016.
The documents show that in November and early December 2016, just four months after Fraser’s disappearance, a confidential FBI source told investigators he had been at a residence in Kalihi where a man, later recognized as Fraser, was bound to a lawn chair with plastic ties and duct tape, kicked repeatedly in the head, then burned with a torch.
However, it remains unclear whether investigators ultimately believed this to be a true and reliable account of Fraser’s demise.
It is based on search warrants that have been unsealed and made publicly available as a result of a legal challenge brought by the Civil Beat Law Center. The first batch of warrants became available on Friday, and all but two of the 47 are available this morning. The Law Center link includes a link to download a zip file containing the set.
I’ve been working through the set of documents to find tidbits worth commenting on, and I’ll likely be using those in posts here over the next several days.
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If ever a case for the Death Penalty was made this would be it.
That was really hard to read!
It was really hard to write, as well. I’m glad there weren’t more graphic details included. I would have had to stop reading.
Ian, the story was harrowing to read. That being said, mahalo for your continuing coverage of this case.
Absolutely horrifying! So very sad and heartbreaking indeed, Ian. Mahalo for your continued hard work – hope and pray justice is eventually served on every single monster involved – and I hope the instigator in charge never ever sees the light of day. Heartfelt condolences continue to go out to the family of Jonathan Fraser.
The Civil Beat and HNN stories never address the question of who killed Borling-Salas, other to mention almost in passing that it was unidentified inmates at OCCC. So was anyone charged with that killing or even identified, is an investigation ongoing, or does it just not matter?
Please tell me that Katherine Kealoha didn’t have a hand in tipping-off Miske that Borling-Salas was cooperating.