My latest story on the Miske case and the disappearance of Johnny Fraser was published by Civil Beat today (“Miske Investigation: Unsealed Affidavit Offers New Clues In Killing Of Son’s Friend“).

Here’s how it begins.

An alleged North Shore gang leader was overheard just weeks after Johnathan Fraser’s disappearance bragging about taking part in his kidnapping and killing, according to a 2017 affidavit of an FBI agent recounting information provided by a confidential FBI source.

The disappearance and presumed death of Fraser in 2016 was a key theme in the government’s racketeering case against former Honolulu business owner Michael Miske, who was convicted by a federal jury in July after a six-month trial.

According to the affidavit, which was only recently made public, Kelii Young, now known as Kelii Foster, was allegedly heard talking about the murder during a casual conversation at a Windward Oahu cockfight less than two weeks after Fraser disappeared.

It is the first time his name has been publicly linked to the Fraser’s disappearance, but he is by no means the first suggested to have participated or necessarily considered the most likely. Confidential witnesses previously have suggested several other Miske associates may have been responsible.

Much of the information in the newly unsealed document the story is based on has previously been made public in other court records or during trial testimony.

However, as far as I know, this is the first time suspicion has been directed to a group on the North Shore.

Of course, no one has ever been charged based on this information, so it may have later been discredited later by investigators. But the information in the warrant was considered part of an ongoing investigation until very recently.

It also demonstrates how FBI investigators were running down tips of all kinds received from confidential informants.

A year later, in May 2018, the FBI offered a $20,000 reward “for information leading to the arrest of the individual(s) responsible for the disappearance of Jonathan Fraser.”

It is not known whether the reward succeeded in generating new leads, or whether the reward has ever been paid.