Open Water

Summary

Dateline NBC Podcast Summary Episode: Open Water
Release Date: August 12, 2025

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Introduction to the Case

The podcast episode "Open Water" delves into the mysterious death of Mickey Kanasaki, an American tourist who tragically died under suspicious circumstances during a cruise in the Mediterranean. Hosted by NBC News, the episode meticulously reconstructs the events leading to her untimely demise, the ensuing investigation, and the eventual conviction of her ex-husband, Lonnie Kakantis.

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Background of the Individuals

Mickey Kanasaki, originally from Japan, moved to the United States during her childhood. She married Lonnie Kakantis, a dedicated attorney, in 1995. Their marriage, however, faced turmoil leading to a divorce, though they remained close enough to rekindle their relationship by booking a cruise together in early 2006.

Quote:
Narrator [35:28]: "Toshi Kanasaki's early childhood was spent in Japan. The only boy with three sisters, Mickey was the youngest."

Lonnie Kakantis, an attorney with a stellar reputation, had previously faced serious allegations involving misconduct at his law firm. Despite these challenges, Lonnie was determined to repair his relationship with Mickey, evident in their decision to embark on the Island Escape cruise in May 2006.

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The Night of the Disappearance

During the cruise, after an excursion in Messina, Sicily, Lonnie and Mickey boarded the Island Escape bound for Naples. Less than 24 hours into the journey, Mickey went missing. Lonnie, distressed by her disappearance, reported her missing to the ship's crew.

Quote:
Bill Price [04:40]: "Lonnie was in Napoli and Mickey had gone missing off the boat. And that's where it started."

Despite the calm Mediterranean weather and thorough searches by the crew, Mickey was not found on board. Lonnie's frantic calls to his friend Bill Price revealed his fear and desperation.

Quote:
Amy Nguyen [07:27]: "He was a disheveled mess and he was acting fearful."

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Initial Investigation

Italian authorities launched an investigation upon the discovery of Mickey's body by Captain Massimo Colorito of the research vessel Estrella. The autopsy revealed that Mickey drowned without water in her lungs or stomach, indicating she was dead before entering the water. Additionally, bruising suggested possible strangulation and sexual assault, leading Prosecutor Alfredo Ladonio to consider the case as a deliberate murder rather than an accident or suicide.

Quote:
Bill Price [29:31]: "We did not find water in her lungs, nor did we find water in her stomach."

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Private Investigation Efforts

Concerned about Lonnie's predicament in a foreign country, private investigators Susan McQueen and Bill Price were enlisted to assist him. Initially believing in Lonnie's innocence, they embarked on a mission to uncover the truth behind Mickey's death. Their investigation faced numerous hurdles, including the unavailability of the ship's passenger manifest and lack of physical evidence linking Lonnie to the crime.

Quote:
Bill Price [31:03]: "We wanted to take measurements of different places on the ship where they had low railings, where they had higher railings."

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Links to Previous Accusations

The investigation took a complicated turn when it was revealed that Lonnie had been previously accused of misconduct at his law firm, involving allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor. Although these charges were eventually dropped, they cast a shadow over Lonnie's character and financial motivations related to Mickey's death.

Quote:
Amy Nguyen [36:53]: "An accusation came up that he had sex with the client's daughter. And the client obviously was upset."

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Breakthrough with Amy Nguyen

A pivotal moment occurred when Julie Serenita, Mickey's niece, was approached by the FBI to record conversations with Lonnie. Through these recordings, inconsistencies emerged, particularly involving Amy Nguyen, Lonnie's ex-wife whom he had concealed. Amy eventually revealed, under emotional distress and with her testimony protected, that Lonnie had orchestrated Mickey's murder and implicated Bill Price as being involved in the scheme.

Quote:
Amy Nguyen [49:46]: "This just went into a completely different direction than I had any expectation of hearing."

Bill Price confronted Lonnie with the evidence from the recordings, leading to Lonnie's arrest for first-degree murder.

Quote:
Bill Price [58:36]: "He wanted to take Mickey with him. He wanted to murder her."

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The Trial

The trial of Lonnie Kakantis was marred by delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite lacking direct physical evidence tying Lonnie to Mickey's death, the testimonies, especially Amy Nguyen's revelations, played a crucial role. Prosecutors argued that Lonnie's financial gain from Mickey's death provided a clear motive.

Quote:
Narrator [70:48]: "Opening statements began in February 2020."

During the trial, expert testimonies highlighted the absence of water in Mickey's system and the bruising indicative of strangulation, undermining Lonnie's claims of accidental drowning.

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Trial Outcome

After extensive deliberation, the jury found Lonnie Kakantis guilty of first-degree murder for financial gain. Lonnie was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The conviction was a moment of relief for Mickey's family and the investigators who tirelessly pursued the truth.

Quote:
Narrator [87:30]: "The verdict? Guilty of first-degree murder for financial gain."

Bill Price reflected on the emotional toll of the case, expressing both relief and sorrow over the betrayal by a trusted friend.

Quote:
Bill Price [88:41]: "Yeah. He does not know. He did not know. Yeah. To the end, she was always there for him."

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Reflections and Conclusion

Open Water highlights the complexities of trust, betrayal, and the relentless pursuit of justice. The meticulous investigation by Susan McQueen and Bill Price underscores the importance of perseverance in uncovering the truth, even when faced with formidable obstacles. The episode serves as a poignant reminder that beneath the surface of appearances, dark motives can lie, altering lives irrevocably.

Final Quote:
Narrator [89:34]: "A soul lost at sea who found her way home."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Bill Price [04:40]: "Lonnie was in Napoli and Mickey had gone missing off the boat. And that's where it started."
• Amy Nguyen [07:27]: "He was a disheveled mess and he was acting fearful."
• Bill Price [29:31]: "We did not find water in her lungs, nor did we find water in her stomach."
• Bill Price [31:03]: "We wanted to take measurements of different places on the ship where they had low railings, where they had higher railings."
• Amy Nguyen [36:53]: "An accusation came up that he had sex with the client's daughter. And the client obviously was upset."
• Amy Nguyen [49:46]: "This just went into a completely different direction than I had any expectation of hearing."
• Bill Price [58:36]: "He wanted to take Mickey with him. He wanted to murder her."
• Narrator [70:48]: "Opening statements began in February 2020."
• Narrator [87:30]: "The verdict? Guilty of first-degree murder for financial gain."
• Bill Price [88:41]: "Yeah. He does not know. He did not know. Yeah. To the end, she was always there for him."
• Narrator [89:34]: "A soul lost at sea who found her way home."

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Conclusion

The Dateline NBC episode "Open Water" masterfully navigates the intricate layers of a true-crime mystery, presenting listeners with a comprehensive and engaging narrative. Through detailed storytelling and impactful quotations, the episode not only chronicles the tragic loss of Mickey Kanasaki but also highlights the determination and moral dilemmas faced by those seeking justice.

Transcript

[Narrator]

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[Bill Price]

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[Bill Price]

He says Mickey's missing. I said, what do you mean she's missing?

[Amy Nguyen]

It's devastating. Her last moments in life still haunt me.

[Bill Price]

I just thought, what a horrible way to die.

[Amy Nguyen]

I had no clue how in the heck she would end up overboard.

[Narrator]

We found a lot of things suspicious. There's no video of it happening. There's no eyewitness testimony. There's no fingerprints. She was dead before she landed in the water.

[Amy Nguyen]

I was approached by the FBI to record my conversations. My name is Dave Danigan.

[Narrator]

You're interrogating somebody who's a murder suspect.

[Amy Nguyen]

Nothing I would have ever imagined could have prepared me for this.

[Narrator]

This is just phenomenally devious, what you're describing.

[Bill Price]

Yes, it's time the truth come out now.

[Narrator]

The call came in the middle of the night. It was their friend in a panic.

[Amy Nguyen]

Lonnie was in Napoli and Mickey had gone missing off the boat. And that's where it started.

[Narrator]

And what'd you think that was?

[Amy Nguyen]

A take to the count of three, kind of, you know, repeat all of that, let me hear it one more time type of thing.

[Narrator]

No matter how many times she heard it, it just didn't make sense.

[Amy Nguyen]

You think of all of these things, everything starts rushing through your head.

[Narrator]

Except this was clearly true.

[Bill Price]

I just saw disaster happening in a foreign country.

[Amy Nguyen]

You say, this can't be. This can't be.

[Bill Price]

Knew it in my heart. There's got to be another explanation.

[Narrator]

There was an explanation, all right. It just wasn't the one anyone was expecting.

[Amy Nguyen]

My instincts said this is going to go sideways fast. I just didn't know which way or how and how we were going to get there.

[Bill Price]

Naples is a marvelous city. It's beautiful. It's chaotic.

[Narrator]

Marco Grasso is an investigative reporter for the Italian newspaper Il Seccolo Decimono.

[Bill Price]

It's full of life, it's full of colors, and it's a beautiful place to visit as a tourist.

[Narrator]

One of those tourists was Lani Kakadis, an American who arrived in Naples in May 2006 onboard a cruise ship, the Island Escape. The Island Escape started from Palma de Mallorca in Spain, then stopped in Messina in Sicily. Lonnie had booked the cruise as a way to rekindle the flame with his longtime love, Mickey Kanasaki. The couple had been married for years and then divorced. This was a new beginning, a chance to rediscover some amore. They spent the day exploring Messina on the island of Sicily. They took a bus to see the sights. Here's Mickey by Orion's Fountain. After the excursion, they return to the Island Escape, and the cruise ship began its journey to the next stop, naples. Less than 24 hours later and still in open water, the trip took an awful turn. Lonnie's friend Bill Price was sound asleep back in Florida when the phone rang.

[Bill Price]

3, 10 in the morning. I was in the bed with my dog. I picked up the phone and it was him.

[Narrator]

Lonnie.

[Bill Price]

Lonnie.

[Narrator]

How's he sound?

[Bill Price]

Concerned. He said, I have a problem. I said, where are you? He says, I'm in Italy. And I said, okay. And he says, mickey's missing. I said, what do you mean she's missing? He said, we can't find her.

[Narrator]

When did he tell you he had last seen Mickey?

[Bill Price]

He said that he had gone to bed that night. They had some drinks in a club. He couldn't sleep, so he took some ambient. And he woke up the next morning and she wasn't there.

[Narrator]

And that's when Lonnie sounded the alarm?

[Bill Price]

Yes. Apparently he reported her, couldn't find her. He asked for them to look.

[Narrator]

The crew of the Island Escape started searching the ship, and the captain made an announcement to passengers to be on the lookout for Mickey. Then he checked Lonnie and Mickey's cabin and found nothing amiss.

[Bill Price]

He recalled a bottle of wine in the trash and this chair on the balcony in upright position.

[Narrator]

According to the captain, the Mediterranean had been calm.

[Bill Price]

There was good weather, and it was.

[Amy Nguyen]

A very quiet night. The sea was very quiet.

[Narrator]

The crew showed Mickey's photo to the other passengers. Then, as scheduled, the Island Escape docked in Naples. Bill spoke with Lonnie again.

[Bill Price]

I kept saying, she's got to be around there somewhere. Something's happened bathroom somewhere. You can't just disappear, he said. They've sent people over and over and they can't find her.

[Narrator]

Almost 12 hours later, the Island Escape prepared to leave port and continue on with the cruise. There was still no sign of Mickey. Lonnie quickly packed up his things and Mickey's and got off the Island Escape. Reality was setting in. The woman he loved may have gone overboard. Italian Coast Guard started searching for Mickey. Lonnie checked into the Hotel Mercure. From his room, he spoke again with Bill.

[Bill Price]

He said, everything in here is in Italian. He said, I don't speak the language. He said, I'm scared.

[Narrator]

Lonnie also spoke with his friend Susan McQueen, who says she could hear fear in Lonnie's voice.

[Amy Nguyen]

He was claiming that he was being treated unjustly, that no one spoke English and that everyone was just being mean to him, treating him as if he had done something wrong and that he was out of his element and he didn't know what to do.

[Narrator]

That's when Lonnie Kakantis made a decision that would come back to haunt him.

[Amy Nguyen]

He was a disheveled mess and he was acting fearful.

[Narrator]

Mickey is missing and Lonnie is desperate.

[Amy Nguyen]

It just seemed like he should just.

[Narrator]

Go to protect himself.

[Bill Price]

Yes, he says, can you get me out of.

[Narrator]

When the cruise ship Island Escape docked in Naples, Italy, during the early morning hours of May 26, 2006, American tourist Mickey Kanesaki was no longer among its passengers. Soon her brother Toshi got a call from the State Department.

[Bill Price]

You're the brother of Mickey Kanesake?

[Amy Nguyen]

Yeah.

[Bill Price]

Yes. While she's missing off of this cruise. Missing?

[Narrator]

I said, what do you mean missing? Well, go find her. Mickey's ex husband slash boyfriend, Lonnie Kakatas, was in a Naples hotel. He was waiting to hear from the Italian Coast Guard, which was searching the Mediterranean for Mickey. According to his friend Susan McQueen, Lonnie sounded frantic.

[Amy Nguyen]

He was a disheveled mess and he was acting fearful. He was acting very fearful and very irrational.

[Narrator]

The Lonnie Susan knew was never irrational.

[Amy Nguyen]

He was a pretty spectacular fireball of an attorney.

[Narrator]

Lonnie graduated from law school with honors in 1992. By the time Susan met him, he was an attorney at a top law firm in Los Angeles. Susan was a private investigator.

[Amy Nguyen]

He put in 25 out of 24 hours a day. I mean, he was a very truly dedicated, fast thinking attorney. He had the respect of us.

[Narrator]

Us meant Susan. And Bill Price, a retired Washington, D.C. cop turned investigator, now partners with Susan in Business and life. They both came to respect Lonnie.

[Bill Price]

The guy is phenomenal.

[Narrator]

Not just hard working, but smart.

[Bill Price]

Extremely.

[Narrator]

And out of that a friendship grew.

[Bill Price]

Yes. He was like a brother that I never had. I could count on him.

[Narrator]

Especially when Bill needed major heart surgery and felt he wasn't receiving the care he needed from hospital staff.

[Bill Price]

So I made a call to him. He was there. And that hospital changed their whole tomb. I mean, he legally was ready to take all of them on.

[Narrator]

That's a good friend.

[Bill Price]

It was a very good friend.

[Narrator]

Bill recovered. He and Susan spent time with Lonnie, along with a secretary at Lonnie's law firm named Mickey Kanasaki.

[Amy Nguyen]

He saw Mickey getting off the elevator one day and said she was beautiful. And she had this beautiful black, shiny hair. And he knew right away when he saw her he was going to ask her out and so forth.

[Narrator]

He really pursued her, didn't he?

[Amy Nguyen]

Yes, he did.

[Bill Price]

Mickey was smart, beautiful, had a great sense of humor.

[Narrator]

Sue White was also a secretary who worked side by side with Mickey for several years.

[Amy Nguyen]

She worked for a high powered partner in the firm.

[Bill Price]

She had to know what she was doing. She just didn't ruffle feathers.

[Narrator]

Wanda Carter also worked with Mickey at the law firm.

[Amy Nguyen]

When there was a deadline and sometimes I was pressed for time, she would offer. She'd just come up and say, what can I do to help you?

[Narrator]

She would step up, right?

[Amy Nguyen]

She would step up.

[Narrator]

Then Mickey started working with Lonnie Kakantis.

[Amy Nguyen]

She started working overtime, and apparently that's.

[Bill Price]

When she started doing work for Lonnie.

[Amy Nguyen]

In the evenings, nobody's around or a few people are around.

[Narrator]

And that's when something blossomed.

[Bill Price]

Yes.

[Narrator]

They kept that definitely quiet at work.

[Amy Nguyen]

They definitely did. He was charming. She definitely thought that.

[Narrator]

Mickey's niece, Julie Serenita, was in college then. What'd you like about him?

[Amy Nguyen]

I think she liked that he had similar interests, that he was a hard worker, and she appreciated that.

[Narrator]

Mickey and Lonnie bought this home in Orange County, California. They married in 1995. That bliss did not last.

[Amy Nguyen]

That allure that he initially had, that initial attraction disappeared with time.

[Narrator]

It didn't take long for it to crumble.

[Amy Nguyen]

Like a Jenga game where the pieces started to fall, come out, and it all toppled over.

[Narrator]

What was she telling you?

[Bill Price]

A lot of it had to do with control.

[Amy Nguyen]

Control of money.

[Narrator]

Guys like to be in control. I've noticed that.

[Amy Nguyen]

It's kind of a shame.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Amy Nguyen]

So the wall came tumbling down.

[Narrator]

Like many relationships, this one was complicated. After six Years of marriage. The couple divorced, and Lonnie got an apartment in downtown LA near his office. He still spent time at the home he and Mickey owned together in Orange County. And somehow that seemed to to work better. They were still close, and maybe they'd work things out after all. In early 2006, Lonnie booked them both on a romantic cruise.

[Amy Nguyen]

It was my understanding he was trying to repair their marriage, repair their relationship, and go on a cruise together.

[Narrator]

Maybe they've turned a corner.

[Amy Nguyen]

Sounded like a really big step for him.

[Narrator]

In fact, Lonnie had booked two cabins on board the Island Escape.

[Bill Price]

He says, we're going to take a cruise, Mickey and I, and we want you and Susan to join us.

[Narrator]

Then Susan's mother needed an operation, and she and Bill had to cancel at the last minute. And now, just two days into that cruise, Mickey was missing. If she had, in fact fallen overboard, what were the odds of finding her? A According to Italian journalist Marco Grasso, not good.

[Bill Price]

Usually bodies are never found when they disappear in open waters.

[Narrator]

Lonnie spoke with both Bill and Susan several times while he was in Naples. They worried what might happen to Lonnie in a foreign country with an unfamiliar legal system.

[Amy Nguyen]

We've seen or heard of people in other countries being arrested and unjustly or maybe unfairly accused of something at a time and being restrained. And it just said, seemed like you needed to just come back before this.

[Narrator]

Spirals out of control in some legal way that you can't get your hands around.

[Amy Nguyen]

I don't even think I was thinking that far ahead. You're just saying, get yourself out where you can communicate and get questions answered. It just seemed like he should just.

[Narrator]

Go to protect himself.

[Amy Nguyen]

Yes.

[Bill Price]

He says, can you get me out of here? I said, yeah, I can do that.

[Narrator]

There's an Italian saying that goes, see Naples and die. The idea is that everyone should visit this memorable place while they're alive and that once you see it, you may not want to leave. Well, Mickey Kanesaki didn't make it to Naples, and now Lonnie Kakatas definitely wanted to leave. Lonnie took a cab to the Naples airport. Bill had booked him a flight to Tampa, Florida, where Bill lived all this while Mickey was still missing. That would not last.

[Amy Nguyen]

It's like, how does this happen?

[Narrator]

A sudden discovery at sea.

[Amy Nguyen]

I was in shock and disbelief. Nothing I would have ever imagined could have prepared me for this.

[Bill Price]

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[Narrator]

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[Amy Nguyen]

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[Narrator]

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[Amy Nguyen]

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[Narrator]

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[Amy Nguyen]

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[Narrator]

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[Amy Nguyen]

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[Narrator]

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[Amy Nguyen]

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[Bill Price]

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[Narrator]

Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. Along the Italian peninsula lie the vast waters of the Mediterranean. It's here the Estrella calls home. The Estrella travels the Italian coast doing scientific research. At about 4pm on May 27, 2006, Captain Massimo Colorito made a different kind of design discovery. I saw something in the distance that was directly right straight by the bow, straight ahead. I got closer to it. I realized it was a body in the water. He immediately got on his radio. Earlier that morning he'd seen an alert. The Coast Guard was searching for an American passenger missing from a cruise ship the day before. The advisory they sent out was about a person lost at the sea who was wearing a black shirt and green pants. So I let them know right away that we have found the person they were looking for. There seemed no Doubt this was Mickey Kanasaki. We were not a part of a search party. Finding her was truly random. As they approached Mickey's body, the captain said his crew was careful not to touch her. We used the strap and passed it around her chest. Then we lifted the body with the crane in the best way to not touch the body. They brought Mickey's body onto the Estrella and covered her with a sheet. Then they met up with the Coast Guard and Mickey's body was moved to their boat. Finding a boat in the sea isn't something that happen every day. And then on top of that, to bring it on board. Journalist Marco Grasso heard about the grim destroy discovery.

[Bill Price]

I was very surprised. And that was the moment in which we started following, uncovering this case with a body. And the body was taken to Vibo, Valencia.

[Narrator]

Vibo, Valencia is a small town near the coast in southern Italy. That's where Italian authorities opened their investigation and the State Department called. Mickey's niece, Julie Serenita, was in shock and disbelief.

[Amy Nguyen]

I just talked to her a few days before. I was at first asking, are you sure you have the right person? I had no clue how in the heck she would end up overboard.

[Narrator]

The news hit Mickey's friends hard.

[Bill Price]

I was very sad. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it at all.

[Amy Nguyen]

It's like, how does this happen? I couldn't believe my ears.

[Narrator]

Devastating, Lonnie broke the news to his friend Bill Price.

[Bill Price]

He said he was glad they found the body and that he can't imagine what happened.

[Narrator]

Lonnie was calling long distance. Although Bill had booked the flight from Italy to Tampa, Lonnie didn't go there. He changed his ticket and flew to California.

[Bill Price]

He said, I just wanted to go home. I said, okay. I said, if you're okay, you know, that's fine with me.

[Narrator]

At the same time, in Vibo Valencia, an Italian prosecutor named Alfredo Ladonio was assigned to Mickey's case. He knew what his investigation needed to.

[Bill Price]

Address the circumstances of the dead, the cause of the dead, the date and the location.

[Narrator]

He soon discovered there were no obvious answers to those questions. A search of the island escape hadn't turned up any clues.

[Bill Price]

She could have fallen in the water, plummeting from the ship. So anything could have happened.

[Narrator]

Mickey's death could have been an accident or suicide or murder. Everyone had questions for Lonnie, especially Julie.

[Amy Nguyen]

Nothing I would have ever imagined could have prepared me for this.

[Narrator]

Another woman enters the picture. His wife's missing off a cruise ship. He flies to the Home of the other woman. I mean, it's like putting a target on you and saying, please investigate me.

[Bill Price]

Absolutely.

[Narrator]

When an American citizen dies mysteriously overseas, the case falls under the jurisdiction of the FBI. An agent arrived at Lonnie's home in Orange County, California, within hours of the discovery of Mickey's body. Lonnie called his friend Bill Price to tell him the Bureau was on the case.

[Bill Price]

He said, well, what do I do now? I said, what do you mean, what do you do? I says, the FBI's there. I said, talk to him. I said, they're on it. I said, this is good. I'm all happy about this.

[Narrator]

Here's something Bill wasn't happy about learning right then that when Lonnie flew from Italy to Southern California, it wasn't to sleep in his own bed. It was to visit a woman Lonnie had been dating until he decided to patch things up with Mickey. His wife's missing off a cruise ship, he flies home not to visit his friend, but to the home of the other woman. I mean, if you're Lonnie, it's like putting a target on you and saying, please investigate me.

[Bill Price]

Absolutely. The first thing out of my mouth was, do you know how this looks? He said, I need to console him. I said, it's like I'm talking to a moron.

[Narrator]

As sharp an attorney as he was, Lonnie seemed tone deaf to how his actions would. The initial impression was, the guy's not quite right. The FBI's Rick Simpson said Lonnie seemed almost too eager to show agents he had no marks on his body. He volunteered to disrobe for them, to try and convince the agents that, you know, he wasn't involved in any physical struggle. He's answering questions that he hasn't been asked. Exactly.

[Bill Price]

Yes.

[Narrator]

Lonnie repeated the story he told his pal Bill. They were in the room. They had wine. Mickey, he said, left to get some herbal tea. Lonnie took Ambien and fell asleep. He Woke up at 4:30 in the morning and her light was on, but she wasn't there. And he was alarmed, so he went looking for her. What's Lonnie's demeanor during this interview? I mean, is this a guy frantic at losing the love of his life? No, no, they didn't have that impression. Did the FBI find it suspicious that Lonnie left Italy before Mickey's body was found? Yes, we found a lot of things suspicious. He was in a hurry to get out of there, obviously. Mickey's niece, Julie Serenita, spoke With the FBI, too. She talked about her aunt's relationship with Lonnie in the months before the cruise.

[Amy Nguyen]

He said he was going to change. He was going to work less and things were going to be better. She was just so happy.

[Narrator]

Happy and excited about her luxury Italian cruise.

[Amy Nguyen]

She had said that he's planning everything and this was such a surprise. And they're reconciling. She couldn't wait to go.

[Narrator]

Now, just days after that conversation, her Aunt Mickey was dead. And Julie believed Lonnie knew more than he was saying. She soon found out. The feds believed the same thing.

[Amy Nguyen]

I was approached by the FBI. Would I be willing to record my conversations with him? And to get details.

[Narrator]

They gave her a crash course in recording protocol.

[Amy Nguyen]

My name is Julie Saranita.

[Narrator]

The date is June. And told her to let Lonnie do the talking.

[Bill Price]

Maybe she was not. And slightly intoxicated. You know.

[Amy Nguyen]

How many drinks do you think she had that night on the ship?

[Bill Price]

Well, we just drank the wine and she had probably a couple of good sized glasses.

[Narrator]

Lonnie's theory of what had happened was.

[Amy Nguyen]

What he thought that either she committed suicide and jumped, or there was foul play. And perhaps maybe one of the crew cabins or all the different people from all the different countries, someone had murdered her.

[Bill Price]

I mean, there's only three possibilities. She was murdered, she jumped, or it's an accident. Right now I have no information to tell me what. All I know is that they found the body and there's going to be an autopsy.

[Amy Nguyen]

He was fixated on the condition of the body. He said multiple times, I need to see the body. I need the condition of the body. I don't know what's going on with the body.

[Narrator]

Julie would continue to learn more from the FBI. And she continued speaking with Lonnie.

[Amy Nguyen]

I called him frequently.

[Narrator]

And he didn't seem suspicious about that?

[Amy Nguyen]

No, not at all. I mean, I checked on his well being. He was more interested also talking to me. I think he just found it a welcome reprieve. Someone's talking to him from the family.

[Narrator]

Julie did think Lonnie was acting strangely, even though there was no evidence he'd done anything to Mickey. Or for that matter, any evidence that Mickey's death was anything but accidental. However, that was about to change.

[Bill Price]

I just thought, what a horrible way to die.

[Narrator]

Stunning new details from the autopsy. Someone on board was a killer.

[Amy Nguyen]

There's got to be an explanation here.

[Narrator]

This isn't Lonnie, right?

[Amy Nguyen]

This wouldn't be his nature.

[Narrator]

If not Lonnie, then who? Mickey Kanasaki never lived to see her 53rd birthday. She was found floating in the waters of the Mediterranean. Wanda Carter was haunted, thinking about her friend's final moments.

[Amy Nguyen]

I thought, oh, my God, I hope she wasn't alive when she was in that water trying to save herself. And I just thought, what a horrible way to die.

[Narrator]

Mickey's body was brought to this hospital in vibo, Valencia, Italy. Dr. Pietrantonio Ricci performed the autopsy.

[Bill Price]

I've received the case and I conducted the autopsy on June 16th.

[Narrator]

What he found told a sinister story. Dr. Ricci saw Mickey's body was badly bruised, especially at the base of her neck, a sign of strangulation. He also noted bruising on her inner thighs, possibly evidence of sexual assault. Perhaps most significant was what the autopsy did not show.

[Bill Price]

We did not find water in her lungs, nor did we find water in her stomach.

[Narrator]

Meaning Mickey Kanasaki was already dead when she hit the water. That told Italian prosecutor Alfredo Laudonia this was a deliberate act of murder.

[Bill Price]

This was fundamental.

[Narrator]

The dead come not from accidental circumstances, but was provoked. Lonnie Kakatas, the tenacious attorney, seemed to understand that if Mickey's death was a homicide, he would be a suspect. And so he turned to two trusted friends, investigators Susan McQueen and Bill Price. Bill, the former cop, gave Lonnie some blunt advice about dealing with the FBI.

[Bill Price]

I said, you need to find out what happened. If you didn't do anything, you need to find out what happened and give it to them.

[Narrator]

Susan was confident she and Bill could help Lonnie do just that.

[Amy Nguyen]

There's got to be an explanation here.

[Narrator]

This isn't Lonnie.

[Amy Nguyen]

Right? This wouldn't be his nature. We've got to find out what happened. We need to do this research. And the first goal was to get back on that boat and try and interview people and ascertain what happened into the moments leading up to her death.

[Narrator]

So a couple of months after Mickey's death, they traveled to Italy and booked a cabin aboard the Island Escape.

[Bill Price]

We wanted to take measurements of different places on the ship where they had low railings, where they had higher railings. We wanted to meet with the captain so we'd get permission to go into the exact room that he went into.

[Narrator]

The room Mickey and Lonnie were staying in.

[Bill Price]

Yes.

[Narrator]

They met with the captain and didn't learn much from him except this. There were almost 1500 passengers and crew on board the Island Escape at the time Mickey went overboard, meaning potentially hundreds of possible suspects from a wide range of countries. Those People, those potential suspects or persons of interest, they're gonna be hard to track down.

[Bill Price]

We wanted to manifest. Cruise Line was fighting to give it to us.

[Narrator]

And then you're gonna run it against lists of sex offenders and anybody with.

[Bill Price]

A criminal record, correct? Yes.

[Narrator]

Except they couldn't get the manifest, so that was a dead end. They had more luck with the autopsy report. Lonnie hadn't been able to get a copy. But Susan's talents as an investigator and her Italian language skills paid off. You're good at this, aren't you?

[Amy Nguyen]

I was able to get the copy.

[Narrator]

Susan thought the autopsy report wasn't definitive. And what was there pointed away from Lonnie.

[Amy Nguyen]

It indicated that she had been raped, strangled, and obviously thrown overboard.

[Narrator]

That sounds to me more like an assailant that didn't know her than some fight with Lonnie.

[Amy Nguyen]

Possibly.

[Narrator]

Susan and Bill found out there were no security cameras anywhere on the ship. And according to the crew, no one on board at the time reported hearing anything suspicious. Nobody saw or heard Lonnie and Mickey fighting?

[Amy Nguyen]

No.

[Narrator]

Nobody saw Mickey in any kind of struggle with anybody?

[Amy Nguyen]

Not that I could find.

[Narrator]

And no one saw anybody menacing either one of them?

[Amy Nguyen]

Not that I could find.

[Narrator]

And where was she on the ship when she went into the water? No real way to know.

[Amy Nguyen]

No way to know.

[Narrator]

Lots of open questions. Susan and Bill felt the Italians had stopped investigating once Lonnie left and never really looked at other suspects. The FBI, on the other hand, was just getting started.

[Bill Price]

He had built a good story to.

[Narrator]

Bolster his defense from the beginning. The FBI digs deep. What would they find?

[Bill Price]

He just said, see? I told you. I told you. I didn't do anything. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are.

[Narrator]

Back to switch things up in Disney's Freakier Friday.

[Amy Nguyen]

Omg.

[Narrator]

Yes, it's an absolute riot. And the only movie that can be.

[Amy Nguyen]

Described as so much weirder than the last time. What? Last time?

[Narrator]

It's the Frequel.

[Amy Nguyen]

You ready?

[Narrator]

We've been waiting for that?

[Amy Nguyen]

Absolutely. Slays. What deeply out of touch old person.

[Narrator]

Came up with that?

[Amy Nguyen]

You did.

[Narrator]

Wow. Don't miss the comedy event of the summer for all ages. Disney's Freakier Friday, now playing only theaters get tickets now rated PG for rental guidance Suggested.

[Bill Price]

What?

[Narrator]

If you could turn your curiosity for.

[Bill Price]

True crime into a degree at Southern.

[Narrator]

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[Bill Price]

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[Narrator]

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[Bill Price]

That's snhu.

[Narrator]

Edu Dateline.

[Amy Nguyen]

This episode is brought to you by Huggies Little Movers. It's fun having a baby that loves to move, but it can be challenging to find a diaper that can keep up with them. Huggies Little Movers is designed to move with your baby with either the double grip strips or the new HugFit 360 degree waistband. You can be confident relying on Huggies Little Movers for your active little ones. Huggies Little Movers made with double grip strips or the new HugFit 360 degree waistband style so your little double can keep moving like you. Huggies. We got you, baby.

[Narrator]

Toshi Kanasaki's early childhood was spent in Japan. The only boy with three sisters, Mickey was the youngest. Their father left his job at a Japanese coal mine to work on a farm in California's Central Valley. Eventually, he brought you all over here.

[Bill Price]

1960 brought the wife and the four kids.

[Narrator]

They traveled by ship to their new home.

[Bill Price]

Mickey was maybe 5 or 6, and I was 8. I think when you're that young, we're here in this strange country, but it was kind of slightly exciting because we're so young, we don't comprehend what really happened.

[Narrator]

Decades later, Toshi and his wife Carolyn, were trying to understand how Mickey had lost her life in another country so far from home.

[Bill Price]

We were devastated. How could this be? One minute she's excited going on this cruise, and the next she's not alive anymore. How can this be? We're just completely shocked.

[Narrator]

The FBI was investigating Mickey's death and learning more about her relationship with Lonnie, including the crisis their marriage faced. In 1999, a client of the firm said Lonnie had done something terrible. Mickey's niece, Julie Serenita, heard about it.

[Amy Nguyen]

An accusation came up that he had sex with the client's daughter. And the client obviously was upset. And what made it worse was she was a minor. And he denied it and swore up and down that nothing happened.

[Narrator]

Lonnie was arrested. He insisted he was innocent, and Mickey stood by him.

[Amy Nguyen]

She wanted to believe him, of course, she loved him.

[Narrator]

The law firm fired Lonnie, and he was concerned about possible legal problems.

[Amy Nguyen]

His idea was to divorce to protect his assets in the event that he got sued. So everything went in her name temporarily.

[Narrator]

And so the idea was they'd be legally divorced, but not actually divorced, and maybe they get together again.

[Amy Nguyen]

They stayed as man and wife, but on Paper. They were legally divorced.

[Narrator]

To fight the sex charges, Lonnie turned to his friends Susan McQueen and Bill Price for help.

[Amy Nguyen]

We were tracking where he'd been at what time, by key cards and license plates and so forth. And apparently we had him at work when he was supposed to be where they claimed he was.

[Narrator]

Lonnie was never prosecuted, and the charges were later dropped. Is your work related to why he was never prosecuted for that?

[Bill Price]

I like to think so.

[Narrator]

Even so, things were tense between Lonnie and Mickey. Bill says Lonnie would sometimes call him in mid argument.

[Bill Price]

He'd say, listen, she's out of control. And then he'd say, don't you dare hit me, and stuff like that. And you would hear crash. You'd hear things breaking in the background. And when he told me that she's drinking and she went through a bottle of wine and she's nasty, I'm thinking, why are you putting up with this?

[Narrator]

Mickey's friend sue never heard about any of that. In fact, sue had no idea Mickey was even divorced. So she was really sort of hiding a lot of things that went on in her life from hiding big things. One more thing FBI Special Agent Rick Simpson learned at the time of Mickey's death, the couple's assets were worth almost $2 million, including that beautiful home in Orange County. When Mickey died, all of it was went to Lonnie. That sounds like a motive. It does, except no one had seen or heard Lonnie fighting with Mickey on the cruise ship. There was no evidence he'd been the one to harm her in any way, let alone kill her and throw her overboard. And Lonnie's account never changed. He took to Ambien, went to sleep, and she left to go get herbal tea.

[Bill Price]

He had built a good story, if.

[Narrator]

You will, to bolster his defense. From the beginning, of course, it was possible Lonnie was simply telling the truth. While the FBI suspected he was responsible for Mickey's death, the Bureau didn't have much evidence to back up that suspicion. In December 2006, the U.S. attorney brought the case to a federal grand jury. Except the grand jury's role was only to investigate. Investigate, not to issue an indictment. If you had proof that Lonnie had killed his ex wife, you would have taken that to a grand jury and gotten an indictment. And I have to believe that you didn't do that because you thought there wasn't anything really that proved that beyond your suspicions. We in the FBI are investigators, and our role is to find facts. Whether a case is presented to a grand jury.

[Bill Price]

That's a prosecutorial decision.

[Narrator]

And the Justice Department apparently decided there wasn't enough to go forward at that point. At some point, they made that determination. So the grand jury met, and no charges were filed against Lonnie.

[Bill Price]

He just said, see, I told you. He said, I told you I didn't do anything.

[Narrator]

To Lonnie, it must have felt like vindication. To his friend Bill Price, it was starting to feel like something else. A plan to help prove Lonnie's innocence.

[Bill Price]

I said, let's show the FBI that you have nothing to hide and a.

[Narrator]

Secret about the other woman in Lonnie's life. Explain to me how Lonnie kept this hidden from everybody.

[Amy Nguyen]

Crafty. I mean, he's a smart man.

[Narrator]

Susan McQueen and Bill Price are proof you can spend years as a dogged and determined investigator, only to have that tough exterior melt away as easily as your prized mastiffs can drool.

[Bill Price]

Dogs bring you love. You can leave for five minutes, come back, and their tails are wagging. They act like, I haven't seen you in years.

[Narrator]

Bill organizes and runs dog shows for the American Kennel Club. Susan is a professional handler. Training a champion requires some significant instinct, doesn't it? Yes, it does. And from the beginning, Susan's investigative instincts had told her her friend Lonnie Kakatas was no killer. Bill thought the same.

[Bill Price]

But I'm thinking, I know this guy for these years. I know how he responds to dogs and animals. He's no murderer.

[Narrator]

And to prove it, Bill came up with a plan.

[Bill Price]

I said, I'll get him to take a polygraph. I said, let's show the FBI that you have nothing to hide and you're going to take this test.

[Narrator]

Lonnie agreed. He was now living in Florida. So Bill set up the test with a friend named Mike Brentnell, who was also an expert polygraph examiner. Lonnie answered 11 questions, including, did you kill Mickey? Did you cause the death of Mickey Kanesaki? Were you present when Mickey was killed? The examiner asked those questions three times. The results were not what Bill Price had hoped for.

[Bill Price]

They came out. Lonnie said, I have to use the bathroom. And as he walked away, Mike said, you in on this? I said, you want to repeat that again? Am I in on it? In on what? He says, you know, he's guilty. And I said, is this a joke? He said, no. And I said, he's guilty. I said, mike, this isn't funny. He said, I'm not trying to be funny. So I Took a deep breath. And that's when it flashes before you the little things that you want to overlook.

[Narrator]

Little things like the height of the railing on the island. Escape. And the realization of how difficult it would be for the 5 foot 3 mickey to go off that balcony by accident. Now Bill's investigators brain was telling him along with the polygraph, that Lonnie knew more than he was saying. As much as he wanted to believe Lonnie was innocent, the evidence was pointing elsewhere. Now you're thinking, am I being played for a fool here?

[Bill Price]

Yes. I wasn't willing to accept it, but I'm thinking about it. Yes.

[Narrator]

What to do about that nagging feeling. Well, during the time he'd been helping Lonnie, Bill had also been talking with FBI Special Agent Rick Simpson. I think he was working hard to kind of navigate his own internal contradictions. Right. He was trying to navigate his own.

[Bill Price]

Moral compass in that situation.

[Narrator]

It's a difficult situation. It sounds like you had some sympathy for what Bill was going through.

[Bill Price]

Yes, I do.

[Narrator]

You were convinced Bill was a straight shooter. He wasn't slanting things towards Lonnie's interest when he would talk with you.

[Bill Price]

I didn't have any doubt that Bill.

[Narrator]

Was being honest with us. He couldn't say the same about Lonnie Kakatis. Special Agent Simpson had been keeping a close eye on Lonnie's finances. When Mickey died, Lonnie inherited all her money and moved it to an overseas bank. I think he moved it offshore because he knew he had murdered Mickey and that's where the money came from and.

[Bill Price]

He knew what that meant.

[Narrator]

That's my conclusion. Offshore, that money was untouchable. Then when Lonnie tried to repatriate more than a million dollars to a bank in Florida, Agent Simpson pounced. The Fed seized the money and began a civil case against Lonnie, who hired attorney David Michael. Why was Lonnie moving his money around the world?

[Bill Price]

My understanding is that he was trying to do some overseas financial investment where some country was paying high interest rates for US currency.

[Narrator]

In other words, Lonnie wasn't trying to hide that money, he was merely investing it. Lonnie's attorney argued in the civil asset case that the federal government couldn't prove Lonnie was guilty of killing Mickey to get his hands on her money. So they had no right to seize it and he won.

[Bill Price]

That's when the federal government went to the district attorney.

[Narrator]

The government had lost, but it wasn't over the US Attorney handling that civil case sent Several boxes of evidence here to the Orange County, California, District Attorney's office.

[Amy Nguyen]

And he said, I just think there's more to this case. Can you take a look at it for criminal liability?

[Narrator]

Susan Price, no relation to Bill, is an assistant da. She and Deputy DA Seton Hunt learned that in Florida, Lonnie had married again. Then something else in the case file really caught their attention. It was another woman, another ex wife. Who's Amy Nguyen?

[Bill Price]

Amy Nguyen is a teacher.

[Narrator]

She's originally from Vietnam. Amy is the woman Lonnie went to see in California after he came back from Italy. Here she is in a photo from the school where she's a fifth grade teacher. Amy and Lonnie had met online.

[Amy Nguyen]

Amy loved Lonnie. I don't think she expected as much from him as I think he probably thought Mickey expected of him.

[Narrator]

Investigators discovered Amy wasn't just Lonnie's girlfriend. She'd been his wife. They married in July 2005, but it only lasted a few months before Lonnie divorced Amy and returned to Mickey. Just a few months after that, Lonnie booked the cross. And then after Mickey went overboard, Lonnie's first stop in the US Was at Amy's house to continue a relationship Lonnie had largely kept secret. Explain to me how Lonnie kept this entire relationship, this marriage with Amy Nguyen, sort of hidden from everybody, including you, I guess.

[Amy Nguyen]

I don't have an answer for you. Crafty. I mean, he's a smart man.

[Narrator]

Bill said he, too, was completely in the dark.

[Bill Price]

Lonnie had bought a huge house and a very nice Lexus for Amy Wynn.

[Narrator]

Unbeknownst to Mickey.

[Bill Price]

Unbeknownst to me, too. This is my friend.

[Narrator]

Well, if Lonnie planned a future with Amy, it didn't pan out. In early 2007, when he sold his home and left California for Florida, he left Amy, too. However, the FBI knew all about Amy. In fact, she had testified before that federal grand jury what essentially was her.

[Amy Nguyen]

Story, that she knew nothing, that to her knowledge, he had no intent.

[Narrator]

Basically, in front of the grand jury, her testimony was, I don't know anything about any plan to do away with Mickey, and he didn't say anything about it. And as far as I know, there's nothing to any of it.

[Amy Nguyen]

Correct.

[Narrator]

After his assets were seized by the FBI in late 2008, Lonnie wanted to know if Amy was still sticking with that story. Apparently, he thought Amy might be upset with him after things between them hadn't worked out. So in January 2009, Lonnie asked Susan and Bill to visit Amy. Despite Bill's misgivings about Lonnie, they agreed. And that conversation changed everything.

[Amy Nguyen]

This just went into a completely different direction than I had any expectation of hearing.

[Narrator]

A bombshell of a story captured on tape.

[Amy Nguyen]

You know that you're being recorded?

[Bill Price]

Yes.

[Amy Nguyen]

Her fear told me she was telling the truth with us. You can't create that kind of fear. This episode is brought to you by Huggies Little Movers. It's fun having a baby that loves to move, but it can be challenging to find a diaper that can keep up with them. Huggies Little Movers is designed to move with your baby with either the double grip strips or the new HugFit 360 degree waistband. You can be confident relying on Huggies Little Movers for your active little ones. Huggies Little Movers made with double grip strips or the new HugFit 360 degree waistband so your little double can keep moving like you. Huggies. We got you baby. Hi, we're Emoji Health, your long term weight loss solution. We'll connect you with a board certified provider to discuss your unique goals. Eligible patients can Access custom formulated GLP1 medications at an affordable fixed price delivered to their door monthly. Take our free eligibility [e-mail] and use code AUDIO40 at checkout for $40 off your first month of membership. That's join mochi.com results may vary. Eligible GLP1 patients typically lose 1 to 2 pounds per week in the first six months with Mochi when combined with a healthy lifestyle.

[Bill Price]

DATELINE is hitting the road for a.

[Narrator]

First of its kind event and you're invited.

[Bill Price]

Join the entire DATELINE team in Nashville, Tennessee for DATELINE Live.

[Narrator]

Hear from Lester, Blaine, Andrea, Joss, Keith and Dennis. Plus live demonstrations, a VIP reception and more. The true Crime Original like you've never seen before. Buy tickets to DATELINE live [e-mail] event.

[Bill Price]

It would be a crime to miss.

[Narrator]

Had been years since Mickey Kanesaki plunged from the deck of a cruise ship, dead before she hit the waters of the Mediterranean. Private investigators Susan McQueen and Bill Price sailed those same waters, retraced those steps on the island escape. All to prove their friend Lonnie Kakatas did not kill Mickey.

[Amy Nguyen]

It just didn't seem possible. It just didn't seem possible.

[Narrator]

Bill agreed at first, and then over time, he came to believe it did seem possible.

[Bill Price]

My gut was telling me he was guilty as hell by this time. I had to fight with that part, wrestle with it and slowly I was moving away from the friendship because I wasn't comfortable with it.

[Narrator]

Even so, at Lonnie's request, they agreed to meet with his ex wife, Amy Nguyen, a woman Lonnie had married and then divorced. All of it unbeknownst to both of them.

[Amy Nguyen]

I think she was genuinely hurt. She really thought that she had a relationship that she was moving forward with there.

[Narrator]

She loved Lonnie.

[Amy Nguyen]

I believe she did.

[Narrator]

You think Lonnie loved her?

[Amy Nguyen]

I believe he did.

[Narrator]

Lonnie asked his friends and investigators to confront confirm what Amy had already told the FBI that she knew nothing about Mickey's death. The meeting happened in January 2009, three years after that fatal cruise. Bill stayed in the car. Susan's instincts told her she might do better with Amy.

[Amy Nguyen]

One on one, I meet with her and I talk to her about what kind of contact has she had, who's been calling her from the federal government? What are their questions? How is she feeling? How does she feel about Lonnie? We go through all of these things and then she starts to become very emotional. And this just went into a completely different direction than I had any expectation of hearing.

[Narrator]

Amy Nguyen began to tell a story that was the complete opposite of what she'd said under oath to a federal grand jury. Now, she told Susan that Lonnie had planned to kill Mickey only cruise and booked the island escape specifically to get away with it. There was more. Amy said Lonnie didn't do it alone. He told Amy his well connected friend helped him arrange Mickey's murder. That friend's name, Bill Price. In that conversation, Amy describes Bill as being sort of at the center of this. Yeah, this guy who sort of has.

[Bill Price]

This army of assassins that he can.

[Narrator]

Send out after whomever.

[Amy Nguyen]

Exactly.

[Narrator]

Which, as you can imagine, was news to Bill's partner, Susan. Not that she believed it, just the opposite. But she also realized if Amy believed it, that had to be because of Lonnie.

[Amy Nguyen]

So at some point in this interview, I waved to Bill to come out of the car.

[Narrator]

Bill, does Amy know the Bill's outside at that exact moment?

[Amy Nguyen]

She had no idea he was with me.

[Narrator]

Bill walked over and they turned on a recorder.

[Amy Nguyen]

You know that you're being recorded?

[Bill Price]

Yes.

[Narrator]

Okay.

[Amy Nguyen]

Can you please say the things that.

[Bill Price]

Lonnie told you about Bill?

[Amy Nguyen]

Which one do you want to wear?

[Bill Price]

How about with his connections regarding the cruise ship? Let me tell me that still have a connection, a big connection that he has. He could have his people come and do that. Do what?

[Amy Nguyen]

Throw Mickey.

[Bill Price]

Throw Mickey out Of the boat. Okay.

[Narrator]

Bill had questions, too.

[Bill Price]

They say how much he paid me. He didn't tell me how much. Interesting he makes up. I don't know why. Did he say all this before the incident or after the incident? Before the incident.

[Narrator]

How do you determine whether Amy is telling the truth to you and therefore lying at the grand jury, or whether she was telling the truth in the grand jury? And she's lying to you because she's angry at Lonnie? Because after all was said and done, he didn't come back to her.

[Amy Nguyen]

Her fear told me she was telling the truth with us. You can't create that kind of fear.

[Narrator]

She was afraid of Lonnie.

[Amy Nguyen]

She was afraid of Lonnie. She was afraid of Bill.

[Narrator]

It was a double whammy. Amy said that Lonnie had planned the murder. That was bad enough. Then she said Lonnie implicated Bill before the cruise. Remember, Lonnie had invited Bill and Susan to come along. They had to cancel at the last minute. Now it began to look as if Lonnie's invitation was part of the plan, too. Maybe he'd ask Bill to go with him so Bill could take the fall for Mickey's murder. That's your friend doing that.

[Bill Price]

My friend? Yes.

[Narrator]

The guy that was nearly a brother to you?

[Bill Price]

Yes.

[Narrator]

The guy you had been an investigator for? The guy you'd been to dinner with? The guy you defended, the guy you were trying to exonerate?

[Bill Price]

Yes.

[Narrator]

I think you're lucky Lonnie wasn't in front of you at that moment.

[Bill Price]

I think that's an accurate statement. Yes.

[Amy Nguyen]

The anger and fury that I felt at that moment was incomprehensible.

[Narrator]

Lonnie was counting on the two of them to prove he wasn't involved in Mickey's murder. Now they had evidence on tape that he was.

[Bill Price]

Let me make sure that when I flew back into Tampa, I immediately called him at his house and said, I want to see you, and I want to see you in person. He stood in my dining room area, and I said, did you tell her that I had anything to do with Mickey's death and. Or that I had connections to do this? Did you make her believe that I had anything to do with her death? Yeah, I did. I said, why? He said, I wanted to think I had power and I was a big guy. I said, you should know that I have a tape recording, and it's going to the FBI.

[Narrator]

What? What did Lonnie say when you said that?

[Bill Price]

Please don't. I was just trying to impress her. I Said, okay. And I said, get out of my house and don't ever come near me. Don't come around me. I said, I don't want to hear from you again. And then when he left, I called Agent Simpson and said, I have a recording for you.

[Narrator]

He called and said that he and Susan had gone to see Amy. And that was, I think, a real turning point for Bill. He wanted Lonnie to be innocent, sure. But I think over time, he came.

[Bill Price]

To the conclusion that he wasn't.

[Narrator]

But I think it took some time for him to come to that conclusion. That recording of Amy's new story eventually made its way to Orange County Assistant DA Susan Price. If Bill and Susan hadn't recorded saying that, she might to this day be defending Lonnie.

[Amy Nguyen]

That's absolutely true.

[Narrator]

Now it was up to prosecutors, and that would take a few years because Amy Nguyen was the key. And it turned out that was a problem.

[Amy Nguyen]

She just said, I don't want to talk to you. I have no interest in talking to you.

[Narrator]

A problem, indeed. How are they going to solve that?

[Bill Price]

I'm tired of it, Amy. I'm tired of him. I need your help. I said, it's time for you to step up to the plate.

[Narrator]

As Toshi and Carolyn Kanesaki patiently waited for answers, they would sometimes visit Mickey's grave site and see the name Lonnie Kakantis on the headstone next to hers. That was difficult.

[Bill Price]

The first seven years, we thought that we knew they were investigating him, but.

[Narrator]

Didn'T seem to be going anywhere.

[Bill Price]

No, not really. No. We just lived our life. But me, it's always in the back of my mind, it's not going away because Mickey's gone.

[Narrator]

It turned out Assistant DA Susan Price was investigating Lonnie, especially after she listened to that recording where Lonnie's ex wife, Amy Nguyen, told Lonnie's own investigators that she knew about his plan to murder Mickey on the cruise ship.

[Bill Price]

We could have people come and do that. Do what?

[Narrator]

The prosecutor knew she needed to meet Amy.

[Amy Nguyen]

We actually did go to Northern California and arrived at her doorstep unannounced. Unannounced.

[Narrator]

And when you said there, as I'm pretty sure you did. Did in that interview, somebody's been murdered here, and we think you have important information. She said, I don't, or I'm not talking.

[Amy Nguyen]

Well, we didn't even get that far. She just said, I don't want to talk to you. I have no interest in talking to you. So we came back home.

[Narrator]

They weren't Giving up. The DA asked Sergeant Don Vogt from the Orange County Sheriff's Department to assist with the case. A top priority, try to talk with with Amy.

[Bill Price]

Then I went up to talk to her, and she did not want to cooperate with law enforcement.

[Narrator]

They compelled her with a subpoena. And when Amy finally came down to Orange county, prosecutors invited someone else to the meeting. Bill Price.

[Amy Nguyen]

Bill Price, Amy Nguyen.

[Narrator]

I don't know if you guys know.

[Amy Nguyen]

Each other, so go ahead and have a seat.

[Bill Price]

My objective under their direction was was to get her to talk.

[Narrator]

In that meeting, Amy was emotional and at times said she didn't know who Bill was, even though that was clearly not true.

[Bill Price]

I don't know you. You have to. What do you mean?

[Narrator]

Bill told her law enforcement already knew all about their previous conversation.

[Bill Price]

They had the tape recording of you and I talking.

[Narrator]

No, I don't know you.

[Bill Price]

Do you understand that they had that tape recording? That I turned it in because I'm protecting myself and my family? Do you understand that? I know you. You can't say you don't know. You'd be lying if he's telling you to do this. Amy, this is not good. Amy, why are you protecting him? I do not protect Amy. I don't know you.

[Narrator]

She was still scared, maybe, of Bill. Remember, Lonnie had made him sound like a gangster. And as he pressed Amy, Bill seemed to lean into that role.

[Bill Price]

I am not here to kill you. I am here to. I am here to protect my name and to protect you and bring you underneath my coat. I'm here to tell them that if they mess with you, they mess with me. I'm here to bring in the best attorneys if I have to. What I'm not here to do is protect his lies and him from hurting me and everybody else around us. I'm tired of it, Amy. I'm tired of him. I need your help. I need you to be with me. I said, it's time the truth come out now. I said, and he's made fools out of all of us. I said, now it's time for you to step up to the plate.

[Narrator]

The DA gave Amy immunity for her testimony, and she agreed to cooperate. She told sheriff's investigators her own version of what happened on that cruise, how Lonnie had booked it, planning to kill Mickey. And then Amy said Lonnie threatened her, forcing her to lie to the federal grand jury. Bill started this trying to help out Lonnie and ended it helping you guys.

[Bill Price]

Absolutely, he did.

[Narrator]

Four days after that interview, Sergeant Vogt traveled to Safety Harbor, Florida, where Lonnie lived.

[Bill Price]

Lonnie wasn't in the house. We found him about one hour away at a strip mall operating his new business, which was these bouncy houses for children. We told him he was under arrest for the murder of Mickey Konasaki. Of course, Mirandized him and at that point he declined to give us a statement.

[Narrator]

He didn't say anything.

[Bill Price]

He didn't say anything.

[Narrator]

It was Lonnie's right to remain silent as he was under arrest for murder. He was booked into the Pasco County Jail. How'd that feel?

[Bill Price]

Actually, it felt pretty good.

[Narrator]

It felt pretty good for Mickey's family. It was welcome news. What'd you think?

[Bill Price]

Finally I go, what a relief after seven years because I knew he had something to do with Mickey's murder.

[Narrator]

One thing had not changed. There was still no physical evidence tying Lonnie to Mickey's death. Would this case be enough for a jury?

[Bill Price]

There's no blood in the room. There's no evidence of a struggle. There's nothing.

[Narrator]

Where's the evidence?

[Bill Price]

Where is it?

[Narrator]

Could Mickey herself help prove this case?

[Amy Nguyen]

He never anticipated that her body would ever be recovered. Hi, we're Emoji Health, your long term weight loss solution. We'll connect you with a board certified provider to discuss your unique goals. Eligible patients can Access custom formulated GLP1 medications at an affordable fixed price, delivered to their door monthly. Take our free eligibility [e-mail] and use code AUDIO40 at checkout for $40 off your first month of membership. That's joinmochi.com results may vary. Eligible GLP1 patients typically lose 1 to 2 pounds per week in their first six months with Mochi when combined with a healthy lifestyle. Hey, everyone, I'm Jenna Bush Hager from the Today show and I'm excited to share my podcast Open Book with Jenna. It is back for season two. Each week, celebrities, experts, friends and authors will share candid stories with me about their lives and new projects. Guests like Rebecca Yarros, Kristin Hannah, Ego Wodom, and more. Like a good book, you'll leave feeling inspired and entertained.

[Bill Price]

Join me for my podcast, Open Book with Jenna. Listen now on Apple Podcasts.

[Narrator]

Hey, guys, Willie Geist here reminding you to check out the Sunday Sit down podcast.

[Bill Price]

On this week's episode, I get together with a guy who's been in the.

[Narrator]

Headlines a bit recently, Stephen Colbert. After the surprise cancellation of his late.

[Bill Price]

Show by cbs, Stephen and I talk.

[Narrator]

About his rise up through improv comedy to that spot in late night.

[Bill Price]

You can get our conversation now for.

[Narrator]

Free wherever you download your podcasts. Attorney David Michael had already defended Lonnie Cagatas in civil court, protecting his assets from seizure by the feds. Now there was much more than money at stake.

[Bill Price]

I was stunned that he had been arrested. Actually, I was absolutely stunned.

[Narrator]

This time, the charge was murder. Lonnie faced life in prison.

[Bill Price]

I was been doing criminal defense for 45 years where I've done some heavy stuff. And I will tell you that my belief 100% is that Lonnie Kakantis is innocent of killing Mickey Kanasaki.

[Narrator]

Lonnie pleaded not guilty. Attorney Michael knew the case relied on Amy Nguyen, whose story he says was one big lie, influenced by none other than Bill Price.

[Bill Price]

He scared the hell out of Amy Nguyen. I have money. I can protect you.

[Narrator]

I can save you.

[Bill Price]

Come on. He's a rat.

[Narrator]

He's a scumbag. He said horrible things about you. Horrible stuff.

[Bill Price]

I've never heard of it before. And that's when Amy Nguyen, I guess you could say, turned.

[Narrator]

Why is it so hard to believe that she was frightened of Lonnie, that she lied for him, and that she eventually stopped lying for him and told the truth?

[Bill Price]

There's no basis at all for what she's saying to be true. It's just fantasy stuff. And the fact that when they investigated the Island Escape, there's no blood in the room. There's no blood anywhere. There's no evidence of a struggle. There's nothing.

[Narrator]

Where's the evidence?

[Bill Price]

Where is it, you know? Yeah, she got killed, but that doesn't.

[Narrator]

Mean that Lonnie Kakantis did it. As Sergeant Don Vogt worked with the Orange County DAs to gather evidence against Lonnie one one thing became clear. The Island Escape was not the luxury cruise ship Mickey had looked forward to. I kind of get the feeling that if you grew up watching the Love Boat, you probably would not recognize the Island Escape.

[Bill Price]

You definitely would not.

[Narrator]

The Island Escape was a former ferry boat, once used to transport cars, then later tourists who were looking to save a buck.

[Amy Nguyen]

This was not the type of ship that an American attorney would view as a vacation type of a vessel. It's designed to be cheap and cheerful.

[Narrator]

It has one peculiar feature, though, that was appealing to Lonnie Kakantis. It's a straight drop into the sea from the balconies that were welded onto.

[Bill Price]

The side of this converted ferry.

[Narrator]

On most modern cruise ships, if you fall off the Aloha deck, you've got a good chance of Landing on the Lido deck, not so on the Island Escape. Those balconies guaranteed that in a fall, the only thing you'd hit was the Mediterranean. Almost seven stories straight down.

[Bill Price]

That's a long fall. And as you're standing there looking over the balcony, it's a long fall into the ocean. Definitely.

[Narrator]

A jury would decide if this unusual defendant was guilty of Mickey's murder. An attorney himself. Lonnie filed motion after motion and delayed the trial for years. Lonnie is a bright man. Lonnie worked very hard as an attorney throughout these proceedings. He wrote a lot of the briefs that were presented to the court. And how did he do?

[Bill Price]

He's a good attorney.

[Narrator]

However, he was blinded by his own.

[Bill Price]

Narcissism, and he's not as smart as.

[Narrator]

He thinks he is. David Michael did not represent Lonnie for the criminal trial. Instead, Lonnie had a public defender. Opening statements began in February 2020.

[Amy Nguyen]

The defendant believed that the last chapter of Mickey's life was overseas. But it is not. The last chapter is here.

[Narrator]

Their first witness, the captain of the Island Escape. He testified about going to Mickey and Lonnie's cabin just hours after her disappearance and speaking with Lonnie.

[Bill Price]

He was not upset at all. It was very cold, his conversation.

[Amy Nguyen]

When I.

[Bill Price]

When I asked him various questions, he wasn't talking quickly or nervously. It was very measured.

[Amy Nguyen]

The people called Julie Saranita.

[Narrator]

The jury also heard the recorded calls between Mickey's niece, Julie, and Lonnie. He'd been eager to talk until Julie asked him this question.

[Bill Price]

Is there any way that you had.

[Narrator]

Anything to do with Mickey's death?

[Bill Price]

What do you think?

[Amy Nguyen]

I just had to ask.

[Narrator]

I think you know the answer to that already.

[Amy Nguyen]

He got really angry at me. And the first thing he said, he's like, what do you think? The only reason why I asked was.

[Narrator]

Because the FBI told me she had had died before she hit the water.

[Bill Price]

I don't know. She might have been robbed. If that's true.

[Amy Nguyen]

Well, that's all they told me. That's all I know.

[Bill Price]

I don't know what happened to her. I didn't have anything to do with it. Okay. And I don't appreciate the implication.

[Narrator]

Julie had done what she could to help investigators. Now she realized Mickey herself was key to proving the case.

[Amy Nguyen]

He never anticipated that her body would ever be recovered.

[Narrator]

Remember how Lonnie had mentioned Mickey's drinking, suggesting she'd gotten drunk, maybe fallen overboard by accident and drowned? Her body told a different story. According to the toxicology report, Mickey Was not under the influence of alcohol when she died, and the autopsy found no water in her lungs. However, there were bruises, some around her neck. Italian pathologist Dr. Ricci testified through an interpreter that it was clear evidence Mickey had been strangled. Mechanical asphyxia.

[Bill Price]

Through strangulation or by means of strangulation.

[Narrator]

Under cross examination, Dr. Ricci testified that despite those bruises on Mickey's thighs, he did not believe Mickey had been raped. He did see trauma to the back of Mickey's head, possibly caused by a blunt object.

[Amy Nguyen]

Could it have been a wine bottle that didn't break?

[Bill Price]

It could be any object that had a convex surface. It could be even a bottle. Yes.

[Narrator]

The question was why Lonnie would want her dead. According to prosecutors, the motive was money. Lonnie had been the beneficiary of Mickey's will, meaning all that money he'd parked with her during his legal troubles belonged to Lonnie after she died. When Bill Price took the witness stand, it was to testify against his former close friend.

[Bill Price]

He looked down, looked around. He couldn't look me in the eye, but I looked at him. I'm not ashamed of anything I said or did.

[Narrator]

Remember, Bill had confronted Lonnie about what Amy told him, which was that Bill helped to arrange the murder. Lonnie's response?

[Bill Price]

He told me, don't worry about it. That she'd already testified in a grand jury and therefore the FBI wouldn't believe her.

[Amy Nguyen]

And so he told you that she wouldn't be believed anyway.

[Narrator]

Is that right?

[Bill Price]

That's correct.

[Narrator]

So here was the moment Amy Nguyen was called to testify.

[Bill Price]

Thank you, your honor.

[Amy Nguyen]

The people call Amy Nguyen.

[Narrator]

In court, the judge would not allow us to take pictures of her face. Amy testified that Lonnie told her he booked the cruise for himself and Mickey and his supposedly well connected friend, Bill Price.

[Amy Nguyen]

And did he tell you what his plan was? He said that Bill's people will throw Mickey in the water, and Bill and.

[Narrator]

His girlfriend will be his witness. In other words, his alibi. But when Bill canceled at the last minute, Amy says Lonnie told her this.

[Amy Nguyen]

He will have to take matters into his own hands.

[Narrator]

Remember, if Amy was telling the truth on the stand, it meant she had previously lied to a federal grand jury.

[Amy Nguyen]

We assessed the reality that she had given a prior statement under oath. But we also took everything we know to be true about our jobs and human beings and evaluated her in person to see whether we believed her. So a little bit of a gut check there for me at least.

[Narrator]

And you believed her?

[Amy Nguyen]

Absolutely.

[Narrator]

And you Thought a jury would absolutely. Before the jury had a chance to to deliberate, this courtroom and the world would have to face a new reality. A global pandemic.

[Amy Nguyen]

We're seeing that there's a travel ban in Italy. And I'm thinking, what is happening?

[Narrator]

The trial comes to a sudden stop, but the case not over yet. An undercover plan is about to be revealed.

[Bill Price]

I actually posed as a hitman.

[Narrator]

And it's a stunner. By March of 2020, the trial of Lonnie Kakatas for the murder of Mickey Kanasaki was well underway. In fact, the courtroom was probably one of the last places left with order. Outside, it was chaos.

[Bill Price]

The impact of coronavirus around the world.

[Narrator]

Is becoming more dire. It's a global battle against a virus spreading fast.

[Bill Price]

In Italy tonight, infections are spiking.

[Amy Nguyen]

All of these witnesses had come from Italy and literally within 48 hours of the last one going back to Italy, there's news about coronavirus hitting Italy. And within a day, we're seeing that there's a travel ban in Italy. And I'm thinking, what is happening next?

[Narrator]

The Orange county court calendar was wiped clean. Were you worried when the trial had to pause because of the pandemic? Yes, I was. That delay lasted more than two months. Then on May 2026, 2020, with COVID 19 cases still spreading in Orange county, the judge called a hearing to determine whether Lonnie's case could move forward. Toshi went to court with a heavy heart. It was the 14th anniversary of Mickey's death. The hearing was live streamed to the public. And no surprise, the defense argued for a mistrial. Among the reasons why, after the long delay, jurors couldn't possibly remember everything, putting Lonnie at a disadvantage. To which the judge said, we have to continue.

[Bill Price]

It's so important to have the rule of law even during a pandemic.

[Narrator]

The judge denied the motion for a mistrial, and two days later, all 16 jurors returned. Following social distancing and guidelines, jurors would spread throughout the courtroom and everyone would wear masks except the witnesses.

[Bill Price]

Good morning.

[Narrator]

And the first witness to take the stand was Lonnie Kakatis.

[Bill Price]

I don't know if my ex wife was killed. I don't know what happened to my ex wife. Mickey.

[Narrator]

Lonnie had an explanation for everything.

[Amy Nguyen]

Why did you book a cabin with a balcony?

[Bill Price]

Well, I didn't want to cheap out. I mean, I was trying to impress Mickey with the fact that I was trying to change, you know, go on.

[Narrator]

More vacation to spend more money. All of it was to salvage a relationship that, according to Lonnie, Mickey's hot temper had destroyed. Oh, she broke telephones. She threw things.

[Bill Price]

One particular incident in 2001, she broke the fax machine through from the second.

[Narrator]

Level down to the living room floor. That time, the cops were called. Lonnie said he talked them down from arresting Mickey. So when Lonnie learned that Mickey's niece Julie, was trying to get him arrested for Mickey's murder by secretly taping their conversations, Lonnie said he was really hurt.

[Bill Price]

Then for her to accuse me.

[Amy Nguyen]

Of.

[Bill Price]

Something I didn't do after I thought we were trying to help each other upset me greatly.

[Narrator]

Lonnie said Julie wasn't the only one who took advantage of his kindness. There was also Bill Price, the friend who turned on him, and, of course, Amy Nguyen. Lonnie called her a gold digger, said she was lying, and said Bill Price put her up to it.

[Bill Price]

I don't trust Amy Wynne, didn't trust Amy Wynne, and don't trust Amy Wynn when it comes to an intimate relationship. I did not expect her to start making up lies about me again.

[Narrator]

Lonnie said Amy wasn't the only person telling lies about him. There was also someone he met behind bars, someone who was prepared to tell the jury quite a story. Back In April of 2014, a year after Lonnie was arrested for Mickey's murder, The Orange County DA's office got a call. An inmate named Tony, a frequent flyer in the criminal justice system, was requesting an emergency landing. Sergeant Don Vogt set up a meeting.

[Bill Price]

So Tony had told us that he was approached by Lonnie Kokontis, who asked and another inmate if they were willing to have Lonnie's third wife recant her statement and then have her killed.

[Narrator]

This is Amy we're talking about, correct? What happens next?

[Bill Price]

We created a hitman named Greg who's going to be a hitman for Lonnie Quicantis to take care of Lonnie's third wife.

[Narrator]

Greg was played by an undercover investigator named Bill. We've disguised him so he can get more work in the future. How often when you're asked to pose as a hitman, is the person that you're going to supposedly be working for already behind bars?

[Bill Price]

In the six cases that I actually posed as a hitman, four of the six were already behind bars.

[Narrator]

How many of those six cases were men wanting you to kill their wives?

[Bill Price]

Six out of six.

[Narrator]

This has to give you a dim view of men, or at least of husbands.

[Bill Price]

Well, at least one's in custody.

[Narrator]

Tony the informant then introduced Greg the hitman to Lonnie the inmate. I think people maybe from watching TV shows or movies have this idea that this all happens in one phone call.

[Bill Price]

No, he was definitely feeling me out during the first few conversations. But after we got some bad news at court, he opened up much more with me on the phone.

[Narrator]

What kind of money are we talking about here?

[Bill Price]

Lonnie was offering $100,000 for me to kill Amy.

[Narrator]

Greg said the ever so careful Lonnie spoke in code.

[Bill Price]

He told me it was time to take the property off the market. Another call, I said, well, I just want to make sure we're good foreclosing on property D16, which is his code. He goes, and he agreed. It is time.

[Narrator]

When you hear that, you know we can go into court with that.

[Bill Price]

Yes, he knows I'm not a realtor.

[Narrator]

Then a surprising thing happened. Someone wanted to call the cops, and it was Lonnie.

[Amy Nguyen]

How many times have you lied to this jury since yesterday morning?

[Bill Price]

None.

[Amy Nguyen]

He had an answer for everything.

[Narrator]

Lonnie Kakatis, innocent man or guilty as charged? Yeah.

[Bill Price]

14 years to come up with a story.

[Narrator]

14 years. 12 jurors were about to decide his fate. Everyone who knew him said Lonnie Kakatas was a resourceful, hard working attorney. According to prosecutors, in the years leading up to his trial, Lonnie had done more than file motions. They said he also tried to hire a hitman to take out the key witness against him, his ex wife, Amy Nguyen. Lonnie thought the hitman's name was Greg. He was wrong. It was Bill. And Bill wasn't a hitman. He was an undercover cop who followed up on their conversations with a letter to Lonnie.

[Bill Price]

I asked him to specify some of the terms that we were using during this investigation to get clarification from him.

[Narrator]

That sounds like it's going to make somebody suspicious.

[Bill Price]

And it did.

[Narrator]

Lonnie may have realized he'd been the target of a sting operation. And true to form, he went on the offensive, asking his attorney's office to call the police.

[Bill Price]

Lonnie never said that he wanted Amy and went killed. It's only that investigator that contrived that.

[Narrator]

He cut off communication.

[Bill Price]

After that, he called me one more time and he said that Tony had misled me about the entire process. He was doing damage control at that point. But unfortunately for Lonnie, the damage was already done.

[Narrator]

Prosecutors charged Lonnie with solicitation to commit murder. He denied it and said he'd been set up by a jailhouse informant who was looking to cut a deal. Assistant DA Susan Price had waited years for the chance to cross examine Lonnie.

[Amy Nguyen]

How many times have you lied to this jury since yesterday morning?

[Bill Price]

None.

[Amy Nguyen]

You've been shooting?

[Bill Price]

Yes.

[Narrator]

Tell me about cross examining Lonnie. You're smiling.

[Amy Nguyen]

Well, I've never cross examined a defendant quite like Lonnie Kakantis. He had an answer for everything. A very lengthy answer for everything. A very self serving answer for everything.

[Narrator]

The world's out to get me.

[Amy Nguyen]

He was the victim of everybody. You have testified about how you've been victimized by different people. Would you agree with that?

[Bill Price]

Well, I have been victimized. I'm pretty naive.

[Narrator]

That was how he played it anyway. And under cross examination, Lonnie did not crack.

[Amy Nguyen]

You testified yesterday that Mickey, when she drank, she became unpredictable.

[Bill Price]

She was unpredictable when she drank.

[Amy Nguyen]

When was she unpredictable? On the night you saw her alive last.

[Bill Price]

She was okay that evening.

[Amy Nguyen]

Was she violent towards you on the night you last saw her alive?

[Bill Price]

No.

[Narrator]

Loni insisted there was no argument and no violence.

[Bill Price]

I don't know what caused her death, so I don't know if her drinking.

[Narrator]

Was a factor or not.

[Amy Nguyen]

Because you believe she could have strangled herself?

[Bill Price]

I don't believe she was strangled. And of course she could not have strangled herself.

[Narrator]

When you finish cross examining Lonnie, you think we've got it.

[Amy Nguyen]

No, I never think we've got it. I did think, to me he doesn't seem credible. But I didn't know if any of the jurors felt sorry for him.

[Narrator]

5 months after trial started, the case was handed to a jury. Would they see an innocent man taken advantage of time and again? Or a heartless murderer? Mickey's brother Toshi wondered.

[Bill Price]

You have 14 years to come up with a story. 14 years over and over to make everything fit.

[Narrator]

After just an hour of deliberation, it all came undone. The verdict? Guilty of first degree murder for financial gain. How did Lonnie take it?

[Bill Price]

Shook his head. He stood there and shook his head because I watched him. I'm watching them. He's shaking his head.

[Narrator]

He wouldn't look back at you. Mickey's niece Julie had been waiting too.

[Amy Nguyen]

And as soon as I heard the verdict, it was just this big sense of relief, like my aunt finally got justice.

[Narrator]

Monte Kakadis was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is appealing his conviction. Because of the life sentence, the DA's office dropped the murder for hire charge for Bill Price, who thought of Lonnie as a brother and then ended up turning him in. It had been a very long road. How's your conscience?

[Bill Price]

Relieved. Whether Mickey was a good person or a bad person, nobody deserves to die that way. Nobody does. And I suppose the guilt that I would have had then would be. I believed him. That hurts.

[Narrator]

You're a pro and he fooled you.

[Bill Price]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

For Mickey Kanasaki, the ocean always carried hope. A coal miner's daughter from Japan, she'd once traveled across the sea for a better life. And the island escape was supposed to carry her and Lonnie to calmer shores. He didn't know how good he had it.

[Amy Nguyen]

Yeah.

[Bill Price]

He does not know. He did not know. Yeah. To the end, she was always there for him. And look what happened. Look what he did to her. She didn't deserve that. She had a lot to live for.

[Amy Nguyen]

She was a beautiful person. And I'm talking about her soul.

[Bill Price]

She just had such a beautiful soul.

[Narrator]

A soul lost at sea who found her way home.