Dateline: Open Water- 5 harrowing details about Micki Kanesaki murder, revisited 

Dateline reminds us that vacation dreams can turn into nightmares. In January 2021, the show took viewers aboard the Island Escape cruise to examine the 2006 disappearance of Micki Kanesaki.

Now, on July 7, 2025, the Dateline episode “Open Water” still gives chills as it revisits how a hopeful reunion at sea ended in tragedy. Through interviews, court records, and forensic details; Dateline pieces together the small clues that built a deadly plot.

This article then breaks down five key moments from that fateful voyage using simple, straightforward language. Get ready to see how a romantic getaway became one of true crime’s most haunting stories.

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A romantic Mediterranean cruise took a deadly turn

Micki Kanesaki and her ex-husband, Lonnie Loren Kocontes, boarded a mid-priced cruise ship on May 21, 2006. They had divorced in 2002 but continued living together in Orange County, California. Kocontes described the trip as a chance to rebuild their relationship.

Micki believed they were renewing their marriage vows, while he later admitted he chose a balcony cabin to make her death look like an accident. The show describes this setup as chillingly calculated because the balcony provided an unseen way to push her overboard.

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Micki’s disappearance raised immediate doubts

On the night of May 25, Micki returned to their cabin after dinner and dancing. Lonnie claimed he fell asleep at midnight and woke alone hours later. Ship staff could not find her anywhere on board during their early-morning search.

Meanwhile, Kocontes disembarked in Naples, collected their luggage, and flew back to California just two days later. Dateline points out that his hasty departure, without waiting for answers, set off alarm bells for investigators.

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Autopsy results gave clear proof of violence

When Micki’s body washed ashore near Paola, Italy, on May 27, pathologists found that her lungs contained no water. That showed she was dead before entering the sea.

She also had bruises around her neck and a skull fracture from blunt-force trauma. These injuries ruled out an accidental fall overboard. Dateline emphasizes how the autopsy removed any doubt about foul play.

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Secret recordings uncovered disturbing conversations

The FBI arranged for Micki’s niece, Julie Saranita, to record phone calls with Lonnie. In one tape, he coldly called Micki “the body” and focused on where her remains might be found. An informant also revealed Lonnie had threatened to make Micki “silent forever.”

This undercover evidence showed him discussing her death as if it were nothing more than a logistics problem. Dateline highlights these recordings as a turning point in proving premeditation.

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A financial motive emerged as the case unfolded

Prosecutors discovered that, just before the trip, Micki and Lonnie had rewritten their wills and beneficiary forms. Lonnie stood to inherit their jointly owned home and over a million dollars from bank accounts.

Investigators found that he tried to move large sums of money shortly after Micki vanished. This clear financial gain gave a strong motive for murder. Dateline notes that money was at the heart of the crime, turning what looked like a love story into a deadly plot.

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Conviction and special circumstances updated in 2025

After several years of investigation and legal proceedings; Lonnie Kocontes was convicted on June 15, 2020, for the first-degree murder of his ex-wife, Micki Kanesaki. The jury also upheld a special-circumstance enhancement, meaning the murder was carried out for financial gain.

As a result, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In mid-2025, the California court system revisited the case to address any pending legal appeals.

The following updates were confirmed:

• The original financial motive still met the legal criteria for a special circumstance.
• His conviction and sentence were fully upheld, with no further appeals pending.
• Dateline reported that this reaffirmation ensured long-term justice for Micki’s family.

This final ruling closed the chapter on all legal doubts.

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The new episode of Dateline reminds us of unanswered questions

Dateline in its January 2021 episode; took the viewers on a surveillance-camera-volved, interviews-regarding, reconstruction-of-crime. The show generated curiosity as to how such a well-planned plot could even get so close.

To this day, viewers wonder how Lonnie was able to return to a boat, and nobody gave it a second thought. The 2025 revisit of Dateline fills these gaps by including new court documents and witness interviews. It shows that cold cases can be solved when every investigative lead is pursued. It testifies that cold cases may be solved provided diligent investigation detects every lead.

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Why this story can and should matter in 2025

Almost twenty years have passed since Micki’s death, and her case remains a key reference point as to how cruise ship homicides get resolved. It also emphasizes the role of forensic science to prove a homicide rather than drowning. It even reveals how contemporary criminal investigation equipment, such as secret recording, can unmask the intention of a murderer.

The revisit of Dateline emphasizes the fact that no matter how properly a crime is planned, minor details are enough to break the harmony. For both armchair detectives and students, this story offers a powerful lesson in patience, attention to detail, and the pursuit of justice.

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Five key takeaways from “Open Water”

1. What started as a romantic cruise turned into a murder scene. On May 25, 2006, Micki Kanesaki vanished from the cruise ship she had boarded with her ex-husband, Lonnie Kocontes, during a trip that was supposed to rekindle their relationship.
2. Lonnie’s strange behavior raised red flags. He left the ship quickly, took their luggage, and returned to the U.S. before Micki’s body was even found.
3. The autopsy ruled out an accident. Doctors found bruises, a skull injury, and no water in her lungs, showing she didn’t drown.
4. Secret recordings exposed his true thoughts. In taped phone calls, Lonnie referred to Micki as “the body.”
5. Money was a major motive. Lonnie stood to gain over a million dollars through bank accounts and property after her death.

Each point is explored step by step in Dateline’s “Open Water,” making the episode both educational and haunting.

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The death of Micki Kanesaki is a clear reminder that confidence can personify malicious motives. In Dateline, the systematic telling of the story peels off layers and reveals how love, deception, and greed mix in open water. To this day, viewers (at least until July 7, 2025) can learn more and hear something new to discuss.

This case demonstrates to us that patience, science, and undercover activities can cause even the most obscure of crimes to come into plain view. The cruise ship offered a picture-perfect façade, but the grim truth eventually surfaced — and Dateline ensured it would not be forgotten.