“Open Water”: Dateline Reports on Micki Kanesaki August 9 2025
On Saturday, August 9, 2025, Dateline NBC airs “Open Water,” a chilling episode reported by Josh Mankiewicz. The episode recounts the mysterious and tragic death of Micki Kanesaki, a California woman who disappeared during a cruise in the Mediterranean Sea. What began as a rekindling of romance between Kanesaki and her ex-husband, Lonnie Loren Kocontes, quickly turned into a complex criminal investigation with international implications. As the story unfolds, viewers are taken deep into a twisted tale of betrayal, greed, and murder on the high seas.
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A Cruise Meant for Reconnection
Micki Kanesaki, 52, and her ex-husband, Lonnie Kocontes, had once shared a turbulent relationship. Despite divorcing in 2002 after seven years of marriage, the pair continued to live together as they untangled their shared assets. By 2006, they appeared to be reconciling, even planning a Mediterranean cruise together from Spain to Italy in late May of that year. To outsiders, it seemed the couple was working toward a second chance at love.
However, the truth behind the vacation was far more sinister. Unknown to Kanesaki, Kocontes had recently divorced another woman, Amy Nguyen, whom he had secretly married in 2005 while still entangled with Kanesaki. Prosecutors later argued that Kocontes’ decision to travel with his ex-wife wasn’t an act of romance but a calculated step in a murder plot designed to look like a tragic accident at sea.
The Night Micki Disappeared
The cruise began on May 21, 2006. Just a few nights later, on May 25, Kanesaki vanished from the ship. Kocontes claimed he had taken a sleeping pill and awoke to find her missing, suggesting she may have fallen overboard after becoming ill from wine. He reported her disappearance and disembarked in Naples, flying back to California before her body was found. Two days later, on May 27, a research vessel recovered Kanesaki’s body floating off the coast of Paola, Italy.
An autopsy revealed telling details. Her lungs contained no water, and she had severe bruising and hemorrhaging around her neck. The cause of death was ruled asphyxiation by strangulation, not drowning. This critical detail changed the trajectory of the case. Rather than an accidental fall, investigators now had a likely homicide on their hands.
A Cold Case Thawed by Greed
For two years, Kocontes appeared to have gotten away with the crime. But in 2008, the FBI began investigating financial transactions linked to him. Kocontes had attempted to transfer over $1 million between various accounts, prompting scrutiny. When questioned, Nguyen—his former wife—told authorities that Kocontes once mentioned asking a friend to kill Kanesaki. That statement opened the floodgates to deeper investigation.
Kocontes was indicted for murder in 2013. Prosecutors argued that his motive was financial gain. He stood to inherit from the couple’s joint assets, including proceeds from the sale of their Southern California home and their shared bank accounts. Additionally, Kocontes had ensured that wills were updated to name each other as executors, increasing his financial benefit from Kanesaki’s death.
Evidence, Surveillance, and a Calculated Plan
In building their case, prosecutors highlighted the planning behind the crime. Kocontes was not known for taking vacations, yet insisted on a cruise with a specific route and a balcony room. He also sought advice from a friend—who was a private investigator and former police officer—about cruise ship surveillance, raising suspicion about his intentions.
After Kanesaki’s death, Kocontes didn’t return to their shared home. Instead, he resumed his relationship with Nguyen, which prosecutors said revealed the insincerity of his supposed reconciliation with Kanesaki. As the case developed, authorities uncovered even more alarming behavior. While in custody, Kocontes allegedly attempted to solicit the murder of Nguyen to prevent her from testifying against him.
Trial and Life Sentence
The trial for Micki Kanesaki’s murder began in February 2020 but faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During proceedings, forensic pathologists confirmed Kanesaki was strangled, with injuries inconsistent with a fall. The prosecution argued that Kocontes meticulously planned the murder to make it look like an accident. His critical mistake—strangling her before throwing her overboard—meant her body did not sink. The discovery of her body and the autopsy findings ultimately provided the evidence needed for a conviction.
In June 2020, a jury found Kocontes guilty of first-degree murder with special circumstances for financial gain. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The verdict brought a measure of justice for Kanesaki’s family after more than a decade of uncertainty and legal maneuvering.
A Legacy of Deception and Betrayal
The story of Micki Kanesaki and Lonnie Kocontes serves as a stark reminder of how hidden motives can lurk behind gestures of reconciliation. What seemed like a hopeful voyage was, in truth, a deadly trap laid by a man driven by greed. The episode “Open Water” dives into the complexities of the investigation, the relentless work of authorities, and the courtroom drama that eventually brought a calculating killer to justice.
With firsthand reporting and exclusive interviews, Dateline NBC once again offers an unflinching look into a true crime case that spanned continents and left a lasting scar on all who knew the victim.
