Naman Shrestha
When Micki Kanesaki went missing from a cruise ship heading to Naples, Italy, in May 2006, only for her remains to be found in the Mediterranean Sea later, her husband, Lonnie Kocontes, was suspected of foul play. After the demise, he got back with her second ex-wife, Amy Nguyen, who ended up having a crucial role in the investigation. The entire case and the investigation that ensued are covered in a detailed manner in the episode titled ‘Open Water’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline,’ which features exclusive interviews with Micki’s loved ones and Lonnie’s friends, who recount the impact the murder had on their lives.
Amy Nguyen Played a Key Role in the Indictment of Lonnie Kocontes
In 2002, Lonnie Kocontes and Micki Kanesaki had just gotten divorced when the former met a Riverside, California, teacher named Amy Nguyen through an online dating site. At the time, Lonnie and Micki were still residing together in their Ladera Ranch residence as they were splitting up their assets. Over time, the former got romantically involved with Amy, and their relationship got stronger. In July 2005, the couple exchanged marital vows and began the next chapter in their relationship. However, their marriage only lasted for a few months as he decided to rekindle his relationship with his first wife, Micki. In May 2006, Lonnie and Micki went on a trip to Naples, Italy, on a cruise ship called the Island Escape, where the former strangled Micki to death and dumped her remains in the Mediterranean Sea.
After committing the crime, he went to Amy’s house in California and reportedly resumed their relationship. While he was being investigated for the murder of Micki, he threatened Amy’s life and blackmailed her into lying to the federal grand jury. After a while, she came forward to the authorities and admitted that her ex-husband had forced her to lie to the grand jury. She further implicated Lonnie by alleging that he had initially planned to have Micki killed by someone, but ended up taking matters into his own hands. Consequently, Lonnie was officially indicted for Micki’s killing in 2013. While he was awaiting trial, he also reportedly tried to hire a couple of fellow inmates to get Amy killed and prevent her from testifying against him in court. As a result, he was also charged with two counts of solicitation to commit murder and a count of solicitation to bribe a witness.
Amy Nguyen Has Seemingly Continued Working as a Teacher in California
During Lonnie Kocontes’s murder trial in June 2020, Amy Nguyen served as one of the key witnesses for the prosecution. She took the stand and testified against the defendant, stating, “He said that Bill’s people will throw Micki in the water and Bill and his girlfriend will be his witness.” She further claimed, “He said Bill and his girlfriend decided not to go on the cruise and he would have to take matters into his own hands.” Amy also testified how he had threatened to have her killed if she didn’t “say something to make him look good” in front of the federal grand jury.
Meanwhile, Lonnie’s defense argued that Bill Price pressured Amy to incriminate the defendant. While she was in the stand, the defense questioned why she didn’t report Lonnie’s alleged threats to the authorities. She was also questioned about her complicated relationship with her ex-husband. Amy also claimed that the defendant was frustrated with Micki, who didn’t want to sell the Ladera Ranch house, as he needed the money to pay for the Orange property. She was relieved when he was ultimately convicted and sentenced for killing Micki. Although she has gone off the radar since the sentencing, all we can tell is that she is supposedly still a teacher based in the Los Angeles area.
Read More: Where is Lonnie Kocontes Now? Update on the Killer
