Who Is Michael Haim? New Details About the Man Now Standing Trial in Former Cold Case Trial for Murdering Wife Bonnie Haim
When Unsolved Crimes Are Finally Closed and Solved, It Brings Us a Sense of Relief. Recently, Authorities Apprehended Murderers Who Had Eluded Justice for...
When unsolved crimes are finally closed and solved, it brings us a sense of relief. Recently, authorities apprehended murderers who had eluded justice for decades.
The Golden State Killer, Joseph James DeAngelo, a retired police officer, murdered and raped multiple women from 1975 to 1986, and was arrested and charged last April. Gary Hartman was arrested and charged last June for the 1986 rape and murder of Michaella Welch, a 12-year-old girl, using DNA samples from the crime scene. These are just a few recently-solved cold case crimes.
But in 2015, another cold case murder was solved: that of Bonnie Haim, who disappeared in 1993, leaving her young son behind. The suspect? Bonnie’s husband, Michael Haim. But who is Michael Haim exactly?
In 2014, the case became the subject of police attention after Haim’s son, Aaron Fraser, won his childhood home in a wrongful death suit against his Michael. Fraser discovered his mother’s skeletal remains while making repairs. A water leak forced Fraser to remove a concrete slab, and it was underneath the slab that he found Bonnie’s remains.
A medical examiner later determined she died from homicide, “by unspecified means.” Also found where she was buried? A shell casing matching the rifle that Michael Haim owned. But that’s just the beginning of this case. Here are a few more details to know about Haim and his involvement with his wife’s disappearance and murder.
1. Detectives never charged him.
All along, Haim was the main suspect but detectives struggled to build a case against him, as they had no physical remains or body. Once her remains were discovered, however, they used DNA testing to confirm it was Bonnie. Authorities arrested and charged Haim, who has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder.
2. His motive: he was afraid Bonnie would leave with their son.
Prosecutors say Haim killed his wife because she threatened to leave with Aaron. Haim claims Bonnie left their home without Aaron after an argument, and that he went searching for Bonnie but didn’t alert authorities to her disappearance. A maintenance worker later found Bonnie’s purse in a hotel dumpster and called police.
According to the arrest affidavit, “Michael Haim was the last known individual to have contact with the victim. The suspect admits that he and the victim were fighting over marital issues and that she was planning to leave and take their child.” During the trial’s opening statements, Alan Mizrahi, the State Attorney’s Office Homicide Director, said, “That was the only thing he could do to stop her from leaving and taking his son.”
In 1999, six years after Bonnie’s disappearance, Michael lost custody of Aaron, who was adopted and changed his last name to Fraser.
Marcus Vance is a cybersecurity auditor and technology writer dedicated to educating the public about online safety, data privacy regulations, enterprise security, and emerging cyber threats.
