Michael J. Miske Jr.
Michael J. Miske Jr., 50, was found dead in his cell at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu in December 2024, while awaiting sentencing after a jury verdict. A preliminary autopsy attributed his death to fentanyl toxicity, and the Justice Department's prosecutors allege he arranged to have fentanyl smuggled into the facility so he could kill himself; his attorney calls those claims unsupportable. Honolulu EMS responded to a medical emergency call at 9:18 a.m. on the day he was found, according to KHON2, and his attorneys and family were asked for comment. A later report gives a different date of death, Feb. 18, 2025, which conflicts with the December discovery date. He left his estate to his 9-year-old granddaughter, and his attorney said she has lost her father, grandfather and effectively her mother.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of an overdose (disputed). A preliminary autopsy attributed his death to fentanyl toxicity, while federal prosecutors allege he arranged to have fentanyl smuggled into the facility to kill himself, and his attorney calls those claims unsupportable.
Reported by: preliminary autopsy; U.S. Department of Justice (federal prosecutors) (outside investigators); his attorney.