Rick Calhau
Calhau, circa 1996; Calhau's truck
- Missing Since 11/18/1996
- Missing From Kane'ohe, Hawaii
- Classification Endangered Missing
- Sex Male
- Race Asian
- Age 29 years old
- Height and Weight 5'8, 170 - 180 pounds
- Clothing/Jewelry Description A black jacket with "Tyson-Holyfield" printed on it, blue denim shorts, and black Shawn Kemp basketball shoes.
- Associated Vehicle(s) Brown 1992 Ford pickup truck with the Hawaii license plate number FYS 043 (accounted for)
- Distinguishing Characteristics Asian male. Brown hair, brown eyes. Calhau is of Japanese descent.
Details of Disappearance
Calhau was last seen leaving his Kane'ohe, Hawaii home in his pickup truck at 10:10 p.m. on November 18, 1996. He told his wife he was going to visit friends in Kalihi and would be back in an hour. He has never been heard from again.
The next day, Calhau's brown 1992 Ford pickup truck with the Hawaii license plate number FYS 043 was found parked at the intersection of Koauka Street and Moanalua Road in front of the Our Savior Lutheran Church. A photo of it is posted with this case summary.
Calhau's disappearance may have a connection to his friend Michael John Miske Jr. In May 1995, Miske was driving Calhau's car when he assaulted and attempted to abduct a police officer who stopped him for speeding. The next day, Calhau reported his car stolen, saying that although Miske was a good friend and he'd lent him the car before, he did not have permission to be driving it that night.
When the police questioned him further, he contacted an attorney and refused to speak further on the case. In August 1995, both Miske and Calhau were arrested and charged with second-degree terroristic threatening, but the charges were eventually dismissed when the complaining witness failed to appear in court.
Miske reached a plea deal in the abduction case; he pleaded guilty to kidnapping, assault and speeding and in January 1996 he was sentenced to five years of probation. The following year he went back to court to amend his guilty plea to a no contest plea.
Six months after Miske amended his plea, Calhau went missing. He owned The Tint Shop, an auto glass tinting company. In November 1998, two years after Calhau's disappearance, the registration of the trade name of his business expired. In 1999, Miske registered a new company of his own, also an auto glass tinting business called The Tint Shop. Six months later, he started a pest control business as well.
Investigators believe that for years, Miske used his pest control business as the headquarters for his criminal enterprise, which involved drug trafficking, abduction, murder-for-hire, robbery, extortion, money laundering and bank fraud. In 2017, he was arrested and charged with murder in aid of racketeering, murder for hire conspiracy resulting in death, kidnapping using a facility of interstate commerce resulting in death, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping among other offenses. Authorities believe he orchestrated the abduction and murder of Jonathan Fraser, who disappeared in 2016 and was never found.
Miske is awaiting trial in Fraser's presumed death. He hasn't been named as a suspect in Calhau's disappearance, but authorities believe Calhau disappeared under suspicious circumstances. His case remains unsolved.
Investigating Agency
- Honolulu Police Department 808-529-3394
Source Information
Updated 4 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated May 10, 2021; details of disappearance updated.