The case of Bonnie Haim, who vanished in 1993, is an unusual cold case because it had a witness from the start: her three-year-old son, Aaron. Though Aaron told police, “Daddy hurt her,” his statement was disregarded as a child’s overactive imagination.
Bonnie had a volatile marriage to Michael Haim and was secretly planning her escape. After Michael discovered her secret bank account, she began hiding cash with friends, ultimately saving enough for a deposit on an apartment. However, her plan was cut short on January 7, 1993, when she disappeared after a reported argument with Michael. Police grew suspicious after finding her purse in a dumpster and her car with the driver’s seat adjusted for someone Michael’s size, but they lacked the evidence to charge him.
Years later, a now-adult Aaron, who had been adopted and renamed Aaron Fraser, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against his biological father. In 2005, Aaron won a $26.3 million settlement, part of which included the Haim family home.
In late 2014, while renovating the house, Aaron and his brother were excavating the backyard when they made a horrifying discovery: a human skull and remains buried in the dirt. The remains were identified as Bonnie’s, and a .22 caliber shell casing found with her body was matched to one of Michael’s rifles. This undeniable evidence finally led to Michael’s arrest in 2015. Almost three decades after the murder, Michael Haim was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. While justice was finally served, the ordeal left Aaron with a lifetime of trauma.