Christine Honson Missing Person Case

Sep 18, 2015

Mar 19, 2024

Christine

Honson

83

32

62 inches

120 lbs

135 lbs

American Indian / Alaska Native

Female

In the autumn of 1974, 32-year-old Christine Marie Honson, a member of the Sault Tribe, disappeared from the Grand Rapids, Michigan area. At the time, she was living in Petoskey with her husband and their three children. Her marriage was reportedly troubled, and she would occasionally leave home for short periods but had always returned. In September 1974, following an argument with her husband, Christine left her home. Her husband later found some of her suitcases in their backyard. Assuming she had left him, he drove the suitcases to a relative's house in Grand Rapids about a week later and then filed a missing person report upon returning to Petoskey. He divorced her approximately a year after she went missing. Christine maintained a close relationship with her sisters in Grand Rapids and had last seen them in the summer of 1974. She had spoken to her sister and sister-in-law on the phone in the fall, mentioning plans to visit, but she never arrived, and her family never heard from her again. The investigation into Christine's disappearance eventually uncovered a grim turn of events. A man named Nicholas Brasic Jr. became a suspect in her case. A key witness, Paul Howell, who was a friend of Brasic's, provided a harrowing testimony. He stated that in late September 1974, Christine came to his Grand Rapids apartment looking for his brother, whom she had dated. Both Howell and Brasic were present and had been drinking. The two men left with Christine in Brasic's van and drove to a field. Howell testified that he heard Brasic beating Christine in the back of the van for a prolonged period after she apparently refused his advances. Brasic then drove Howell home without Christine. The following day, when Howell inquired about her, Brasic was evasive, simply saying he had "taken care of it." Further testimony from other witnesses, including Brasic's ex-girlfriend, corroborated the likelihood of foul play. These witnesses claimed Brasic had admitted to them that he had beaten a woman from "up north" to death in his van and had buried her body near South Bend, Indiana. Based on this testimony, in July 1986, Nicholas Brasic Jr. was convicted of the rape and first-degree murder of Christine Honson and was sentenced to life in prison. Despite his conviction and reported admissions, Christine's body has never been located. The case is officially considered a homicide. There has been no activity on Christine's Social Security number since the summer of 1974, and she never renewed her driver's license. While her family acknowledged her struggles, they never believed she would have willingly abandoned her children, with whom she had a good relationship. The disappearance of Christine Honson is a story of a family's loss and a long-unanswered question, as her remains have yet to be recovered, leaving her loved ones without a final sense of closure.

Oct 04, 1974

Grand Rapids

Michigan

Kent County

49503

No

17210

Kent County Sheriff's Department

Grand Rapids

Michigan

Kent County

49503

Timothy Potts

Detective

701 Ball Avenue NE, Michigan

6166326246

County

Law Enforcement

16561-84

1974-10-10

Kent County Sheriff's Department

Black

Brown

Brown

07/18/2026