This episode of "Where is Jón?" examines the persistent rumours and investigative challenges following the 2018 disappearance of Icelandic poker player Jón Jónsson in Dublin. Hosts Anna Marsipil-Klausen and Liam O'Brien detail the family's struggle with ambiguous loss and explore a specific murder allegation. Dr. Sarah Wayland, a global expert on missing persons, explains the unique trauma for families when there is no resolution.
Jón's sister, Anna Hildur, discovered his email inbox was nearly empty for months before he vanished, and police initially failed to properly examine his devices. When the family accessed his phone, they found his last Google Maps searches were for Dublin locations, including the Bonnington Hotel, Mr. Fox restaurant, and a private house in the Dublin Mountains. The hosts later connected these searches to a friend's recommendation for the famous Johnny Fox's pub, suggesting Jón was planning a surprise. A mystery around his partner Jana's missing passport was solved six months later when it was found in her sister's broken-down car. Jón's daughters, Julia and Helena, enrolled in a therapy group for bereaved children, with Helena creating a painted stone that reads, "I miss you more than anything. Come home."
Dr. Wayland clarifies that long-term missing cases where the person isn't found typically end in death by misadventure, suicide, or homicide. Jón's case is statistically unusual, as he is the only Scandinavian ever to go missing in Ireland and vanished within 24 hours of arrival. Privacy expert Frank Ahearn, author of "How to Disappear," states that successfully vanishing requires extensive planning, money, and a capacity to live disconnected from loved ones. Jón's stepbrother Gunnar, an addiction counsellor, argues Jón lacked the extreme mental capacity, sociopathic traits, and financial means to disappear intentionally. A specific rumour emerged over a year after Jón vanished, alleging he was murdered by a man named "Alex" who killed the wrong target.
Two separate sources, both with connections to substance use, gave Gunnar and Anna Hildur identical stories about Alex. The Icelandic police passed this information to Irish authorities but noted that, as a missing persons case, formal cross-border cooperation under Europol does not apply. The hosts contacted a source close to Alex, who said Alex never confessed to killing Jón but had previously boasted of killing multiple people, leading to suspicion. An October 2020 newspaper article cited an Icelandic prisoner claiming Jón was killed over squandered gambling money, forcing Jón's ex-wife Nina to tell their daughters about the murder theory.
The tone is investigative and empathetic, blending narrative storytelling with factual analysis of police procedures and psychological impacts. Listeners interested in true crime mysteries, the psychology of ambiguous loss, and intricate investigative journalism will find this episode compelling. Those seeking a resolved narrative or who are sensitive to stories about familial trauma and unresolved disappearances may find it difficult.
