(KTLA) – A vigil was held Saturday night for Beau Mann, a 39-year-old tech CEO who was found dead under mysterious circumstances.
Mann’s body was found in Santa Monica, California, on May 8 – nearly a year and a half after his disappearance.
He was last seen alive on Nov. 30, 2021, at a 7-Eleven in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Studio City. An Uber picked him up from the store and dropped him off in Santa Monica.
He had been in contact with his family two days prior, but a text to 911 was the last time anyone heard from him.
Mann’s remains were found in the courtyard of an abandoned property on Santa Monica Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The remains were identified by the county coroner through dental records.
The cause of death, however, has not been released.
His family believes foul play was involved, pointing to the fact that he bought a bag of ice at the store before taking an Uber, a sign he was intending to go home.
Mann was the founder of SoberGrid, an app designed to help recovering addicts. Mann was also in the middle of planning his wedding to fiancé Jason Abate when he disappeared.
“What did alarm me was the fact that he went to 7-Eleven and had programmed his destination and was to go home after that,” said Abate. “So he went to 7-Eleven and he bought a bunch of stuff for home, like cleaning stuff and a big bag of ice, because anyone who knows Beau knows he loves to chew on ice and his ice maker didn’t work. So none of that surprised me.”
What Abate couldn’t explain was a sudden change of direction during the Uber ride home.
“When someone is going to do their grocery shopping and they’re buying ice to go home, and that’s where they’re scheduled to go home, it doesn’t make sense for him to suddenly change his address to 1338 Berkeley St., and during that change, he texted 911 and used the app’s emergency feature,” said Abate.
Mann’s family has hired a private investigator to try and piece together the details.
“There’s a lot of questions and I wish I had the answers,” said Julie Gallegos, a friend of Mann’s. “It’s just heartbreaking because he was such a giving person that he deserved so much better than this.”
On Facebook, his family and friends thanked those who helped look for Mann:
“Beau was a beautiful soul who spent the better part of his life helping others. We miss his infectious smile and positive attitude every day. We know his spirit will live on through his company and passion, Sober Grid, as it continues to help those struggling with the grip of addiction.”
Anyone with any information on Mann’s death is asked to contact the Santa Monica Police Department at 310-395-9931.
