The Santa Monica Police Department has found the body of Beau Mann, more than a year after he was reported missing in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles County Coroner took possession of Mann’s remains last week and is currently working to determine the cause of death but the Coroner positively identified the remains as those of Mann who was last seen in November of 2021 in the city of Los Angeles.
Mann, 38, had recently returned from a family trip to his native Massachusetts when he went for what appeared to be a routine trip to the store. He was last seen at a 7-Eleven where he sent a text to the 911 service saying he was in an Uber vehicle. At the time, he didn’t elaborate on why he needed to contact 911 and LAPD has said he didn’t respond to their follow-up requests.
Uber reported that he was dropped off on Berkeley Street and his trail went cold at that point.
LAPD issues a missing person alert in December of 2021 but it was SMPD who issued a statement this week.
“On April 25th, 2023, the Santa Monica Police Department received information that human remains were found in the courtyard of an abandoned property in the 2900 block of Santa Monica Boulevard,” said the release.
Mann's body was found just a few blocks from where his Uber driver reported dropping him off. It was located in an overgrown courtyard of an abandoned apartment building surrounded by high fences and debris. The area has few neighbors capable of seeing into the location and most of the businesses on the block are empty pending demolition and redevelopment of the area.
Mann was the founder of Sober Grid, a social media-style app that helps individuals in recovery with support and services. Mann struggled with substance abuse himself but the cause of his disappearance and death are still the subject of ongoing investigation.
“Our Sober Grid family mourns this loss and all are praying for his return,” said a statement on the Company website. “Beau built an amazing company and led a phenomenal team of talented individuals. The Sober Grid team continues to work diligently to protect his legacy and continue our Mission.”
While the case was first reported to the Los Angeles Police Department, it has been transferred to Santa Monica due to the discovery of the body. SMPD is working to acquire all the investigative files from LAPD and has assigned a detective to the case as of this week.
Anyone with any information pertaining to this incident or person(s) involved is strongly encouraged to contact SMPD Detective Ismael Tavera at 310-458-2256, Ismael.tavera@santamonica.gov, or the Watch Commander (24 hours) at 310-458-8427.
editor@smdp.com
