The family and friends of a tech CEO in the Los Angeles area who died under mysterious circumstances are demanding answers, arguing there was likely foul play involved.
“There’s a lot of questions and I wish I had the answers,” Julie Gallegos, a friend of tech CEO Beau Mann, said at a vigil held for him Saturday, according to a report from KTLA. “It’s just heartbreaking because he was such a giving person that he deserved so much better than this.”
The comments come as those close to Mann, the founder of an app designed to help recovering addicts called SoberGrid, search for clarity on what led to his death.
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The body of 39-year-old Mann was found in the courtyard of an abandoned property in Santa Monica earlier this month, almost a year and a half since the last time family and friends heard from him.
Mann was last seen on Nov. 30, 2021, at a 7-Eleven, where an Uber picked him up, seemingly for a ride home.
While Mann had been in contact with his family two days before his disappearance, he reportedly attempted to text 911 at some point after being picked up by the Uber.
“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,” Mann’s fiance, Jason Abate, told KTLA. “So he went to 7-Eleven and he bought a bunch of stuff for him 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.”
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Abate said every indication was that Mann was intending to go home, making the change in directions inexplicable.
“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,” Abate said.
Mann’s cause of death has yet to be released, while the family has hired a private investigator to try to piece together what happened.
In a statement released on social media, the family and friends thanked all of those who have been supportive.
“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,” the statement said. “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.”
Santa Monica Police have asked anyone for information on the case to call 310-395-9931.