Eighteen months ago a 39-year-old tech founder — described by friends as a “beautiful soul” — took an Uber ride in Santa Monica and was never seen alive again.
Beau Mann’s remains, identified by his dental records according to a statement from his family shared on Facebook, were recently found around a mile from where the car dropped him off that day, the Santa Monica Police Department announced Monday. “Human remains were found in the courtyard of an abandoned property in the 2900 block of Santa Monica Boulevard,” the SMPD statement identifying Mann said.
Mann co-founded health app Sober Grid in 2015 as an online space to help those suffering from addiction. The recovery app received funding from both the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, according to the company.
“We have learned from Santa Monica, California police that the remains of our beloved founder Beau Mann have been discovered,” the company wrote Monday. Sober Grid’s statement also added some details surrounding Mann’s disappearance.
“Beau went missing on a sunny Sunday afternoon, November 30, 2021, after getting in an Uber outside of a 7/11, not far from Sober Grid’s Los Angeles office,” the post said, adding that Mann “texted 911 while inside the Uber,” before being dropped off in Santa Monica. It’s not clear what the 911 text said, but the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to NBC’s “Dateline” last year that it was sent. “Several attempts were made to contact [him] via that correspondence,” LAPD officer Jill Calhoun told the show, adding that Mann never responded. (SFGATE reached out to SMPD for further details but had not heard back at time of publication.)
The cause of death has not yet been determined by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner, police said.
According to his fiance Jason Abate, Mann was born in Texas and moved to California around 2019. In his youth, Mann reportedly suffered from substance abuse issues and wanted to create a means for people to help each other and stay sober, Abate told NBC’s “Dateline” last year.
“Beau, how can you be gone, how do all of these memories exist so vividly and you’re gone?” Abate wrote on Facebook Monday. “… I still have your toothbrush where you left it and every single room in this house has your beautiful spirit attached to it.”
“Beau was a beautiful soul who spent the better part of his life helping others,” the statement from his family said. “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 relating to Mann’s death is encouraged to contact SMPD Detective Ismael Tavera at 310-458-2256.
