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THE heartbroken fiancé of a missing tech CEO has slammed theories that his partner died from suicide after the businessman’s skeletal remains were discovered in an abandoned building.
Beau Mann, 39, got into an Uber and texted 911 during a 30-minute ride to Santa Monica, California, before he vanished.
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The Sober Grid founder was never seen or heard from again after November 30, 2021, leading his devastated fiancé Jason Abate to believe that he died that day or soon after.
Mann left his Los Angeles office at around 2pm and went to a nearby convenience store.
He then called an Uber and took a ride to a neighborhood in Santa Monica, which Abate saw on an account that the two shared.
While in the car, he texted 911, but police said they failed to get in touch with him after Mann sent a “gibberish” message and then stopped responding.
Around 18 months later, the CEO’s remains were discovered by a homeless man just 1,000 feet from where he was dropped off, his fiancé said.
Abate, who championed a Facebook group to help find his partner, fears that Mann was murdered and told The U.S. Sun the husband-to-be that he knew would never go to that abandoned building.
“Now that we know he is deceased, and we know that he is a skeleton, I believe that Beau was killed,” Abate said in an exclusive conversation.
“I don’t believe it was self-inflicted.
“I just don’t know how Beau would get back to an area like that. Beau was a scaredy-cat.
“While he would help anybody, I know he would not wind up in a situation, in a place [like where] he was found at his own doing.”
Mann struggled with addiction but was in recovery. His journey inspired him to create a product that provided those choosing sobriety with resources.
Abate said that even if his fiancé did relapse, the drugs that he used to do were difficult to overdose on unless they were laced.
“And he always ended up seeking treatment, at least 30 days of treatment,” Abate told The U.S. Sun.
“So I don’t believe that he was just, you know, ODing. I think a lot of people would like to compartmentalize that and say, ‘Oh, he was just on drugs’ and I’m not so sure I believe that.”
The Santa Monica Police Department has taken over the case and told The U.S. Sun that they are looking into all possibilities during these early stages of the investigation.
“SMPD detectives are in the process of combing through all the evidence collected as of today and exploring every possibility, as we always do,” SMPD’s Erika Aklufi said.
“We owe it to victims and their families and friends to make sure that our work is done correctly and completely.”
FINAL MOMENTS
Mann had a now heart-wrenching conversation with Abate the day before he got in the Uber.
“He told me he loved me and that he wanted to adopt children with me,” Abate said.
“So none of it made sense. I’m just glad that we were able to at least text ‘I love you’ to each other each night.”
The two were in a long-distance relationship while Abate was still living in Michigan.
The heartbroken fiancé opened up about Mann’s mental health leading up to his disappearance and admitted that he could have relapsed.
“He wasn’t doing well if you want the truth,” Abate told The U.S. Sun.
Mann had just returned from a trip to Texas to see his family for Thanksgiving. Abate couldn’t attend as he was staying home in Michigan with his dying mother.
The CEO said that he and his family had a great time together, but Abate was still concerned about the combined stress of work and family.
INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED
Abate remembers his partner as someone who always put others first and saved “countless” lives with his product.
“I mean, this is an app that is all over the world and has helped people, and I don’t know if we’ll ever know how many people have been helped,” Abate said.
Officials are planning to speak with the Uber driver to get more information on Beau’s final moments in public.
“We’re looking at pretty much any option at this point to make sure it’s thorough,” Aklufi said after the discovery.
Sober Grid was launched in 2015 and helped over 350,000 users with their addiction struggles.
“We hope you will take a moment to think about Beau today,” the company said in a statement after the discovery.
“His bright smile and endless energy and compassion will be missed.
“While he is no longer with us, we know Beau’s spirit will live on in Sober Grid’s mission to help those in need.”
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