Topline: Los Angeles County officials renewed a $15,000 reward in the unsolved stabbing death of Damon Eugene Bluthenthal, who was reported missing before his body was found in Compton.
Published: July 2, 2026 1:50 pm ET
Shawn Fletcher
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Damon Eugene Bluthenthal (via Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department)
COMPTON, CA — Los Angeles County officials have renewed a $15,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever killed Damon Eugene Bluthenthal, a 50-year-old San Pedro man who was reported missing before his body was discovered in Compton.
According to KTLA, Bluthenthal was reported missing from his apartment on Christmas Eve 2024, and his body was found five days later.
A Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors motion and follow-up reporting said deputies were dispatched at about 11:40 a.m. on Dec. 29, 2024, to a parking lot at 1920 South Acacia Avenue in Compton on a report of a stabbing and a man not breathing.
When deputies arrived, they found Bluthenthal wrapped in blankets with a black trash bag over his head and his hands bound with duct tape. Compton Fire paramedics pronounced him dead at 12:05 p.m.
Officials said Bluthenthal had suffered multiple stab wounds and investigators believe he was stabbed at an unknown location before his body was left in Compton.
The reward was approved through Los Angeles County supervisors as detectives renewed their public appeal for information in the unsolved homicide. Reporting on the case identified detectives Gail Durham and Frank Alvarado, along with Crime Stoppers, as contacts for tips.
The case remains unsolved more than a year after Bluthenthal vanished, and authorities are hoping the renewed reward will bring in new information about who killed him and where the fatal attack actually happened.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Missing Man Found Bound, Wrapped in Blankets and Stabbed to Death as Police Renew Reward
Los Angeles County officials renewed a $15,000 reward in the unsolved stabbing death of Damon Eugene Bluthenthal, who was reported missing before his body was found in Compton.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: July 2, 2026 1:50 pm ET
Damon Eugene Bluthenthal (via Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department)
COMPTON, CA — Los Angeles County officials have renewed a $15,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever killed Damon Eugene Bluthenthal, a 50-year-old San Pedro man who was reported missing before his body was discovered in Compton.
According to KTLA, Bluthenthal was reported missing from his apartment on Christmas Eve 2024, and his body was found five days later.
A Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors motion and follow-up reporting said deputies were dispatched at about 11:40 a.m. on Dec. 29, 2024, to a parking lot at 1920 South Acacia Avenue in Compton on a report of a stabbing and a man not breathing.
When deputies arrived, they found Bluthenthal wrapped in blankets with a black trash bag over his head and his hands bound with duct tape. Compton Fire paramedics pronounced him dead at 12:05 p.m.
Officials said Bluthenthal had suffered multiple stab wounds and investigators believe he was stabbed at an unknown location before his body was left in Compton.
The reward was approved through Los Angeles County supervisors as detectives renewed their public appeal for information in the unsolved homicide. Reporting on the case identified detectives Gail Durham and Frank Alvarado, along with Crime Stoppers, as contacts for tips.
The case remains unsolved more than a year after Bluthenthal vanished, and authorities are hoping the renewed reward will bring in new information about who killed him and where the fatal attack actually happened.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Missing Man Found Bound, Wrapped in Blankets and Stabbed to Death as Police Renew Reward
Los Angeles County officials renewed a $15,000 reward in the unsolved stabbing death of Damon Eugene Bluthenthal, who was reported missing before his body was found in Compton.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: July 2, 2026 1:50 pm ET
Damon Eugene Bluthenthal (via Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department)
COMPTON, CA — Los Angeles County officials have renewed a $15,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever killed Damon Eugene Bluthenthal, a 50-year-old San Pedro man who was reported missing before his body was discovered in Compton.
According to KTLA, Bluthenthal was reported missing from his apartment on Christmas Eve 2024, and his body was found five days later.
A Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors motion and follow-up reporting said deputies were dispatched at about 11:40 a.m. on Dec. 29, 2024, to a parking lot at 1920 South Acacia Avenue in Compton on a report of a stabbing and a man not breathing.
When deputies arrived, they found Bluthenthal wrapped in blankets with a black trash bag over his head and his hands bound with duct tape. Compton Fire paramedics pronounced him dead at 12:05 p.m.
Officials said Bluthenthal had suffered multiple stab wounds and investigators believe he was stabbed at an unknown location before his body was left in Compton.
The reward was approved through Los Angeles County supervisors as detectives renewed their public appeal for information in the unsolved homicide. Reporting on the case identified detectives Gail Durham and Frank Alvarado, along with Crime Stoppers, as contacts for tips.
The case remains unsolved more than a year after Bluthenthal vanished, and authorities are hoping the renewed reward will bring in new information about who killed him and where the fatal attack actually happened.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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