Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials are ramping up their hunt for answers in the unsolved stabbing of a 50-year-old San Pedro man, rolling out a $15,000 reward and a 10 a.m. news conference at the department’s Homicide Bureau in Monterey Park.
The victim, identified as Damon Eugene Bluthenthal, had been reported missing from his San Pedro home days before his body was found in a Compton parking lot. Family members are expected to join detectives at the briefing, where investigators plan to display evidence and play a recorded message from relatives in a renewed push for tips.
Board OKs $15,000 Reward And Sets The Clock
According to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors agenda, Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell filed a motion to establish the $15,000 reward as part of the board’s May 5 docket. A legal notice in the Daily Journal spells out the terms, including that information leading to an arrest must be provided by Aug. 2, 2026, and that written claims for payment must be received by Oct. 1, 2026.
Detectives Turn Up Heat, Plead For Witnesses
Sheriff’s homicide detectives say they are banking on renewed public attention to shake loose fresh leads, with the department scheduling the 10 a.m. Monterey Park briefing to deliver an update and show key evidence. MyNewsLA reported that deputies responded on Dec. 29, 2024, to a parking lot at 1920 S. Acacia Ave. in Compton, where Bluthenthal was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead by Compton Fire Department paramedics.
Investigators say he had been reported missing from his San Pedro home on Dec. 24 and are urging anyone with information to contact the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
Cash Rewards And Cameras: A Familiar Playbook
County supervisors and the sheriff’s department regularly pair financial rewards with press conferences to breathe life into cold or stalled investigations, combining public evidence displays with direct appeals for witnesses. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s press-conference archive shows officials have repeatedly leaned on this approach, using reward offers and high-profile briefings to surface new leads.
The county’s legal notice lists Detectives Gail Durham and Frank Alvarado as contacts and assigns the case Report No. 024-15352-2837-011, while also outlining how a tipster can later file a written claim for payment. For immediate tips, the posting directs the public to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
