On the night of September 1, 2002, 35-year-old Michael Tardio and 31-year-old Christopher Monson drove to a restaurant on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, preparing to finalize a deal that could change their lives. They were meeting a man known only as Mr. Big to sell $1 million worth of jewelry, which had once belonged to Michael’s girlfriend, Playboy Bunny Sandy Bentley.

Hours later, a Mercedes SUV was found engulfed in flames in an upscale Studio City neighborhood. Inside, Michael and Chris were both dead—each shot multiple times in the chest. The jewelry was gone, and the fire had erased all forensic evidence.

Despite years of investigation, the case remains unsolved, leaving investigators asking: Who was Mr. Big? And what really happened the night Michael and Chris were killed?

35-year-old Michael Tardio and 31-year-old Christopher Monson were last seen on the night of September 1, 2002, driving to a restaurant on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. They were in a Mercedes SUV, heading to meet a man known only as Mr. Big to sell $1 million worth of stolen jewelry. Hours later, the SUV was found on fire in Studio City. Inside, Michael and Chris were both shot multiple times, and the jewelry was gone.

Investigators later learned that Michael Jacobs, a convicted felon who had introduced Michael Tardio to Mr. Big, had been in contact with them multiple times that night—and cell phone records placed him near both the meeting location and the crime scene.
If you have any information about this case, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Editor: Shannon Keirce
Research/Writing: Haley Gray

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79: MURDER: Michael Tardio & Christopher Monson