The drama involved a Wall Street scam, $70,000 in jewelry, a Playboy cover model and two motorcycle buddies whose bullet-riddled bodies were found in a burning SUV almost a decade ago.
It sounds like the makings of movie, but it's an unsolved double-homicide in Studio City that Los Angeles Councilmember will try to reinvigorate by introducing a $75,000 reward for information that leads to solving the cold case. Krekorian plans to introduce a motion asking for the money from the City of Los Angeles on Friday.
"It has a lot of wild and salacious details around it, and Councilmember Krekorian hopes that providing the money will jog some memories," said Jeremy Oberstein, the communications director for the District 2 council seat.
On Sept. 2, 2002, Garden of Eden nightclub doorman Michael Tardio, 35, of Los Angeles, and his friend Christopher Monson, 31, of Culver City, were found dead in a burning car in the 11600 block of Woodbridge Street in Studio City.
North Hollywood police Detective Dennis English, now in charge of the cold case, said the pair were trying to sell $70,000 worth of jewelry for Tardio's girlfriend, model Sandy Bentley.
Bentley has appeared on Charlie Sheen's Two and a Half Men as the "Sexy Girl" and on Sex and the City.
The two men reportedly were found in a Mercedes SUV, which was still on fire when police arrived. The men were shot before the fire was set, police said. The men were alleged to have been involved in a $40-million Ponzi scheme at the time of their deaths.
Krekorian is expected to make the request at 10 a.m. Friday morning, according to his staff.
