News Wire

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help locating a man who it believes is a possible witness in the unsolved murder of Oceano resident Larry Bross.

Investigators are searching for “a male subject who was observed visiting Bross” two days before the 90-year-old’s body was found in his Oceano home on the 1400 block of Strand Way on Jan. 24, 2019.

“It is believed this person may be a friend or acquaintance of Bross,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a Jan. 12 press release, put out nearly two years after his death.

A local activist and retired teacher, Bross died after being beaten and stabbed to death with a sharp object, according to authorities. A neighbor concerned about his whereabouts found him deceased in his home. After two years, no arrests have been made in the case.

According to our previous reporting, Bross was a vocal and longtime proponent of limiting recreational vehicle activity at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, which butted up against the backyard of his home.

Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Tony Cipolla said in an email that the department is not releasing additional information about the case at this time “so as to not jeopardize the investigation.”

Anyone with knowledge of the person of interest can contact the Sheriff’s Detective Division at (805) 781-4500.

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction. ∆