The Playboy Murders: Who were Michael Tardio and Chris Monson?

Michael Tardio, along with his best friend Chris Monson were shot to death in their Mercedes SUV on September 2, 2002. Tardio had grown up in New York while Monson had spent his childhood in Provo till both moved to Los Angeles to make something out of their lives.

However, in a stint to sell Tardio's then-girlfriend, Sandy Bentley's prized jewels - reportedly gifted to her by Mark Yagalla - for fast cash, the two friends were shot to death and left behind in Studio City. The double homicide remains unsolved to this day.

The Playboy Murders episode, titled Double Trouble, aired on January 22, 2024, at 10 pm on Investigation Discovery. The synopsis for the episode read:

"In the late '90s, Playboy twins Sandy and Mandy Bentley's fame soars until an affair with a Vegas High Roller leads to a fall from fame, stolen jewels, a shadowy buyer and a brutal double murder in the Hollywood hills."

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Who were Michael Tardio and Chris Monson? Details explored

Michael Ames Tardio was born on November 17, 1966, in Port Chester, New York. He grew up with six siblings and completed his primary education at Harvey School in Katonah, and the Avon Old Farms Academy in Avon, Connecticut, after which he studied at the Harrison High School in Harrison, New York.

He went on to study at the Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, following which he worked at Neil Tardio Productions in the city. Michael Tardio wanted to pursue a career in the entertainment industry which took him to Los Angeles, where he started working as a part-time model and a doorman at the Garden of Eden.

Tardio went on to date Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's ex-girlfriend and Playmate Sandy Bentley. However, he was formerly married to Kelsey Oldershaw Tardio with whom he shared two children - Lucas Shaw and Riley Gristina.

Christopher Stuart Monson was Michael Tardio's best friend at the time of their double murder. Monson was born on August 23, 1971, to parents Chris Monson and Irene Monson in Provo, Utah. He grew up with four siblings - Kimberly, Amy, Adam, and Drew.

Chris Monson finished his education at Sabino High School in 1989, after which he went on to study at the University of Arizona to get a bachelor’s degree in the subject of political science and communications in 1995. Following his graduation from college, he shifted to Los Angeles where he began a storage facility business in partnership with his father Chris Monson.

Following the murders of Tardio and Monson, Los Angeles homicide Detective Bill Cox told CBS News:

"You know, [Michael Tardio was] just a clean-cut looking guy. He was well liked... Maybe he just hadn't found his way, yet. Chris Monson comes from a pretty tight-knit family. They had some storage facilities that they owned."

Both Tardio and Monson came from well-to-do families and had no prior prison records.

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The Mercedes SUV where the bodies of Michael Tardio (35) and his friend, Chris Monson (31) were found was also discovered burnt and riddled with bullets. At the time, the Los Angeles Police Department had announced a $75,000 reward for any information in the double homicide. However, the case remains unsolved to date.