Body of Missing Laguna Beach Man Found in Ventura

The body of a Laguna Beach man who had been reported missing two years ago has been found in a storage unit in Ventura.

The cause of Jeffrey Korber’s death has been ruled a homicide. One suspect has been arrested in the case, and the possible involvement of another is still under investigation.

Here is the press release issued today by the Ventura Police Department: 

During the month of June 2013, Ventura Police Department detectives developed information that there was a homicide victim located within the City of Ventura.  After an investigation, detectives were able to identify a probable location of the body and they executed a search warrant at a public storage facility in Ventura.  During the search, detectives located the victim’s body within a working freezer inside of a storage unit at Ventura Mini Storage, 3695 Market Street.   The Ventura County Coroner’s Office and Ventura County Sheriff’s Crime Lab was contacted to assist VPD investigators with the crime scene investigation.

The Coroner’s Office, working in conjunction with VPD detectives, was able to identify the body as Jeffrey Korber and the cause of death was ruled to be homicide.  Ventura Police Detectives learned that family members in Laguna Beach had reported Korber as a missing person in July of 2011 because Korber, despite being a frequent traveler, was known to keep in contact with his family and they had not heard from him for a few months.  Although there were no signs of foul play at that time, the Laguna Beach Police Department conducted an extensive missing person investigation.  That investigation was concluded in early 2012 after Laguna Beach investigators were unable to substantiate if any crime had taken place. 

During the past couple of months the homicide investigation has revealed that Korber was living with Mary “Francesca” Hannan in Ventura and that the two had a dating relationship.  VPD investigators have since served search warrants at Hannan’s residence and believe that Hannan’s son, Michael Bresnak, killed Korber in early 2011 at Hannan’s residence and, with the assistance of Hannan, they had been storing the victim’s body in a freezer at the public storage facility.

Bresnak is currently in custody at the Ventura County Jail on a violation of his Post Release Community Supervision.  Hannan has yet to be arrested or charged in this case.  VPD detectives are continuing to investigate the case and are asking anyone with information about the crime or the persons involved to contact the Ventura Police Department Major Crimes Division at 339-4441.