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Bruce Blackwood Missing Person Case

Last seen in Queens, New York on Mar 04, 2006

Victim Details

Created

Jan 27, 2026

Case Added

Jan 27, 2026

Firstname

Bruce

Lastname

Blackwood

Current Age

Age At Disappearance

Height

6'3 inches

Weight

200 lbs

Ethnicity

Black

Gender

Male

CaseIsResolved

In the spring of 2006, a 55-year-old man named Bruce Blackwood disappeared from his life in Queens, New York. On March 4th, he was last seen near 194th Street. That morning, he had uncharacteristically called in sick to his job as a restaurant supervisor, just minutes before his shift was due to start. Later that same day, his Cadillac SRX was found parked in front of a building he owned in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. From that point on, Bruce Blackwood was never heard from again. His family and friends were immediately concerned, as it was not in his nature to simply vanish without a word. The initial stages of the investigation into his disappearance would soon point towards a grim and unsettling reality. As detectives began to piece together the events leading up to Blackwood's disappearance, their attention turned to a handyman named Luis Perez. Blackwood had employed Perez to carry out remodeling work on one of his apartment buildings. In the days before he went missing, a heated argument over money had erupted between the two men, an altercation so loud that neighbors were compelled to call the police. Further investigation revealed that Perez had been forging and cashing checks from Blackwood's account. When questioned, Perez claimed that Blackwood had given him the keys to his Cadillac before getting into a car with an unknown man named "Mike." This story was met with skepticism by both law enforcement and Blackwood's family, who knew Perez did not have a driver's license. The investigation was further complicated by a lack of physical evidence; there was no sign of a struggle and no body to be found. For years, the case remained a painful mystery for Blackwood's loved ones. Although Luis Perez was convicted for the check forgeries and served time in prison, the full truth of what happened to Bruce Blackwood remained hidden. A breakthrough finally came when a cold case detective took a fresh look at the circumstances. The most damning evidence emerged from an unlikely source: Perez's own daughter. In recorded conversations, Perez confessed to her in gruesome detail how he had killed Blackwood in a residence on Hancock Street, breaking his neck before dismembering his body. He then disposed of the remains in various locations with the help of unsuspecting individuals. In 2011, Luis Perez was charged with the murder of Bruce Blackwood. He was subsequently convicted in September 2015 and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. The case of Bruce Blackwood's disappearance is a tragic story that began with a dispute over money and ended in a calculated and brutal murder, with the perpetrator's own words ultimately leading to a measure of justice for a man who was tragically taken.

Last Seen

Mar 04, 2006

City

Queens

State

New York

Zip Code

Queens

Agency Name

New York Police Departmen

Agency Phone

212-473-2042

Last Updated

10/02/2026

Case Description

Any updates on this case? Let us know!

Bruce Blackwood, a 55-year-old restaurant supervisor and landlord, was last seen in Queens, New York, on March 4, 2006. On that day, he uncharacteristically called in sick to his job at O'Neill's Restaurant in Maspeth, claiming he had slipped in the bathtub and injured his head. This was the last time anyone heard from him. His Cadillac SRX was later found parked in front of a building he owned in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn.

The investigation into Blackwood's disappearance initially went cold but focused on a handyman he had recently hired, Luis Perez. Blackwood had employed Perez to renovate one of his Brooklyn properties and allowed him to live in the building during the work. Prior to his disappearance, Blackwood had discovered that Perez had stolen his checkbook and cashed checks amounting to $7,700. A few days before he went missing, Blackwood and Perez had a loud argument over money that prompted neighbors to call the police. When questioned, Perez claimed that on the day of the disappearance, Blackwood had given him the keys to his Cadillac and left in a black car with a man named "Mike." Blackwood's family found this story unbelievable, especially since Perez did not have a driver's license.

Three and a half months after Blackwood vanished, authorities charged Perez with cashing the stolen checks, for which he was eventually convicted and served 25 months in prison. The case remained a missing person investigation for years until Perez's own daughter, Irene, came forward with information. In secretly recorded conversations with his daughter, Perez confessed to killing Blackwood to avoid going back to prison for the check fraud. He admitted to choking Blackwood to death inside a residence on Hancock Street, then dismembering his body with a saw and a machete. Perez boasted about how he cleaned the crime scene with hospital-grade bleach and disposed of the body parts in construction-grade plastic bags, which he paid homeless people to scatter in different locations to be picked up by sanitation.

In 2011, based on this new evidence, Luis Perez was charged with the murder of Bruce Blackwood. Despite the absence of a body, Perez was convicted of second-degree murder in September 2015, largely due to his own words captured on the audio recordings. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. As of 2024, Perez remains incarcerated at the Attica Correctional Facility and will be eligible for parole in March 2039. Foul play was suspected from early on in the investigation due to the unusual circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
Last Seen: Mar 04, 2006