Emily Beutner, the daughter of former Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner, died from the effects of a combination of drugs, including the two primary compounds in kratom, according to the LA County Medical Examiner. 

The Medical Examiner’s office said the Los Angeles County Fire Department located Emily Beutner, 22, in a field near the intersection of Sierra Highway and Technology Drive in Palmdale, appearing to be suffering from medical distress. 

Paramedics took her to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to investigators. The Medical Examiner deemed her death a suicide from the effects of mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, quetiapine, and mirtazapine.

Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are the active compounds in the opioid named kratom, according to the Food and Drug Administration. In July 2025, the FDA  described hydroxymitragynine, known as 7-OH, as a “dangerous, illegal” opioid in advisories to local public health departments and warning letters issued to companies accused of illegally marketing the compound. It recommended the compound for scheduling under the Controlled Substances Act. 

“Kratom and 7-OH products are sold as natural remedies, but they are illegal and unsafe,” Dr. Muntu Davis, LA County Health Officer, said last year. “At lower doses, 7-OH acts like a stimulant and at higher doses, it acts like an opioid. Mixing or using it with alcohol, prescription drugs, or illicit substances can significantly slow breathing and lead to death.”

Last year, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health urged stores to stop selling kratom after officials linked several overdoses to the compound. Typically found at gas stations and smoke shops, kratom and its synthetic version, known as 7-Hydroxymitragynine or 7-OH, have been marketed as an over-the-counter aid for pain, anxiety and drug dependence.

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors took a similar step last year, approving a set of regulations to deter the sale and marketing of kratom.

The National Institutes of Health described quetiapine as an FDA-approved antipsychotic drug used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder. Mirtazapine is an antidepressant, according to NIH. 

Following his daughter’s death, Austin Beutner announced that he would back out of the race for LA mayor. 

“My family has experienced the unimaginable loss of our beloved daughter Emily. She was a magical person, the light of our lives. We are still in mourning,” he wrote in a statement in February.  

He announced his bid for mayor in October, with a campaign rooted in addressing homelessness, public safety, rising housing costs, as well as job and opportunity loss.