FILE: The Pacific Ocean coastline at Cambria, Calif. The deaths of John and Kristen Ruskey, owners of Good Land Organics, have been ruled an accident, according to the autopsy reports.
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New details surrounding the sudden deaths of a Santa Barbara County couple are raising questions regarding the circumstances of their deaths, including that the couple were using magic mushrooms and declined medical care hours before they were found dead at a seaside mansion.
John “Jay” Ruskey, 53, and Kristen Ruskey, 49, were found unresponsive inside a Cambria residence on Feb. 8 and were pronounced dead at the scene, following lifesaving measures by medical personnel, according to coroner’s reports. A San Luis Obispo County sheriff coroner determined their deaths accidental and caused by the toxic effects of carbon monoxide, and the sheriff’s office does not believe drug use contributed to the deaths.
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The Ruskeys are survived by three teenage children and were a notable farming family on the Central Coast. They had founded a groundbreaking coffee business that earned international praise for their California-grown coffee. John first established Good Land Organics in Goleta in 1992, where he grew exotic fruits like caviar lime, cherimoyas and dragon fruit in the Santa Ynez Mountains, just north of Santa Barbara. But his experiments in the early 2000s growing coffee trees alongside Hass avocados proved successful, and John later launched his California brand Frinj in 2017. His company later planted more than 100,000 coffee trees across Southern California and earned top industry awards along the way.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office said on Feb. 12 that the couple’s deaths did not appear suspicious, without offering more details. A month later, the office said the couple had died from carbon monoxide poisoning at a home on the affluent 8100 block of Lone Palm Drive in Cambria. A carbon monoxide detector found in their room was disconnected, the sheriff’s office said, but the office did not offer any more information.
Coroner’s reports obtained by SFGATE in a records request offer far more details about the events and decisions leading up to the couple’s deaths. On Feb. 7, the night before their deaths, the Ruskeys attended a birthday party in Cambria with about 50 to 60 guests, according to the reports. The couple were last seen by guests at the Cambria residence at around 2 a.m. on Feb. 8, according to guests who spoke with investigators. At around 4:30 a.m., Kristen called 911, saying she believed John was having a seizure. When emergency responders arrived, Kristen said that John was having a “bad trip” after consuming a chocolate bar with “shrooms,” apparently referencing psilocybin mushrooms. Medics recommended that John be transported for further medical attention, but he declined all medical treatment, according to the coroner’s reports.
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“Based on the totality of the circumstances and the decedent’s observed behavior, medics advised the decedent to be transported to a hospital for further evaluation and a higher level of care,” the autopsy report for John said.
Psilocybin mushrooms can cause intense hallucinations, as well as nausea, anxiety and dizziness, although it is extremely rare for psilocybin to cause a fatal overdose by itself.
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At the time of the 911 call, Kristen did not appear to have similar symptoms. But later that morning, guests found Kristen unresponsive on the floor in the laundry room, adjacent to the bedroom where the Ruskeys slept. John was also found unresponsive inside the bedroom.
The couple received CPR from unidentified guests inside the home until emergency personnel arrived. The Ruskeys were later declared dead at the scene. Toxicology reports found that both John and Kristen had dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in their blood. Kristen also had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.04, and her death was determined to be caused by both carbon monoxide and ethanol. The toxicology reports did not test for psilocybin, and the coroner did not find any other other injuries on the couple.
The homeowner later contacted police on Feb. 13 and said they were concerned about carbon monoxide problems at the residence, according to the reports. A detective responded and confirmed the carbon monoxide detector was not operational. The sheriff’s office did not investigate the source of the carbon monoxide, according to San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Tony Cipolla.
“We did not conduct an investigation into the carbon monoxide leak, as there were no indications of foul play or anything criminal in nature,” Cipolla said in an email.
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Cipolla also said that the sheriff’s office does not believe the alleged drug use contributed to the couple’s deaths. The sheriff’s office redacted the location of the deaths, citing a state privacy law.
Jose Caballero, who launched a GoFundMe page on behalf of the family, told SFGATE last week in a text message that the family “respectfully ask[s] for privacy as we navigate this unimaginable grief and celebrate the lives of two people who made the world a brighter, more flavorful place.”
“While this news brings a somber clarity, we choose to focus on the incredible light they brought to the world. Their legacy lives on through the trees they planted, the farmers they mentored, and the children who carry their spirit forward,” the statement said. “Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors save lives. For the sake of your loved ones, please have detectors installed in your home and check them regularly.”
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The GoFundMe page has a goal of $200,000 and has raised more than $191,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.