California woman calls 911, reports husband experiencing ‘bad trip.’ Next day, they both are found dead

When Kristen Kelly Ruskey reported that her husband, John Anthony Ruskey III, from Goleta, California, in Santa Barbara County, may have been drugged without knowing it and was experiencing a severe reaction, it set off an urgent but ultimately misleading chain of events.

But toxicology results have now revealed a far different and more tragic reality: both Kristen and her husband died from carbon monoxide poisoning, with ethanol as a contributing factor, dispelling early fears that drugs directly caused their deaths, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office.

The fateful birthday party

According to coroner and sheriff’s reports, the Ruskeys had attended a birthday gathering the night of Feb. 8, 2026, with dozens of guests. They were last seen around 2 a.m. before heading to a bedroom in the home. Roughly two and a half hours later, Kristen called 911, initially reporting that her husband might be having a seizure. When first responders arrived, she told them he appeared to be experiencing a “bad trip,” possibly after consuming a chocolate product believed to contain psilocybin mushrooms.

Paramedics advised that John be transported to a hospital for evaluation. However, he declined medical treatment, and the couple remained at the home.

The Ruskey’s were unresponsive the next morning

Hours later, at about 9:30 a.m., both were discovered unresponsive—Kristen in a nearby laundry area and John in the bedroom. Despite CPR efforts by others at the house and subsequent emergency response, both were pronounced dead at the scene.

Early accounts raised questions about whether drugs played a central role. But investigators ultimately found no evidence of trauma, and toxicology testing did not indicate that drug use caused the deaths. Instead, both had dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in their blood. Authorities later determined that a carbon monoxide detector in the residence had been disconnected or was not functioning.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office ruled the deaths accidental and said there was no indication of foul play.

Who were the Ruskeys?

The Ruskeys were well known in the Goleta and broader Central Coast community as agricultural innovators. John founded Good Land Organics in the 1990s and later launched a California-grown coffee venture, FRINJ, that helped pioneer commercial coffee cultivation in the state. The couple’s work earned recognition for specialty crop expansion and mentoring other farmers.

They were also parents of three children, and their deaths prompted an outpouring of grief from friends, colleagues, and community members. A fundraising campaign created in their memory has raised significant support, reflecting their impact both personally and professionally.

Family statements released through the media described the couple as devoted parents and generous community members whose legacy continues through their children and the agricultural projects they helped build. In the aftermath, officials and family members have emphasized the importance of functioning carbon monoxide detectors, highlighting how the initial confusion over a possible drug-related medical emergency obscured the far more dangerous and ultimately fatal hazard.