Frinj Coffee Founders Jay and Kristen Ruskey Died From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Jay and Kristen Ruskey, the Goleta farming couple who built California's first specialty coffee movement from the ground up, died of carbon monoxide poisoning after being found in their sleep at a friend's home in Cambria on the morning of February 8. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department confirmed the cause on March 15, roughly a month after the couple were discovered, following toxicology results that revealed they had succumbed to the odorless, colorless gas. Jay was 53; Kristen was 49.

A detail from the sheriff's press release sharpened the tragedy: a combination carbon monoxide and smoke detector was found in their room, but it was disconnected. Investigators have not identified the source of the gas, and no foul play is suspected. Tony Cipolla, public information officer for the Sheriff's Department, had said in the days after the discovery that "at this time, the deaths do not appear to be suspicious." A full coroner's report was expected after the department delivered toxicology results to the family.

The loss hit the specialty coffee world with particular force because of what the Ruskeys had built. Jay established Good Land Organics in 1992, growing exotic fruit at a farm in Goleta before pivoting to coffee after receiving 40 coffee plants from Dr. Mark Gaskell, a small berry crop expert with the UC Cooperative Extension Service, around 2002. "I have always been passionate about crop adaptation," Jay told the Los Angeles Times in 2024. "Dr. Mark Gaskell gave me 40 coffee plants and encouraged me to try planting them side by side with other plants." That trial became a movement. He and Kristen launched Frinj Coffee in 2017, and Jay became recognized as the first farmer to sell locally grown coffee in California. Together, they helped develop more than 65 coffee farms stretching from Santa Barbara to north of San Diego, growing 14 varieties across the region.

Frinj was riding its highest point yet when the Ruskeys died. The company had just completed its best harvest ever in 2025, picking 65,000 pounds of coffee, and had won special acclaim at an international auction.

Andy Mullins, a Frinj co-founder who stepped into the CEO role after Jay's death, described the impact plainly: "It was quite a gut punch to all of us. Losing your founder, especially someone like Jay, creates shockwaves not only inside the company but in the market in general." Mullins said the team moved quickly toward stabilization. "Over the last three weeks, we've focused as a team on how we can stabilize the company but also communicate as much as we can to all the networks of supporters and fans," he said. "We had our best harvest last year and are now busily processing the results." Frinj issued its own statement pledging continuity: "Though this is a devastating loss, FRINJ plans to uphold his dream and carry on his legacy."

The grief extended across the farming and coffee communities. Leon Wansikehian, founder of Play Coffee, wrote on Instagram that Jay "was always incredibly welcoming, generous with his time, and his passions for coffee and fruit farming were just as infectious as his love for his family."

The Ruskeys are survived by three children: Kasurina, 19, Sean, 16, and Aiden, 16. "They were the pillars of our family," the family said in a statement. "Their loss leaves a void that can never be filled, but their legacy lives on through their children, who were their greatest pride and joy." A GoFundMe organized by Jose Caballero to cover funeral costs and support the children's immediate needs had raised more than $133,000. Caballero described the couple as "caring and generous members" of the community who were always eager to support schools, causes, and friends.

The full sheriff's report, which is expected to include additional investigative details, had not been released as of the cause-of-death confirmation on March 15.