California politician’s daughter, 22, was discovered ‘in misery’ on aspect of freeway earlier than sudden loss of life
The 22-year-old daughter of a Los Angeles mayoral candidate was found alone suffering from a medical emergency on the side of a road before she died.
Emily Beutner, whose father Austin Beutner is running against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, died on January 6, according to LA County Medical Examiner records.
Her cause of death has been listed as ‘deferred’ pending further investigation, but heartbreaking details from the LA Sheriff’s Department (LASD) have emerged about the circumstances leading up to it.
A witness reportedly alerted police of a woman in a ‘state of medical distress’ on the side of a highway in Palmdale just after midnight, per the Los Angeles Times.
Deputies and paramedics rushed to the scene to treat Emily. She was then taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.
It is unclear how long she remained on the side of the road – which is surrounded by fields – or what the nature of her medical episode was.
LASD homicide detectives are handling this investigation, but Lieutenant Michael Modica told the LA Times that this is not indicative of her cause of death.
Having the homicide unit investigate the death of a young person is standard practice, he said.
Emily Beutner died on January 6 after reportedly suffering from a medical emergency alone on the side of a highway
Emily and her father, Austin Beutner, are pictured together. Beutner is running for LA mayor
The medical examiner’s office does not list a manner of death for Emily on its website.
The Daily Mail has reached out to LASD for more information.
‘My family has experienced the unimaginable loss of our beloved daughter. We ask for privacy and your prayers at this time,’ Beutner, a Democrat who formerly served as LA’s deputy mayor, previously told the Daily Mail.
Bass, who lost her daughter and son-in-law in a horrific car crash in 2006, took to social media to share her condolences for her opponent.
‘I am profoundly saddened by the news of the tragic passing of Austin Beutner’s daughter,’ she said.
‘There is no way to describe the depth of pain experienced by parents who have lost a child. My heart is broken for the Beutner family, and I offer Austin, his wife Virginia, and their entire family my deepest condolences.
‘I will hold them close in my heart, and I am ready to assist the family with whatever they might need.’
Beutner is set to challenge Bass in the June 2026 mayoral election. She has served since December 2022.
Emily was a junior studying studio art at Loyola Marymount University
Emily enjoyed art, yoga and community service, her college said in a statement
Emily was the youngest of Beutner’s four children and attended Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in LA.
She was a junior transfer student studying studio arts, according to a statement from the college.
Emily was an active member of the school’s yoga and photography club. She also mentored students from kindergarten to eighth grade through an arts and community service program called ARTsmart.
LMU President Thomas Poon said she will be honored with a plaque bearing her name at the university’s student memorial.
Nick Melvoin, a board member of the LA Unified School District, wrote in a statement: ‘People often say they can’t imagine what someone must be going through in these situations.
‘But as a new dad myself, I can begin to appreciate how crushing the loss of a child must be. We’re sending as much comfort and as many prayers as we can. May her memory be for a blessing.’
Beutner formerly served as the Superintendent of the LA Unified School District.
He also worked at the US State Department during Bill Clinton’s presidency and served as the CEO and publisher of the Los Angeles Times and the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Beutner’s most recent public mayoral event was on January 5
Mayor Karen Bass offered condolences for her opponent. In 2006, she lost her daughter and son-in-law in a car crash
Beutner’s most recent public mayoral event was on January 5, just a day before his daughter died.
During that appearance, he held a news conference in Pacific Palisades and called on Bass to get to the bottom of what went wrong both during and after the disaster.
Around 31 people died in the fire, and 13,000 homes were destroyed, including Beutner’s mother-in-law’s property.
The father-of-four also suffered serious damage to his own home, leaving him and his family to live elsewhere at the time.
Bass still faces sharp criticism for her handling of the disaster a year on.
