Malibu Death Could Have Been An Overdose: Sheriff

MALIBU, CA — A person found dead in Malibu on Thursday may have overdosed, authorities announced on Tuesday.

A body was found around 7:45 a.m. Thursday in the 33000 block of Mulholland Highway. Family members on Sunday identified the person as Day Rodas, 27, in a GoFundMe fundraiser. The sheriff's department continued to investigate the death as a possible narcotics overdose.

Authorities initially investigated the death as a homicide.

"An autopsy of the decedent was conducted on Friday, December 2, 2022, by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner Office. The Medical Examiner-Coroner Office did not find any obvious signs of trauma and preliminary findings indicated there were narcotics in the decedent’s body," The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department said. "At this time, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Investigators are treating this incident as a possible narcotics overdose."

A GoFundMe page created by Rodas' family had raised over $20,000 by Wednesday for funeral and memorial services.

Day Rodas was reported missing after she unexpectedly stopped responding to texts and calls and missed work, according to a GoFundMe page created by her family. Rodas, who lived with family members, did not return home for two days, according to the page.

Rodas was an advocate for LGBTQ rights and had recently come out as a transgender woman, living her most authentic life, according to the GoFundMe.

"She was 27 but only six months ago, she started living authentically just for it to be over too soon. After being afraid for 27 years, she only got to live freely without fear for only six months which breaks our hearts," Day Rodas' sister, Susie Rodas, said on the GoFundMe.

GoFundMe is a Patch Promotional Sponsor.