The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office released a statement today reporting that the death of 53-year-old Christine Ann Randolph whose body was located under a pile items in a van that had been in a wreck in Brooktrails and subsequently impounded by the CHP in early October. The Chief Deputy Coroner classified her death as an accident caused by “Acute Combined Diazepam, Nordiazepam and Morphine Toxicity.”
This ruling follows a complex series of events came to the attention of law enforcement on October 8, 2023, when the California Highway Patrol (CHP) was alerted to a traffic collision in the Brooktrails Subdivision of Willits, California. The incident involved a Toyota Sienna van, which was found unoccupied. Root Harvest Birimisa, a 26-year-old male from Eureka and identified as Randolph’s son, was arrested in connection with the collision. Birimisa was charged with DUI and hit-and-run resulting in property damage and booked into the Mendocino County Jail.
Birimisa had previously been arrested by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office on September 19, 2023, for three felony offenses. On September 25, John Chiv reported on his website that the Humboldt County DA charged Birimisa with “lewd act on a child, assault with intent to commit rape, sodomy, oral copulation and two special allegations for sex offenses.”
Family and friends concerned about the missing woman who reportedly had been traveling with her son reported her missing. A multijurisdictional effort ensued, involving several law enforcement agencies across Humboldt and Mendocino counties. The investigation led to a search warrant for the Toyota Sienna van, leading to the discovery of Randolph’s body concealed under a pile of belongings inside the van on October 11.
According to a press release from MCSO,
The interior of the Toyota Sienna van was packed with a significant number of belongings to include clothing, luggage and living supplies.
Investigators began removing the belongings and subsequently located a deceased female adult who was located in a section of concaved flooring which was concealed by the large number of belongings.
The female adult was identified as being Randolph and the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office assumed investigative lead into the circumstances of her death.
The Mendocino County Coroner’s report stating Randolph died of Acute Toxicity brings a measure of closure to the case, although the circumstances surrounding Randolph body in the van at the time of her son’s arrest remain unclear.
If shes dead she will still vote for Biden.
Fucking classic!
Incredibly inept law enforcement work! The driver having been arrested for multiple felonies was free ? On bail? The van wasn’t searched for weapons or drugs at the time it was discovered to be involved in a hit and run accident? Barney Fife would’ve searched the van before impounding it!! I guess it just looked like too much trouble to search for the cops who are paid to do that.
Sounds likecwe need these keyboard warriors to werk fer da guvment since they nose all the rules of search etc. We are half a brain short at the SO and dey otsa a little one.g
Umm, ok. Who stuffed her in the spare tire space and put all that luggage on top then? Wtf?
Wow exactly, who? It appears obvious that the son hid her body and probably gave her the lethal dose of drugs too! Maybe Mendocino county sheriffs need to devote as much energy to crime investigation as they do to sexually assaulting females ?
Ok so I totally believe the son was involved in some way. What way I don’t know it’s not my job to figure that out. Buuuuut instead of coming on here and being said keyboard warrior why not go ask the sheriffs department to look deeper or go ask them if they are. I mean you don’t have to be a relative to demand more answers. Just saying!
Because we can’t depend on them? Lol, the wheel might be squeaky but it’s a hamster wheel. It’s called a community forum.
Like I said go demand answers. Do a community forum. I bet if enough community members showed up they would figure out how to address it. We the people need to stand up and stop sitting back allowing this kinda stuff to happen. Law enforcement works for us just like the president works for us. Time to stand up and stop hiding behind a keyboard. Just sayin.
I AM A FAMILY MEMBER.
thank you for saying this, we really could use help from community members to push the police to do more. She was on those medications for 15+ years prescribed for her chronic pain and degenerative spinal disease. Root has a acute psychosis which is never mentioned in any of these reports. I do not believe she died from her medication. I believe if the police would have checked the van on October 8th they would have had a much better chance of figuring out cause of death. What if she was still alive and they could have helped her. SHE DID NOT ABUSE DRUGS. I have yearssss of proof that she was a responsible mother that took her medication on time only for her pain. The system is fucked and has put her family through immense hell. Please speak up if you feel like this is being handled wrongly, Mendocino police department needs to be held responsible for their incompetence.
Yes… acute toxicity was what the coroner said about my son…. but when my ex husband flew to California to get his ashes, he asked a lot of questions. They pretty much blew him off because he was homeless and on meth. (My son was a pot smoker…. and how many people have died from meth toxicity?…especially when its not DOC).
ANYWAY… upon re examining his remains….they found broken nose, broken pevis, broken vertebraes, ETC and so yeah DONT TAKE AUTOPSY AS FACTUAL. If there are other questions or leads or things that dont make sense…BRING IT TO THEIR ATTENTION AND DEMAND ANSWERS!
Are you with the SO? A relative? Valid questions. I doubt the SO would give a straight answer anyway. Cautiously canned response would be it.
If enough community members stepped up I bet they would do something. But unfortunately enough community members won’t cause they are afraid. It’s sad actually.
And to your second post these are meds she takes on a regular basis according to other articles. So no doubt he I mean the son had something to do with her taking to much. And no I’m not a relative or SO. But if I was SO I would be looking deeper into the son guaranteed.
How do they know she ingested knowingly?