Kidnapped Tech & Cannabis Executive Tushar Atre's Body Found On One Of His Silicon Valley Properties
People were home during the kidnapping.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office Tushar Atre, 50, was found dead this past Tuesday just hours after he he was reported missing.
Atre was a tech entrepreneur who owned several companies, including the digital marketing firm AtreNet Inc., where he was the CEO. He'd also recently begun investing in the cannabis industry.
Around 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 1, Atre was abducted from his home and was taken in his girlfriend’s white BMW SUV (she is not currently considered a suspect). Someone who was in the house reported the abduction to the police.
According to Heavy, Atre’s body was found just a few hours later in the Santa Cruz mountains about 10 miles from his home.
Although the motive is unclear, so far, the motive for the kidnapping-homicide is unknown, although authorities have identified at least one suspect and expect to arrest more who may have been involved.
Who is Tushar Atre and who may have wanted him dead? Read on for details.
1. Investigators are uncertain of the suspects’ relationship with Atre.
This case seems to have come out of left field and was seemingly unexpected. Sources close to Atre shared nothing but kind words about him and were unaware of any pre-existing conflicts.
According to People, authorities currently suspect robbery as the motive.
2. He also owned a marijuana business.
According to his (currently unavailable) LinkedIn page, Atre owned AtreNet, a web marketing and design company, as well as a licensed cannabis manufacturing company called Interstitial Systems.
The cannabis company has left many speculating if it had a connection to the murder.
As local news outlet KRON4 reports, "Hiring a team to manufacture concentrates is a risky part of the cannabis industry. The people who have the most experience with it are mostly coming from the underground black market."
3. Investigators are tracking multiple suspects in connection with the kidnapping of Atre
Investigators and family members were caught off guard by this incident because it seemingly came out of nowhere.
“We are looking into all aspects of his life,” said Sgt. Brian Cleveland, a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office. “All doors are open.”
4. People were home with Atre when he got kidnapped.
According to The New York Times, during the incident, many people were home when Atre was kidnapped.
An individual made a phone call to police reporting his abduction; however, there are no details of where Atre was in the household when he was kidnapped or where the other individuals were when it took place. According to The New York Times, it is unclear on what the individuals' relationships were to Atre.
5. Only hours after officials made a post about Atre being missing, they found his body.
According to The LA Times, shortly after officials made a Facebook post regarding Atre’s unknown whereabouts, the post was updated to say his body had been found.
“We have some unfortunate news. We have found the car associated with this case along with a deceased person.”
6. The investigation is ongoing.
According to the New York Times, the sheriff’s office shared that more than one suspect has already been identified and the investigation continues. Authorities are deeming the case as a robbery so far.
“We think that this was not a random act by any means,” Sergeant Cleveland said.
Elizabeth Ward is a writing student finishing her bachelor’s at the University of Louisville. She covers news, entertainment, relationships and everything in between.