SANTA YNEZ VALLEY - Santa Barbara Police are investigating what they're calling the "suspicious" death of a Santa Ynez Valley wine grape grower.
60 year old Chris Marks had been growing and selling wine grapes from his Sweeney Canyon Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills for decades.
Last week Marks' body washed up on the beach beneath Shoreline Park in Santa Barbara and the SBPD says autopsy results reveal suspicious circumstances involving his death and they are not ruling out foul play.
"I just talked to him last week, I just talked to him last Wednesday", says Jim Fiolek from the Santa Barbara County Vintners Association, "I'm not sure I'm over it, its hard for me to fathom right now."
Fiolek says Marks sold his grapes to winemakers across the county.
"Before there was a Santa Rita Hills at the west end of the Santa Ynez Valley there was Sweeney Canyon vineyards, we purchased chardonnay from them in the early 80's", Fiolek recalls.
Marks is survived by his wife and five children who attended St. Joseph High School.
"He was one of the more active people in our association, when we needed volunteers 20 years ago, he and his wife Christy were there volunteering", Fiolek says, "when we had lunches, Chris was always there, when we had meetings, Chris was always there, I followed his kids through St. Joe's here in Santa Maria."
Santa Barbara Police investigators were seen this week digging up the area of the beach where Marks' body was found for possible evidence.
