Attorneys for Brianna Aguilera’s family say they will release new details Tuesday as they continue to dispute police findings in her death.
HOUSTON — Attorneys for the family of Brianna Aguilera, the Texas A&M student who died in Austin last fall, say they will release new information Tuesday as they continue to challenge how police have handled the case.
The Buzbee Law Firm and the Gamez Law Firm announced they will hold a press conference on Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Buzbee Law Firm’s Houston office.
The release says Aguilera’s parents will be present and may make statements, and that lead counsel Tony Buzbee plans to share “pertinent details regarding the investigation surrounding the death of Brianna Aguilera.”
RELATED: New timeline released in the death of Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera
The family and legal team are also expected to respond to actions taken by the Austin Police Department.
According to Buzbee: “The investigation remains open, despite the Austin Police Department’s previous comments to the contrary. We have expended substantial resources on this matter and will continue to do so until the family has the answers they deserve.”
On Dec. 19, Aguilera’s mother, Stephanie Rodriguez, publicly called for a new investigation and a second autopsy, saying she does not believe her daughter took her own life.
“She was not suicidal,” Rodriguez said during a news conference alongside Buzbee.
She said she rejected police statements suggesting the evidence points to suicide.
“My daughter was not suicidal,” Rodriguez said. “I know my daughter better than anyone. We spoke every day. I cannot deal with you jumping to conclusions and not performing an actual investigation.”
Austin police have said the 19-year-old fell to her death from the balcony of a 17th-floor apartment, and that evidence points to suicide. Rodriguez has said she does not accept that conclusion.
Rodriguez has also said she wants a second autopsy conducted. As of that time, there were still no autopsy results from the Travis County Medical Examiner, and she also called for a new lead detective to be assigned.
At a Dec. 5 news conference, Buzbee sharply criticized the department’s handling of the case.
“Am I suggesting that there's some kind of conspiracy?” Buzbee said. “No, I'm suggesting they're lazy.”
Buzbee said he wanted the Texas Rangers to investigate.
Police have said the case remains an active death investigation, but not a homicide investigation, and that the lead investigator has not changed. As of mid-December, the Texas Rangers had not received a request to investigate the case.
Austin police have said officers responded at 12:46 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29, to a call about a deceased person at 2101 Rio Grande Street. Aguilera was pronounced dead at 12:56 a.m., with trauma consistent with a fall from a height. A witness reported hearing a “thud” moments before finding her.
Police said surveillance video showed Aguilera arriving just after 11 p.m. on Nov. 28 and entering a 17th-floor apartment where friends had gathered. A large group left the unit around 12:30 a.m., leaving Aguilera and three other girls inside.
Investigators said Aguilera had been tailgating earlier in the day, where witnesses reported she became intoxicated and lost her phone. After returning to the apartment, police said she borrowed a friend’s phone around 12:43–12:44 a.m. to call an out-of-town boyfriend. Witnesses reported hearing an argument, and police said the call lasted about one minute.
Police have said the evidence “does not point to criminal activity” and that investigators believe Aguilera took her own life. Police also said a deleted digital suicide note was recovered from her phone and written days before her death.
“From the moment this call originated… at no time did any evidence point to this being anything of a criminal nature,” APD Detective Robert Marshall said during a media briefing.
The family has rejected that conclusion. Buzbee has called the circumstances “very suspicious” and said investigators formed conclusions before completing basic steps, including receiving autopsy and toxicology results.
After Buzbee’s news conference, Austin police issued a statement emphasizing that the case is still active.
“The Travis County Medical Examiner determines the cause and manner of death, and APD has never made a determination in this case,” the department said, adding that “this investigation remains open.”
Police also warned that misinformation could harm innocent people and compromise the investigation.
The family’s attorneys say new details and responses to police actions will be shared during Tuesday’s press conference in Houston, as the family continues to seek answers about Aguilera’s death.
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