Mother Rejects Suicide Ruling in Texas A&M Student's Death, Demands New Detective and Second Autopsy

The family of 19-year-old Texas A&M student Brianna Marie Aguilera is calling for a renewed investigation after Austin police concluded her Nov. 29 death was a suicide. Aguilera fell from a high-rise apartment in downtown Austin hours after the Aggies-Longhorns rivalry game; authorities say they found evidence pointing to self-harm, but her mother insists the official findings are wrong.

Family Seeks Answers

Funeral services for Aguilera were held on Dec. 7, and her family continues to press for what they describe as a thorough, independent review. Her mother, Stephanie Rodriguez, told PEOPLE she does not believe her daughter was suicidal and is demanding that the case be reassigned to a new detective. The family has also arranged for a second autopsy and requested a review by the Texas Rangers.

GoFundMeBrianna Marie Aguilera

“I just want justice for my daughter,” Rodriguez said. “I know something happened to my daughter and I know someone out there knows something, and I'm not going to stop until I find it. She deserves at least that. I'm not going to let her name go down in vain as suicidal, because I know my daughter was not suicidal.”

Police Findings

At a Dec. 4 news conference, Austin police announced that "all evidence in this case" pointed to suicide. Detective Robert Marshall, the lead homicide investigator, said that investigators reviewed witness accounts, video surveillance and digital records and found no indication of criminal activity. Police also reported discovering an apparent suicide note in a deleted notes folder on Aguilera's phone.

Detective Marshall: “Between all of the witness statements, all of the video evidence, all of the digital evidence collected, at no time did any evidence point to this being anything of a criminal nature.”

Authorities said surveillance captured a large gathering on the 17th floor of the 21 Rio apartment building; most attendees left before Aguilera fell, leaving her and three other women in the unit. Investigators also reported that cellphone data show Aguilera was on a call with her boyfriend roughly two minutes before the fall, and that others in the apartment reported hearing an argument on that call.

Courtesy of Stephanie RodriguezBrianna Marie Aguilera

Family Concerns and Next Steps

Rodriguez has publicly questioned whether her daughter may have been pushed and says the family feels the Austin Police Department has not adequately responded to their concerns. She told PEOPLE that investigators have not been answering her calls and that the family has formally requested a new investigator be assigned. Because their request was not granted, they have asked the Texas Rangers to review the case and have hired an independent pathologist for a second autopsy.

Police Chief Lisa Davis said the press conference aimed to correct inaccurate reporting and to address claims that the department had failed in its duties, calling those claims untrue. Chief Davis also noted that misinformation had led to harm and bullying of uninvolved people and their families.

Remembering Brianna

Rodriguez described her daughter as lively, warm and beloved by family and friends. “She loved life. She loved her brothers. She loved being an Aggie,” Rodriguez said, adding that the family remains devastated and is determined to pursue answers about the circumstances of her death.

What remains clear: investigators say the evidence they reviewed supports a suicide determination; the family disputes that conclusion and is pursuing independent review and additional forensic work.