Authorities in Austin, Texas, have ruled the death of a 19-year-old university student, found hours after a major college football game, a suicide. The tragic incident has sparked a painful dispute between law enforcement and the grieving family.
Timeline of a Tragedy
Brianna Aguilera, a student at Texas A&M University, was discovered outside a campus apartment complex around 1 a.m. on Saturday, December 2nd. This was in the early hours following her school's 27-17 loss to rival the University of Texas on Friday night.
According to Austin Police Department Detective Robert Marshall, Aguilera sustained trauma from an apparent fall from a high floor. Surveillance footage shows the teenager arriving at the apartment building around 11 p.m. Friday and proceeding to a unit on the 17th floor.
Police reports indicate a large group departed the apartment around 12:30 a.m., leaving Aguilera with three other women. Having lost her phone that evening, Aguilera borrowed a friend's device to call her boyfriend. The call lasted from 12:43 a.m. to 12:44 a.m. Authorities state she leaped from the building just two minutes later, at approximately 12:46 a.m.
Evidence and Family's Disbelief
Investigators later recovered Aguilera's lost phone and, critically, a suicide note addressed to specific individuals in her life. Detective Marshall revealed that Brianna had made suicidal comments to friends as early as October, behavior that continued on the night of her death. This included self-harming actions earlier in the evening and a text message to another friend indicating suicidal thoughts.
The investigation notes Aguilera had attended a football tailgate party earlier Friday, where she became intoxicated to a point of being asked to leave.
In stark contrast to the police findings, Aguilera's mother, Stephanie Rodriguez, maintains her daughter was not suicidal. Rodriguez told media outlets her daughter aspired to be a lawyer and looked forward to her future. She has suggested alternative, sinister possibilities for her daughter's death, including foul play or a tragic accident related to intoxication.
"I'm thinking either someone shoved her over the balcony, or when my daughter does drink, she has the tendency (to fall asleep), and she's so thin and frail, she cannot handle alcohol," Rodriguez told PEOPLE. "And I think that maybe either it might've been that, and they probably got scared and threw her over the balcony, or they shoved her off."
Ongoing Questions and Legal Scrutiny
The family's attorney, Tony Buzbee, has publicly criticized the Austin Police Department's handling of the case, signaling a potential conflict over the official narrative. This tragedy highlights the complex and often heartbreaking intersection of mental health struggles, substance use, and the intense social pressures surrounding major university events.
While the police investigation points to a conclusion of suicide based on written and verbal evidence, the family's profound doubts ensure this case will remain under scrutiny. The death of Brianna Aguilera serves as a somber reminder of the silent crises that can unfold amidst very public campus traditions.
