AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Austin Police officially confirmed Thursday the death of a Texas A&M student in West Campus last weekend has been ruled a suicide.
APD Chief Lisa Davis joined investigators at a Thursday morning press conference to discuss the case of 19-year old Brianna Aguilera.
"It is not common for a police department to speak publicly about a death by suicide," Davis said. "Inaccurate information has circulated and been reported, and that has led to additional harm of innocent people, bullying included, and their families."
According to APD, officers responded to a 911 call from the 2100 block of Rio Grande Street in the West Campus area early Saturday morning, around 12:46 a.m. Officers found Aguilera on the ground with trauma consistent with having fallen from a higher floor. She was pronounced deceased a few minutes later.
Investigators say Aguilera had been at a tailgate party at the Austin Rugby Club from about 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. on Friday. Witnesses said she became intoxicated to the point that she was asked to leave. At some point during that period, she also lost her cell phone, which was discovered Saturday in a wooded area close to the tailgate site.
Security camera footage from the 21 Rio apartments shows Aguilera arriving at the building just after 11 p.m. on Friday, entering a unit on the building's 17th floor. Security footage also shows a large group of friends leaving that same apartment about 12:30 a.m. Saturday morning, leaving Aguilera and three other girls inside.
Witnesses told investigators that Aguilera borrowed a friend's phone to call her out-of-town boyfriend around 12:43 a.m. Saturday; investigators were able to confirm that call from carrier records and by interviewing the boyfriend.
When investigators reviewed Aguilera's phone, they found a deleted suicide note dated Nov. 25, that had been written to specific people. Through interviews, police also determined Aguilera had made suicidal comments to friends in October, and those had continued through the evening of her death.
Aguilera's parents have hired Houston attorney Tony Buzbee to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.
“Brianna’s parents firmly believe there is much more information that needs to be discovered regarding their daughter’s death," Buzbee wrote in a social media post Wednesday. "They feel certain this was not an accident. This was certainly not a suicide. This family deserves straight answers. We hope we can help them get those answers."
Buzbee is expected to hold a press conference Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. at his office in Houston.
Audacy's I’m Listening aims to share valuable resources for those who need to connect, heal, and share their own stories when it comes to mental health. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, know that someone is always there. Additionally, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988. Find a full list of additional resources here.