AUSTIN, Texas (Talk1370.com) -- The Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled the death of 19-year-old Brianna Aguilera a suicide, concurring with the initial conclusions drawn by the Austin Police Department.
The office released its findings Friday morning, listing Aguilera's cause of death as blunt force trauma and the manner of death as suicide. The ruling relies on independent investigation by the medical examiner's office as well as evidence provided by Austin Police detectives.
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"There was no indication based on law enforcement investigation that another individual was involved in the incident which resulted in the decedent's death," Dr. Leticia Schuman, a deputy medical examiner, wrote in the report. "Given the entirety of the circumstances including a history of prior statements threatening self-harm/suicide, the presence of a suicide-type note on the decedent's phone, and the height of the balcony railing relative to the decedent's height (measured at 44.5 inches and 62 inches, respectively), it is unlikely that the decedent accidentally fell over the railing."
A toxicology examination found that Aguilera's blood alcohol content was about 2-3 times the legal limit, between 0.15% and 0.23%. The psychoactive cannabinoid Delta 8 also was also found in her system.
“With review and consideration of all available materials including autopsy findings, toxicology results, as well as scene and law enforcement investigation, the manner of death is best classified as suicide,” the report concludes.
The medical examiner's determination comes weeks after Aguilera’s death on Nov. 29 generated significant speculation and public outcry. While APD quickly determined the case was not criminal, Aguilera’s family has vehemently disputed those findings. Her mother, Stephanie Rodriguez, criticized the initial investigation as "shoddy" and retained high-profile civil attorney Tony Buzbee to conduct an independent inquiry.
Buzbee, in a statement Friday morning, said the medical examiner's ruling changes nothing in the case. "This finding was made in large part based on the shoddy work of the Austin Police Department. To be clear, the Austin Police Department’s 'investigation' fell woefully short. Brianna deserved better. Her family deserves better."
Buzbee's firm has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Aguilera's family against the Austin Blacks Rugby Club and the UT Latin Economics and Business Association, the two organizations connected to the tailgate Aguilera attended.
Police have previously cited digital evidence to support their conclusion. On Dec. 4, detectives revealed they found a suicide note dated Nov. 25 in a deleted folder on Aguilera’s computer. Investigators also noted that the student had expressed suicidal thoughts to friends and via text messages shortly before she died.
During that Dec. 4 press conference, Detective Robert Marshall constructed a timeline placing Aguilera at a tailgate on Nov. 28, and later at the 21 Rio Apartments. Witness testimony and surveillance footage indicate she entered a 17th-floor unit around 11:00 p.m. and argued with her boyfriend over the phone minutes before her body was discovered.
Despite the police timeline, Rodriguez has questioned why officers did not act faster to preserve the scene or track Aguilera’s missing phone, which data suggested was in a wooded area near the tailgate.
"I understand how grief and the need for answers can raise intense emotions," Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said in December. "But sometimes the truth doesn't provide the answers we're looking for, and that is this case."