Questions are being raised as Texas Rangers investigate the sudden and mysterious death of a Trinity University cheerleader.
Not many details are known about the death of Cayley Mandadi, 19, except that she was riding in a vehicle with other people Sunday, traveling from San Antonio to Houston, according to mySanAntonio. At one point, someone in the vehicle noticed the 19-year-old wasn’t breathing and took her to Seton Edgar B. Davis Hospital in Luling.
News 4 San Antonio reports the people she was riding with dropped her off at the hospital and left. Mandadi was eventually transferred to Seton Medical Center Hays in Kyle where she passed away at 3:43 p.m. Tuesday.
Hays County Justice of the Peace Beth Smith said an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.
“I ordered an autopsy. … [Results] will probably take about three months to get back. I will be handling the inquest investigation to determine the manner and cause of death.”
On Friday, a spokesperson for the Luling police said Mandadi’s death is being investigated as a homicide, but later that afternoon the department wouldn’t confirm that information or release any more details.
“All we are authorized to say is it is an active investigation and that the Texas Rangers are handling it.”
The Texas Rangers were brought in because of jurisdictional issues about where the death took place.
Lt. Jason Reyes, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said no one has determined that the death was a homicide yet.
On Wednesday, Trinity University sent an alert out to students and faculty to be on the lookout for a man named Mark Howerton. Trinity University spokesperson Sharon Jones-Schweitzer said Howerton is associated with Mandadi and isn’t a student at the university.
“We want people to know this person is not welcome back on campus – that he was associated with Cayley.”
[Feature Photo: Trinity University Cheerleading]