Lawyers for the family of Brianna Aguilera are calling out the Austin Police Department for a botched investigation
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Austin police said the 19-year-old Texas A&M student died by suicide after falling 17 floors from the 21 Rio apartment complex, near the University of Texas, at 2101 Rio Grande Street in Austin.
Aguilera’s family has rejected the claim, stating that detectives labeled the death prematurely without properly investigating.
“There is incompetence and laziness on the part of the detective, that’s what I’m suggesting,” attorney Tony Buzbee, who is representing Aguilera’s parents, said, according to FOX 7 Austin.
Shortly after her death, Austin PD provided a timeline of the events leading up to her death, determining that she took her own life after detectives found a deleted digital suicide note. They also reportedly found messages to friends about self harm.
Buzbee, however, said that only a medical examiner can determine the cause of death. He added that police told Aguilera’s mother that she took her own life within hours of finding her body.
“We were asked by these parents who loved their daughter to find the truth of what happened to her,” Buzbee said. “Good investigations lead to conclusions. Bad investigations start with a conclusion.”
“We know how tall Brianna was. She was 5’2. The railing’s 44 inches. You don’t fall over it. There’s no, there’s no furniture on in the balcony. There’s nothing to climb up on to jump off.”
Buzbee is now asking for APD’s lead detective, Robert Marshall, to be removed from the case. If not, he plans to write a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott, with a request for the Texas Rangers to take over the case.
Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo via Instagram]