A day after prominent Houston lawyer Tony Buzbee announced he was representing the family of 19-year-old Brianna Aguilera, the Texas A&M student who died last weekend after a high-profile college football game, a detective for the Austin Police Department (APD) said evidence indicates she died by suicide.
Robert Marshall, a lead homicide investigator for APD, said during a Thursday news conference that all evidence obtained so far during an ongoing investigation indicates that Aguilera fell from the 17th floor of an apartment building near the University of Texas campus. The school’s football team hosted Texas A&M for an annual rivalry game on Friday night.
Buzbee announced he was representing Aguilera’s family in a Wednesday social media post, saying he planned to host a news conference Friday in downtown Houston. In a statement released late Thursday morning, after APD held its news conference, Buzbee said the circumstances surrounding Aguilera’s death are “very suspicious” and the police department’s “handling of this matter creates more questions than it provides answers.”
“As far as we are concerned, this is an open investigation and will continue to be open until these parents are satisfied they know what happened to their daughter,” he added.
Aguilera's mother, Stephanie Rodriguez of Laredo, previously raised concerns about the police department's investigation into her daughter's death.
“Please don't believe this lazy investigator and Investigation!” Rodriguez wrote in a social media post on Thursday morning, while sharing a video of APD’s news conference. “Tony Buzbee will get us the justice we need!”
According to Marshall, a deleted suicide note from Nov. 25 was discovered on Aguilera's phone, which was found in a wooded area near a tailgate party the student had reportedly attended. Marshall also said investigators had confirmed that an argument occurred between Aguilera and her boyfriend during a phone call shortly before her death.
"Between all of the witness statements, all of the video evidence and all of the digital evidence collected, at no time did any evidence point to this being anything of a criminal nature," Marshall said. "Rather, our investigations revealed that, unfortunately, Brianna had made suicidal comments to friends back in October of this year.This continued through the evening of her death and a text message to another friend indicating the thought of suicide."
APD previously said its officers responded to a report of an unresponsive person at 2101 Rio Grande St. Police identified that person as Aguilera, who was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:57 a.m.
The police department told Houston Public Media earlier this week the death was not being investigated as a homicide, adding in a statement that it "extends our heartfelt condolences to Brianna Aguilera's Family, friends, and all who are grieving her loss."
Rodriguez told Laredo TV stationKGNSearlier this week that police told her family they suspected Aguilera’s death to be suicide or accidental.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said during Thursday’s news conference the department typically does not share details regarding apparent suicides, but decided to do so because of “misinformation” spreading online regarding Aguilera's death.
"I understand how grief and the need for answers can raise intense emotions and many questions," Davis said. "But sometimes, the truth doesn't provide the answers we are hoping for, and that is this case."
Timeline of Aguilera's death, according to APD
According to APD, Aguilera attended a tailgate on Friday from late that afternoon until 10 p.m. Marshall said witnesses told police that she "became intoxicated to a point where she was asked to leave."
Just after 11 p.m., Aguilera arrived at the apartment complex and entered an apartment with a large group on the 17th floor, according to police, who cited surveillance video.
At approximately 12:30 a.m. Saturday, the majority of the large group left the apartment, leaving only Aguilera and three other women in the apartment, according to Marshall.
At approximately 12:43 a.m., Aguilera had an argument with her boyfriend over the phone, according to police.
Marshall said the phone call ended 2 minutes before authorities received a 911 call reporting that a body had been found on the ground near the apartment.
Marshall said Aguilera's mother, Rodriguez, called APD at 12:50 p.m. Saturday in an attempt to locate her daughter. Officers called Rodriguez back at 2 p.m., he said.
Police had located Aguilera's phone and other personal items in a wooded area by 3:30 p.m. Saturday near Walnut Creek in a field by the Austin Rugby Club. Marshall said witnesses at the tailgate saw Aguilera drop her phone multiple times while staggering as she left the event.
Rodriguez was notified of her daughter's death at 5 p.m., after police were able to positively identify her, according to Marshall.
Editor's note: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org. Helplines outside the U.S. can be found at www.iasp.info/suicidalthoughts.
Copyright 2025 Houston Public Media News 88.7