10 Photos of Brianna Aguilera: Family of Texas Student Say 'New Evidence' Refutes Claims She Took Her Life

The death of Brianna Aguilera, a 19-year-old Texas A&M University sophomore, has returned to the spotlight after her family publicly challenged police conclusions that she died by suicide.

More than a month after Aguilera fell from a 17-storey apartment building in Austin, her relatives say new witness testimony and unanswered questions undermine the official account and warrant a deeper investigation.

Aguilera died on 28 November after falling from a balcony at the 21 Rio apartment complex, where she was staying while visiting Austin for the annual Texas A&M and University of Texas rivalry football weekend.

Austin police later announced that their investigation had determined she took her own life. Her family disputes that finding and says key evidence has been overlooked.

Police Say Investigation Supports Suicide Ruling

The Austin Police Department has said investigators reviewed witness statements, video footage and digital evidence before concluding there was no criminal involvement.

At a press briefing in early December, police stated that a deleted digital note was recovered from Aguilera's phone, which they described as a suicide note written to specific people in her life.

Police also said Aguilera had previously made suicidal comments to friends in the weeks before her death and that evidence suggested self-harming behaviour earlier on the evening she fell.

According to investigators, everyone who was inside the apartment on the night of the incident cooperated with police, and no evidence indicated that Aguilera was pushed or assaulted.

Family Rejects Official Findings

Aguilera's family has publicly rejected the suicide ruling, accusing investigators of failing to fully pursue witness accounts and other lines of inquiry.

Through their attorney, they argue that the case was closed too quickly and that critical testimony was never formally recorded by police.

Relatives say they have continued to seek answers about Aguilera's final hours and maintain that the evidence presented so far does not conclusively support suicide.

Neighbour Reports Screaming and Arguing

At a press conference in Houston, the family introduced a neighbour from the apartment complex who said she heard alarming sounds shortly before Aguilera's fall.

The neighbour told reporters she heard screaming and what appeared to be a heated argument involving multiple people inside the apartment.

She said the confrontation escalated to the point that her mother, who was visiting at the time, considered stepping into the hallway to intervene.

Moments later, Aguilera fell from the balcony. The neighbour also claimed she was never contacted by police to provide a formal statement, an assertion that conflicts with police claims that all relevant witnesses were interviewed.

Attorney Tony Buzbee Alleges Gaps in Investigation

The family is being represented by Tony Buzbee, a high-profile Houston lawyer, who has accused authorities of conducting a 'lazy' and 'incompetent' investigation.

Buzbee says the neighbour's account contradicts the idea that Aguilera was alone and acting without interference at the time of her death.

He has stated that he intends to pursue an independent investigation and use civil court proceedings to compel testimony and access evidence that he says was not adequately examined by police.

Lawsuit Over Underage Drinking and Alcohol Service

As part of that effort, Aguilera's family has filed a civil lawsuit against a University of Texas-affiliated organisation and a local rugby club.

The suit alleges Aguilera was underage and was over-served alcohol at social events in the hours leading up to her death.

Buzbee has said the legal action is intended to establish accountability and shed light on Aguilera's movements and condition before she arrived at the apartment.

Police have acknowledged that Aguilera had been socialising earlier in the evening but maintain that their findings do not point to criminal wrongdoing.

The case remains publicly contested, with police standing by their conclusion while Aguilera's family continues to push for further scrutiny into the circumstances surrounding her death.