Brianna Aguilera: Austin police say no evidence of anything criminal as family retains Tony Buzbee

AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin Police Department held a news conference to discuss the death of Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera.

Austin police said the 19-year-old, who was found dead outside a high-rise apartment in West Campus last week, died by suicide. 

However, Brianna Aguilera’s mother doesn’t agree with that determination. The family has now retained their own lawyers to investigate.

What happened to Brianna Aguilera?

The backstory:

Aguilera, who was from Laredo, was found unresponsive around 12:47 a.m. on Nov. 29 outside the 21 Rio Apartments near the University of Texas at Austin, according to APD. 

She had fallen 17 stories from the apartment complex.

19-year-old Aguilera was pronounced dead at the scene about 10 minutes later. She had been in Austin for the Texas vs. Texas A&M football game.

New details on her death

Dig deeper:

To start the Thursday press conference, Austin Police Department Chief Lisa Davis said they normally don't hold a news conference on a death by suicide, but she said they had to dispel inaccurate information concerning Aguilera's death, and the investigation.

"All evidence in this case is indicative of suicide," Austin Police Sgt. Nathan Sexton said.

Police said all the people who were contacted regarding the case were cooperative.

Timeline:

Investigators say Aguilera attended a tailgate at the Austin Rugby Club between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. on November 28 where she became intoxicated, dropped her phone and walked into a wooded area where the phone was later found.

"[Aguilera] became intoxicated to a point that she was asked to leave the same tailgate," Det. Marshall said. "Witnesses stated that after Brianna was asked to leave the tailgate, she had repeatedly dropped her phone and staggered into a nearby wooded area where her phone and other items were later located by Austin police."

Just after 11 p.m., Aguilera arrived at the 21 Rio Apartments and entered a 17th floor unit with friends. She was supposed to be staying there that night.

Police say most of the group left at 12:30 a.m. leaving Brianna and three others inside.

About 13 minutes later, at 12:43 a.m., Aguilera used a friend's phone and reportedly argued with her boyfriend. This was confirmed by phones, police say.

"Brianna borrowed a phone of a friend to call an out-of-town boyfriend. Witnesses heard Brianna arguing on the phone with her boyfriend, which was also confirmed later by the boyfriend," Det. Marshall said.

Minutes later officers responded to a call reporting a woman found on the ground. The woman was identified as Aguilera, and she was pronounced dead at just before 1 a.m.

"Did anyone watch her go over the balcony?" FOX 7 Crime Watch reporter Meredith Aldis asked.

"No ma’am," Det. Marshall responded.

Nearly 12 hours later, the friends in the apartment called 911 to report Aguilera missing.

"They assumed that because so many friends from their hometown were here in Austin staying at different locations, they had assumed she had probably just gone back out with another friend group that was in the immediate area and no just nobody had any idea," Det. Marshall said.

Aguilera’s mother had also called looking for Aguilera at around the same time. A few hours later, police connected the dots and notified Rodriguez of her daughter’s death.

If you or someone you know needs help

Why you should care:

APD says after looking at Aguilera's phone they found previous suicidal comments and a deleted suicide note. They said that nothing in their investigation showed any signs of anything criminal.

"A further review of Brianna's phone shows a deleted digital suicide note dated Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, which was written to specific people in her life," Austin Police Detective Robert Marshall said.

Police said they also learned Aguilera had expressed suicidal thoughts to friends the previous month as well as sending a text the night of her death.

Officials remind the public that anyone in crisis can call or text 9-8-8 for help or call Integral Care's 24-hour help line at (512) 472-4357.

Family retains Tony Buzbee

Dig deeper:

Rodriguez has criticized APD’s handling of this investigation. She has hired her own attorneys to investigate.

In a statement posted this week, the Buzbee Law Firm and Gamez Law Firm said they have been retained by Brianna’s parents, Manuel Aguilera and Stephanie Rodriguez, to "assist them in determining what happened to their daughter."

"This is an unimaginable and very suspicious tragedy," the firm wrote. "Brianna’s parents firmly believe there is much more information that needs to be discovered. They feel certain this was not an accident. This was certainly not a suicide."

Rodriguez previously told KSAT that her daughter was afraid of heights and would not have jumped from a high floor. She also criticized detectives for what she described as a lack of thoroughness in the early stages of the investigation.

The Buzbee Law Firm sent FOX 7 a statement:

"Brianna Aguilera had her whole life in front of her. The circumstances surrounding her death are very suspicious. The Austin Police Department’s handling of this matter has created more questions than they have 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."

What's next:

The Buzbee Law Firm and Gamez Law Firm are expected to hold a news conference in Houston on Friday, Dec. 5, at 1 p.m. to discuss the case.

Attorneys are also asking anyone with information about Aguilera’s whereabouts or activities on Nov. 28 to come forward.

AustinCrime and Public SafetyNews