Police revealed that Texas A&M cheerleader Brianna Aguilera had written—and then deleted—a suicide note on her phone just days before she plunged 17 stories from an Austin apartment building, a fall authorities have now ruled as a tragic act of self-harm.
"Brianna had made suicidal comments previously to friends, back in October of this year," Austin Police Detective Robert Marshall revealed during a news conference Thursday.
“This continued through the evening of her death, with some self-harming actions early in the evening and a text message to another friend indicating the thought of suicide,” he added.
Authorities have officially ruled the death of Texas A&M cheerleader Brianna Aguilera as a suicide. Facebook / Stephanie Rodriguez
Brianna Aguilera pictured with her mother, Stephanie Rodriguez. Facebook / Stephanie Rodriguez
Police were called to the apartment complex at 12:46 a.m. Saturday, where they discovered Brianna Aguilera’s body.
Cameras captured Brianna Aguilera arriving at the apartment complex just after 11 p.m. Friday, heading up to a 17th-floor apartment for a party following the Texas A&M vs. UT tailgate, Austin Police Detective Robert Marshall told reporters.
At the tailgate, Aguilera “became intoxicated to a point where she was asked to leave,” Marshall said.
The video showed “a large group of friends left that same apartment at 12:30 a.m. on Nov. 29, leaving just Brianna and three other girls in the apartment,” he said.
Brianna Aguilera tragically fell 17 stories from an apartment building. Stephanie Rodriguez
She told friends she had lost her phone and borrowed someone else’s cell to call her boyfriend for a brief minute—from 12:43 to 12:44 a.m.—Austin Police Detective Robert Marshall said.
Witnesses reported hearing Aguilera argue with her boyfriend during the call—just two minutes before someone dialed 911, Austin Police Detective Robert Marshall said.
Aguilera’s mother, Stephanie Rodriguez, has rejected the police account of events, insisting her daughter showed no signs of being suicidal.
“Some self-harming actions early in the evening and a text message to another friend indicating the thought of suicide,” Austin Police Detective Robert Marshall said. GoFundMe
"Please don’t believe this lazy investigator and investigation!" she wrote in a Facebook post sharing a video of Thursday’s press conference.
She previously said that her daughter’s phone had been on Do Not Disturb the night she died—and that her teen always knew to keep her alerts on whenever she went out.
The phone was later found in a creek, where it had apparently been left since 6:30 p.m. Friday.
Police have confirmed they will not treat Aguilera’s death as a homicide.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis. News 4 San Antonio
“I understand how grief and the need for answers can raise intense emotions and many questions. But sometimes the truth doesn’t provide the answers we are hoping for, and that is this case,” Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said at the same news conference, adding that her “heart aches” for Aguilera’s parents.
“I have three daughters and a son, and I cannot begin to imagine the pain,” she said.
Rodriguez has enlisted prominent Texas attorney Tony Buzbee to investigate the circumstances surrounding her daughter’s death.
Buzbee, who has represented over 150 alleged victims of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, confirmed in a Facebook post that Aguilera’s parents had hired him.
“They feel certain this was not an accident. This was certainly not a suicide. The family deserves straight answers. We hope we can help them get those answers,” he wrote.
Buzbee announced that his office will hold a press conference in Houston on Friday to provide an in-depth update on the case.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or facing a mental health crisis in New York City, you can call 888-NYC-WELL for free, confidential support. If you’re outside the five boroughs, dial 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or visit SuicidePreventionLifeline.org for help.
