Texas A&M Student's Death Ruled Suicide After 17-Floor Fall

Brianna Aguilera's family disputes the findings and continues their own investigation.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The Travis County Medical Examiner's Office has ruled the death of 19-year-old Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera as a suicide by blunt force trauma after she fell 17 floors from an apartment balcony in Austin. However, Aguilera's family disputes the findings and has filed a lawsuit, believing there may have been foul play involved.

Why it matters

Aguilera's death has raised questions about campus safety, mental health support for students, and the thoroughness of police investigations, especially when families dispute the official findings.

The details

According to the autopsy report, Aguilera had alcohol and Delta 8 in her system when she fell from the balcony on November 29. The medical examiner determined her death was a suicide, but Aguilera's family has filed a lawsuit, claiming the 5'2" student could not have voluntarily gone over the 44-inch railing. The family's attorney, Tony Buzbee, has accused the Austin Police Department of lacking in their investigation, while the police maintain they "used every available resource" and found evidence of Aguilera mentioning self-harm to friends.

  • Aguilera fell from the balcony on November 29.
  • The autopsy report was released on February 13, 2026.

The players

Brianna Aguilera

A 19-year-old Texas A&M student who died after falling 17 floors from an apartment balcony in Austin.

Tony Buzbee

The attorney representing Aguilera's family, who believes there may have been foul play involved in her death.

Robert Marshall

The lead detective with the Austin Police Department, who stated that Aguilera had mentioned self-harm to friends and written a digital suicide note.

Leticia Schuman, MD

The deputy medical examiner who determined that Aguilera's cause of death was blunt force trauma and the manner of death was suicide.

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What they’re saying

“It is my opinion that the cause of death is blunt trauma. There was no indication based on law enforcement investigation that another individual was involved in the incident which resulted in the decedent's death.”

— Leticia Schuman, MD, Deputy Medical Examiner (Austin American-Statesmen)

“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.”

— Tony Buzbee, Attorney for Aguilera's family (CrimeOnline)

What’s next

The Aguilera family's lawsuit and independent investigation into Brianna's death are ongoing.

The takeaway

This tragic case highlights the need for greater mental health support and safety measures on college campuses, as well as thorough, transparent investigations when student deaths occur, especially when families dispute the official findings.