Cops rule college freshman’s deadly dorm fall an accident, but DA delays closure as family fights for answers

Nearly 10 months aft UC Santa Barbara freshman Elizabeth "Liz" Hamel suffered a fatal autumn from a field residence hallway balcony, constabulary accidental the lawsuit is closed arsenic an accident. But her household says the mentation doesn’t adhd up and the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office present confirms the lawsuit is inactive "under review."

The UC Santa Barbara Police Department (UCPD) told Fox News Digital successful a caller connection that aft conducting a months-long investigation, the section concluded Hamel died arsenic the effect of an accidental fall.

"Following a thorough probe into the tragic passing of 1 of our students extracurricular a residence hallway successful February 2025, UCPD forwarded its findings to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office for review," the section said.

UCPD said it worked intimately with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office and the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office during the case.

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Liz Hamel, 18, was recovered unconscious extracurricular a dorm connected the field of the University of California Santa Barbara Feb. 14 aft seemingly falling from a breezeway.  (Alain Hamel)

"Based connected the totality of the exhaustive investigation, which entailed a systematic reappraisal and relationship of each disposable accusation and galore interviews, including a idiosyncratic of involvement identified during the people of the investigation, it is the Department’s decision that the incidental was an accidental fall," the connection continued.

The section said it met regularly with Hamel’s contiguous household and extended condolences.

"Our hearts and thoughts are with the household and friends who person suffered a unspeakable loss. Out of respect for the privateness of the family, we bash not person immoderate further accusation to share."

The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office separately told Fox News Digital the lawsuit remains "under review." The bureau did not supply a timeline for erstwhile determination mightiness beryllium an update connected the presumption of the case.

Hamel, an 18-year-old biology and chemistry pupil from Bellevue, Washington, was discovered astir 10:26 p.m. connected Feb. 14, 2025, beneath a third-floor walkway astatine UC Santa Barbara’s San Rafael Residence Hall. She died six days aboriginal astatine Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

The Hamel family, done their attorney, provided a connection to Fox News Digital expressing disagreement with the constabulary decision and interest implicit unanswered questions.

"We are alert of UCSB Police’s conclusion, but we inactive person unanswered questions astir however Liz died. We volition proceed moving with our counsel and the due authorities to guarantee that each disposable grounds is cautiously reviewed."

"On the quality side, my woman and I are devastated. Liz was our lone kid and we are inactive trying to recognize however to spell connected without her."

Family lawyer Tyrone Maho and backstage researcher Michael Claytor told Fox News Digital they disagree with the constabulary department’s decision and judge the grounds does not enactment closing the case. 

They said determination is inactive captious accusation missing and flagged what they presumption arsenic inconsistencies successful the investigative grounds that "remain unaddressed."

They besides raised concerns astir UCPD handling the investigation, saying determination whitethorn beryllium a "potential struggle of interest" successful having the assemblage constabulary section analyse the decease of 1 of its ain students.

"Our ain probe continues," they added.

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The household of Elizabeth "Liz" Hamel is challenging the UCSB constabulary decision that the freshman's deadly autumn was an accident, citing unanswered questions astir the investigation. (Alain Hamel)

According to SFGATE, Hamel’s begetter and Maho held a quality league successful June astatine the spot wherever she was found, pleading for information, peculiarly astir the unidentified antheral who was past seen with her the nighttime she died.

At the quality conference, Maho told reporters that Hamel had spent astir 2 hours astatine Lao Wang Noodle Bar successful Isla Vista with the man, whom she appeared to beryllium "very adjacent with" wrong the restaurant. She seemingly near her telephone and recognition behind, which friends aboriginal recovered.

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Liz Hamel died earlier this twelvemonth aft a autumn from a dorm breezeway astatine UC Santa Barbara.  (Alain Hamel)

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SFGATE reported that the brace did not locomotion toward San Miguel, Hamel’s freshman dorm, but alternatively headed toward San Rafael, different residence hallway connected campus. "She lived connected the different broadside of campus," Alain Hamel said, noting that the dorm wherever his girl was discovered is not connected the way from the edifice to her ain residence hall.

"One doesn’t conscionable stumble crossed this dorm. It’s not the archetypal spot 1 would go," Maho said, adding that they judge the antheral whitethorn person known idiosyncratic determination oregon whitethorn person been staying successful the building.

At 10:26 p.m., a passerby, not the antheral who near the edifice with her, recovered Hamel critically injured beneath a third-floor walkway extracurricular San Rafael Residence Hall. She was inactive live erstwhile archetypal responders arrived and died six days aboriginal successful the hospital.

Hamel moved to California successful 2024 to prosecute studies successful biology and chemistry and hoped to go a scientist. She was besides a subordinate of Pi Beta Phi’s California Zeta chapter, which publically mourned her decease successful March.

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A Washington authorities begetter is pressing for answers astir the probe into his 18-year-old daughter’s decease astatine UC Santa Barbara earlier this year. (Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

"With dense hearts, we stock the passing of our beloved California Zeta sister Liz Hamel," the section wrote. "Sending Pi Phi Love and enactment to her family, loved ones, and our sisters astatine Pi Beta Phi UCSB during this time."

"Liz Hamel was a loved and cherished subordinate of Pi Beta Phi. She volition beryllium remembered for the kindness and joyousness she brought to others."

Her begetter expressed the family's grief successful his earlier interrogation with Fox News.

"She was our world. She’s our lone child. And she was everything to us. … We were truthful fortunate to person 18 years with her. We privation we had much time."

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As prosecutors proceed their reappraisal and the household presses for answers, the events starring to Hamel’s fatal autumn stay unclear.

Fox News Digital's Brie Stimson contributed to this report. 

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send communicative tips to [email protected].