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Nearly 10 months after UC Santa Barbara freshman Elizabeth “Liz” Hamel suffered a fatal fall from a campus residence hall balcony, police say the case is closed as an accident. But her family says the explanation doesn’t add up and the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office now confirms the case is still “under review.”
The UC Santa Barbara Police Department (UCPD) told Fox News Digital in a new statement that after conducting a months-long investigation, the department concluded Hamel died as the result of an accidental fall.
“Following a thorough investigation into the tragic passing of one of our students outside a residence hall in February 2025, UCPD forwarded its findings to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office for review,” the department said.
UCPD said it worked closely with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office during the case.
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“Based on the totality of the exhaustive investigation, which entailed a systematic review and account of all available information and numerous interviews, including a person of interest identified during the course of the investigation, it is the Department’s conclusion that the incident was an accidental fall,” the statement continued.
The department said it met regularly with Hamel’s immediate family and extended condolences.
“Our hearts and thoughts are with the family and friends who have suffered a terrible loss. Out of respect for the privacy of the family, we do not have any additional information to share.”
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office separately told Fox News Digital the case remains “under review.” The office did not provide a timeline for when there might be an update on the status of the case.
Hamel, an 18-year-old biology and chemistry student from Bellevue, Washington, was discovered around 10:26 p.m. on Feb. 14, 2025, beneath a third-floor walkway at UC Santa Barbara’s San Rafael Residence Hall. She died six days later at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
The Hamel family, through their attorney, provided a statement to Fox News Digital expressing disagreement with the police conclusion and concern over unanswered questions.
“We are aware of UCSB Police’s conclusion, but we still have unanswered questions about how Liz died. We will continue working with our counsel and the appropriate authorities to ensure that all available evidence is carefully reviewed.”
“On the human side, my wife and I are devastated. Liz was our only child and we are still trying to understand how to go on without her.”
Family attorney Tyrone Maho and private investigator Michael Claytor told Fox News Digital they disagree with the police department’s conclusion and believe the evidence does not support closing the case.
They said there is still critical information missing and flagged what they view as inconsistencies in the investigative record that “remain unaddressed.”
They also raised concerns about UCPD handling the investigation, saying there may be a “potential conflict of interest” in having the university police department investigate the death of one of its own students.
“Our own investigation continues,” they added.
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According to SFGATE, Hamel’s father and Maho held a news conference in June at the spot where she was found, pleading for information, particularly about the unidentified man who was last seen with her the night she died.
At the news conference, Maho told reporters that Hamel had spent nearly two hours at Lao Wang Noodle Bar in Isla Vista with the man, whom she appeared to be “very close with” inside the restaurant. She apparently left her phone and identification behind, which friends later recovered.
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SFGATE reported that the pair did not walk toward San Miguel, Hamel’s freshman dorm, but instead headed toward San Rafael, another residence hall on campus. “She lived on the other side of campus,” Alain Hamel said, noting that the dorm where his daughter was discovered is not on the route from the restaurant to her own residence hall.
“One doesn’t just stumble across this dorm. It’s not the first place one would go,” Maho said, adding that they believe the man may have known someone there or may have been staying in the building.
At 10:26 p.m., a passerby, not the man who left the restaurant with her, found Hamel critically injured beneath a third-floor walkway outside San Rafael Residence Hall. She was still alive when first responders arrived and died six days later in the hospital.
Hamel moved to California in 2024 to pursue studies in biology and chemistry and hoped to become a scientist. She was also a member of Pi Beta Phi’s California Zeta chapter, which publicly mourned her death in March.
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“With heavy hearts, we share the passing of our beloved California Zeta sister Liz Hamel,” the chapter wrote. “Sending Pi Phi Love and support to her family, loved ones, and our sisters at Pi Beta Phi UCSB during this time.”
“Liz Hamel was a loved and cherished member of Pi Beta Phi. She will be remembered for the kindness and joy she brought to others.”
Her father expressed the family’s grief in his earlier interview with Fox News.
“She was our world. She’s our only child. And she was everything to us. … We were so lucky to have 18 years with her. We wish we had more time.”
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As prosecutors continue their review and the family presses for answers, the events leading to Hamel’s fatal fall remain unclear.
Fox News Digital’s Brie Stimson contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to [email protected].
