Family Challenges Police Challenges UCSB Police in student’s fatal balcony collapse
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Nearly 10 months after Uc Santa Barbara Freshman Elizabeth “Liz” Hamel was assaulted in a campus hall, police say the case has been closed as an accident. But his family says the explanation doesn’t add up and Santa Barbara County District Attorney Lorvice Lord’s office now confirms the case remains “under review.”
The UC Santa Barbara Police Department (UCPD) told FOX News Digital in a new statement that after an investigation that lasted several months, the department concluded that Hamul died as a result of an accidental fall.
“After a thorough investigation into the conduct of one of our students outside the residence hall in February 2025, the UCPD forwarded the findings to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s office,” the Department said.
UCPD said it is working closely with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and the Honta Barbara County District Attorney’s Office on the case.
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Liz Hamel, 18, was found unconscious outside the University of California Santa Barbara campus on Feb. (Alain Hamel)
“Based on the reliability of the active investigation, which includes a systematic review and narration of all available information and many interviews, including a person of interest identified during the investigation,” continues the incident that this incident was an accidental fall, “said the incident.
The ministry said it meets regularly with Hamel’s close family and offers condolences.
“Our hearts and thoughts are with the family and friends who have lost their lives. Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we have no further details to share.”
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office told FOX News the case is “under review.” The office did not provide a timeline for when there might be an update on the case’s status.
Hamul, an 18-year-old biology student and student from Welleve, Washington, was found at 10:26 PM on February 14, 2025, under the sidewalk at UC Santa Barbara’s Hall. He died six days later at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
The Hameli family, through their attorney, gave a statement to FOX News Digital expressing disagreement with the police’s conclusion and concern about unanswered questions.
“We are aware of the outcome of the UCSB police, but we still have unanswered questions about how Liz died. We will continue to work 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’re still trying to figure out how to go on without her.”
An attorney for the Trone family and private investigator Michael Claytor told FOX News Digital that they share the police department’s conclusions and believe the evidence does not support a prosecution.
They said the missing information remains sensitive and flagged what they see as inconsistencies in the “Halalani” investigative record.
They also raised concerns about UCPD’s handling of the investigation, saying there may be a “conflict of interest” in protecting the university’s police department in the death of its own person.
“Our own investigation is ongoing,” they added.
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The family of Elizabeth “Liz” Hamel is challenging UCSB police’s conclusion that Freshman Fall contributed to the accident, raising unanswered questions about the investigation. (Alain Hamel)
According to SFGate, Hamel and Maho’s father held a news conference in June at the location where they were found, asking for information, especially about the unidentified man they were first seen with.
In a press conference, Maho told reporters that Hamel had spent about two hours at the Lao Wang Noodle Bar in Isla Vista with a man, who was very close to him “inside the restaurant. He apparently left his phone and identification behind, friends who were returned later.
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Liz Hamel died earlier this year after falling from a dorm crezeway at UC Santa Barbara. (Alain Hamel)
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SFGate reported that the two did not go to San Miguel, DAMEL’s Freshman dorm, but instead to San Rafael, another residence hall on campus. Alain Hamel said: “He lived across campus,” Alam said.
“One should not just stumble across this place. It is not the first place one would go,” said Maho, adding that they believe the man may have known someone there or may have known someone there or may have lived in the building.
At 10:26 PM, a passerby, not the man who left the restaurant with him, found Hamel badly injured under the San Rafael sidewalk. He was still alive when the first supporters arrived and died six days in the hospital.
Hamel moved to California in 2024 to pursue studies in biology and chemistry and hoped to become a scientist. He was also a member of PI BETA PHI’s California Zeta chapter, which publicly mourned his death in March.
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A Washington State father is pressing for answers in the investigation into the death of his 18-year-old daughter at UC Santa Barbara earlier this year. (Marli Miller / UCG / Urfert Images Group via Getty Images)
“With heavy hearts, we share the passing of California sakes my beloved sister Liz Hamel,” the chapter wrote. “Sending Love and Support to His Family, Loved Ones and Sisters at Pi Beta Phi Ucsb at this time.”
“Liz Hamel was a beloved and treasured member of Pe Beta Phi. She will be missed for the kindness and joy she brought to others.”
His father revealed the family’s grief in an earlier interview with Fox News.
“He was our Earth. He is our only child. And he was everything to us. … we were very lucky to have him.”
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As prosecutors continue their investigation and the family’s machinery to provide answers, the events leading up to Hamule’s discovery remain unclear.
FOX News Digital’s Brie Stimson contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicide and immigration crime. Send story tips to Stepheny.Price@fox.com.
