Adrian
A Washington state father is demanding clarity regarding the investigation into the tragic death of his 18-year-old daughter, LIZ HAMEL, on the campus of the University of California Santa Barbara earlier this year. On February 14, LIZ was found unconscious outside a dormitory after reportedly falling from a breezeway. She succumbed to her injuries days later, leaving her family and community in shock and seeking answers.
ALAIN HAMEL, LIZ‘s father, expressed his gratitude for the support provided by the UC Santa Barbara Police Department (UCPD) during this difficult time. However, he emphasized the lingering mysteries surrounding the circumstances leading up to her death. In an interview with SANDRA SMITH, co-anchor of *Fox News America Reports*, he stated, “Over the past few months, we’ve been briefed by UC Santa Barbara PD, and they’ve been very kind to us. They’ve been … empathetic. But, since it’s an ongoing investigation, they can’t provide us with a tremendous amount of details.”
HAMEL, who resides in Seattle, revealed that his family recently reached out to the community for assistance in locating a man who was with LIZ the night of the incident. Within 24 hours, UCPD was able to identify and interview the person of interest. “I think it was incredibly successful. … I can’t say enough for Santa Barbara. It was so fast. They really helped us so much to move the investigation forward,” he said. While emphasizing that the individual is not a suspect, HAMEL expressed hope that this development would shed light on the tragedy.
UC Santa Barbara released a statement confirming the progress in the investigation: “An individual who was identified in relation to the incident at our residence hall has been located and interviewed. The investigation is still ongoing, and we cannot discuss any additional details at this time. UCPD is keeping the family informed and is working closely with the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office.”
HAMEL shared that his daughter and the individual had reportedly met at a noodle bar on Valentine’s Day and left together around 10:06 p.m. LIZ was found unconscious at 10:27 p.m. after the fall. “She was great,” HAMEL said of his daughter. “She was our world. She’s our only child. And she was everything to us. She was a real joy. We were so lucky to have 18 years with her. We wish we had more time.”
UCPD has reiterated its commitment to a comprehensive investigation, collaborating with the district attorney’s office and the sheriff’s office since the early stages of the case. Anyone with information related to LIZ‘s death is urged to contact the tipline at 805-335-3851.
[Sources: Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com) | UC Santa Barbara Statement
