“Although the preliminary investigation indicated this was an unfortunate accident, the Sheriff’s Office is still investigating this accident as a criminal matter until they have sufficient evidence to rule out criminal activity.”
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It’s not clear exactly what this means..... In this Austin Amcerican-Statesman piece which just came out a day or so ago, the complete letter to AG Paxton was included along with a lengthy explanation that it was NOT a criminal investigation. Unfortunately, this is now behind a paywall...
https://www.statesman.com/story/news/state/2024/03/04/angela-chao-death-texas-has-not-pivoted-criminal-investigation-tack-officials-say/72841433007/