[UPDATE 12/9/1:32 p.m.] The article has been updated to include the response from the UCSB Police Department.
The family of UC Santa Barbara student Elizabeth “Liz” Hamel will continue to investigate the incident that resulted in her death, according to the family and its legal counsel. This follows the University of California Police Department’s conclusion on Dec. 5 that it was an accidental fall.
During an April press conference, Alain Hamel said that during early police briefings, the UCPD’s strategy “did not include public outreach.” Jack Dindia / Daily Nexus
On the night of Feb. 14, Hamel was found unconscious outside of the San Rafael Residence Hall with severe injuries. Six days later, she was pronounced dead at 18 years old. Last Friday, Dec. 5, the University of California Police Department (UCPD) released a statement saying that, after an “exhaustive investigation,” the department concluded it was an “accidental fall.”
According to a joint statement from Attorney Tyrone Maho, the Hamel family’s counsel and Investigator Michael Claytor, they “disagree” with the UCPD’s statement that “there can be a conclusion made in connection with Ms. Hamel’s death.” The group also affirmed that its independent investigation continues.
“We are aware of key inconsistencies that remain unaddressed, creating more questions than answers,” the statement read.
The group also alleged that there may be an “inherent” conflict of interest within the investigation.
“Further, we are concerned that there may be an inherent conflict of interest with the UCSB Police Department investigating this matter, and we could potentially be dealing with a biased review of the events that occurred on February 14, 2025,” the statement concluded.
UCPD responded by saying they conducted a thorough investigation, working closely with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office “since the early stages of the investigation.”
During an April 30 press conference held by the family and its counsel, Hamel’s father, Alain Hamel, said that during early police briefings, the UCPD’s strategy “did not include public outreach.” Before the conference, a young male seen with Liz Hamel on the night of the incident had not been identified.
“We respected that approach and trusted the process. However, as the weeks turned into months, we’ve been having briefings with the police, and the tenor has slightly changed in that area, as it seems they’re having difficulty identifying the man [seen with Liz Hamel],” Alain Hamel said at the time.
In another statement, Alain Hamel said the family still has unanswered questions about the incident. Alain Hamel said the family will continue working with its counsel and the 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,” the statement read.
Let me see if I can get this straight. Is it true that it wasn’t until the father of Elizabeth Hamel hired a lawyer and private detective, that any information was acquired about the young man who was the last person seen with Elizabeth Hamel? And that two months passed before this information was acquired? And that the UCSB Mafia Police were the ones that interrogated him? Might they have cleared him under pressure from the great criminal propagandist Chancellor-punk, Henry Yang, because they didn’t want to see a “1” next to “Murders” on the their next Clery Report? If… Read more »
Where was Neil Baker that night? A violent felon with a history of mental illness, harassing campus and having been banned from campus this question needs answering.
I think it was Aristotle that said something along the lines of, “Vice knows only vice but virtue knows both virtue and vice.” Did the UCSB Mafia Police initiate a criminal investigation immediately? How long did they wait? Why? What assumption did they make and why? They say they’ve CONFIRMED that it was an accident; how do they know that? Why aren’t they telling the public how they know that? Do they know which room she was in? Was she drunk when she left the restaurant? Did they go to any trouble to find out? What was the chronology? What… Read more »
DOnt let Neil Baker shift the real lead- Where was he? Did he violently attck a person like he did campus before? Why is he writing long nonsense to distract from the fact that no one seems sure where he was that night.
During my one-year incarceration at a V.A. mental facility in Los Angeles after spending 4 months in Santa Barbara County Jail with bail set at $250,000 for my 1st offense felony conviction for nonviolently breaking one $600 UCSB Mafia window, I was told by someone that they heard me on the radio while stuck in bumper to bumper on the 405. It was a seven-year-old recording made in 2007 of my exchange with Michio Kaku during his “Science Fantastic!” radio show. More than one person has installed the audio file on YouTube and many have commented. I encourage everyone to… Read more »
Please go aways and stop trying to exploit this tragic accident to fit into your delusional hallucinations and your racist/antisemitic pathetic world view. You need help and to be hospitalized again before you hurt another person. WHere were you that night what did you do?
As I’ve said many times, I’m an anti-Zionist, not an anti-Semite. Not all Jews are Zionists and not all Zionists are Jews. Zionists try to hide behind Jews by always trying to equate Zionism with Judaism but Zionism is an evil political movement and Judaism is a religion and ethnic identity. The best anti-Zionists are anti-Zionist Jews. My main conflict with Jews is that they don’t oppose Zionism more forcefully. They too refuse to nonviolently break a UCSB Mafia window. On an individual basis, I’ve yet to meet a Jew I didn’t like although there was that one landlord in Boca Raton… Read more »
Why wont this man say he wasnt there and didnt do it? he is a violent felon who terrorized campus. These questions need to be asked. Where was Neil Baker. WE all can see how crazy and delusional he is. We all can see violence is not far off again.
I was underemployed at a job once where I had the extreme displeasure of working with someone whom I strongly suspect had a narcissistic personality disorder. It was interesting because during the last session I had with my shrink at the V.A. before departing to take my new job, I described my fear of what awaited me. I feared there was another massive asshole waiting for me and, synchronistically, I was right. I’m no shrink, but I have had an above average amount of exposure to the mentally ill especially during my regretful employment with UCSB Mafia. My criminal committal to… Read more »
Why is this psycho still distracting from the fact that he should be a prime suspect- he is a violent mentally unstable felon who has attacked and terrorized campus- he is obviously still obsessed with and delusional about campus what did he do?
Hear in Santa Barbara we our proud democrats and manny of are youth our distressed by the FoxNews-whaching republitard what lives at 1600 Pittsburgh Ave. His rascist polisies our causing the youth to do things like jump from buildings. IT TAKES A VILLAGE. VOTE DEMOCRAT
Hey Brett, what in the world does your tired daily post have to do with this tragic event?
It’s painful to read about cases like this, especially when there are still unanswered questions for the family. I hope they’re able to get the transparency and peace they’re looking for. I usually save articles like this and write down a few reflections, then sort them later using https://www.markdown-to-word.online/