Austin authorities say investigation into Angela Chao’s ‘unfortunate accident’ is unchanged

Latest development: Blanco County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Robert Woodring informed the Austin American-Statesman that the investigation into Chao’s death “has not changed at all,” adding, “It’s always been an unfortunate accident. We have not seen a single thing that would make us believe otherwise.” Woodring declined to provide any further information about Chao’s case.

What happened: Chao, 50, died when her car submerged in a pond on a private ranch in Johnson City, located approximately 40 miles (64.37 kilometers) from Austin, on Feb. 11, the Austin American-Statesman previously reported, citing the emergency responders’ report. Foremost Group announced her sudden death in a press release, describing the event as a “tragic car accident.”

The report noted that public records purportedly showed the property is owned by a corporate entity with the same Chicago address as the investment and equity firm owned by Chao’s husband, Jim Breyer.

The investigation: While details of Chao’s death remain unclear, MSNBC quoted an alleged letter purportedly sent by the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday, stating that the “incident was not a typical accident.”

“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,” the letter allegedly read.

A Blanco County Sheriff’s public information officer also told Paxton not to release any information to media outlets, such as 911 logs, audio and video evidence, while authorities are still investigating the case.

What they’re saying: In a statement, Blanco County spokesperson Kimberly Ashby attributed the media’s report of the county’s letter to the attorney general as a “misinterpretation of a sentence,” according to the Austin American-Statesman.