Person of Interest Questioned by UCSB Police in Hamel’s Death Case
John Palminteri
UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — UC Santa Barbara police announced Thursday evening that they have questioned a person of interest as part of their investigation into the mysterious death of freshman student Liz Hamel.
UC police said, “An individual who was identified in relation to the incident at our residence hall has been located and interviewed.” They added that, since the investigation is ongoing, no further details can be shared at this time. Police also said they are working closely with the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office and are keeping the family informed.
These latest developments come a day after Liz Hamel’s family asked the public to help identify a young man who was the last person to see her before she fell from the San Rafael dorm on February 14.
She was found unconscious on a sidewalk under a breezeway at the San Rafael Dorm and died six days later at Cottage Hospital from her injuries.
Your NewsChannel also spoke with Alain Hamel, Liz’s father, on Thursday night from his home in Washington. He confirmed that the young man police interviewed is the same individual seen in the photos released by the family’s attorney. He did not provide further details but thanked the community for responding quickly, adding that their help has been “critical to the investigation.”
The timeline from her family and their attorney, Tyrone Maho, includes photos from the Isla Vista area at a restaurant around 10 p.m. She was found on the ground, barely alive, just 20 minutes later.
A photo has been released of the person being sought for information. The image shows a young man, and where Liz Hamel would have been in front of him, she has been removed through a photo editing technique “out of respect” for her, according to Maho. A community-wide request is being made to help identify the individual.
Alain Hamel stood beside large, poster-sized images on the flyer and said, “If you recognize the individual in the photos or saw anything that night that might be relevant—no matter how small—please come forward. Your information may be key to helping us understand what happened to Liz.”
Maho says, according to witnesses, Hamel was last seen at Lao Wang Noodle Bar with an unidentified white male, approximately six feet tall, with dark blonde hair. Hamel’s friends saw the two leave Lao Wang’s together, and that was the last time anyone saw her alive. The unidentified male was wearing light blue Carhartt jeans, a gray Patagonia sweatshirt, and a carabiner with keys on his right hip. They left after 10:06 p.m. Hamel was found unconscious just 21 minutes later.
He said, “The family is calling on all students, the UCSB and Santa Barbara communities, and anyone who might even have the slightest information to come forward.” Maho also asked for help from Chancellor Henry Yang.
The dorm where the tragedy occurred is not where Hamel lived. Alain Hamel said, “The assumption is that he lived in this area and she lived on the opposite side of campus.”
Information about the death did not emerge in the same timeline as the events themselves. The campus community first became aware of the incident through a social media post on March 1 from Hamel’s sorority. The university released its first public statement on March 21, following a request from NewsChannel 3-12. It stated that due to privacy concerns, specific details of the investigation could not be disclosed.
Charlotte Kester, a close friend, said, “It’s been an awful situation, but we know that the only thing we can do is help find out what happened to her and give her some respect.”
Hamel’s roommate, Kate Berg, said she and others who were present that night are being helpful. “We’re just telling the detectives and the police everything we know. I’ve shared every picture and video from that night to get them everything we can.” Many photos were taken that evening. “We always took a ton of pictures.”
Flyers are also going up at Santa Barbara City College. The student population from SBCC in Isla Vista is significant.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Michael Claytor, of Claytor Investigations, by text or call, to: 805-335-3851, or email: claytor.investigations@gmail.com. All contacts can remain anonymous.
UC Santa Barbara Media Relations Manager Kiki Reyes issued the following statement on behalf of the university in response to Your News Channel’s inquiries on Wednesday:
“UC Police Department detectives have been working tirelessly to review all aspects of the tragic passing of one of our students outside a residence hall since they were called to investigate. Detectives and officers have conducted numerous interviews and have been systematically reviewing and accounting for all the available information related to the incident. The UCPD has met regularly with the immediate family members to support them through the investigative process of this tragedy.
The UCPD is committed to continuing its comprehensive investigation to seek answers related to this tragic event and has been working closely with the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s office since the early stages of the investigation.
Anyone with information should contact the UCPD at (805) 893-7274. Because the work is ongoing, we cannot discuss any specifics related to the investigation at this time. Again, our hearts and thoughts are with the family and friends who have suffered a terrible loss.”