SAN ANTONIO — The family of the youngest victim of a 2019 shooting that claimed the lives of three people is taking action after spending several "paralyzing" months without answers.
London Bribiescas was 10 years old when she was found dead alongside her mother, Nichol Olsen, and sister, Alexa Montez. While the Bexar County Medical Examiner ruled Bribiescas and Montez's deaths homicides and Olsen's death a suicide, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office has kept the investigation open, reasoning that they are not ready to conclude Olsen killed her daughters. No one has been charged in the investigation.
Bribiescas's aunt, Emma Mancha-Sumners, said while her family has many questions about the investigation, they're focusing on something where they can effect change: the law.
"It's been a year over year, and and this year has just been like a really kind of paralyzing experience," Mancha-Sumners said. "And there's a lot of waiting. The case is still open and the investigations has just gone forever and nobody has any answers. And there's this need to do something about something."
Mancha-Sumners on Tuesday authored an op-ed in the San Antonio Express-News, calling on people to petition lawmakers on "red flag" laws. In their simplest form, red flag laws allow for law enforcement or a third party to petition the courts to remove firearms from the possession of those who pose a danger to themselves or to others.
"Everybody always says, you know, 'Oh, it's really tacky or in poor taste to politicize a case after it happens. And we're like, 'OK. Well, it's been a year and it's our case to politicize.'
"It's alright to politicize this, and if we want to talk about London, we want to talk about the situation that caused this horrible catastrophe, then it's our catastrophe to politicize. We want people talking about her and what happened and how stupid this death was, because it's totally preventable. And I just think it's right. And it's national gun violence survivors week, and it's just a good time. We're glad to be able to do something."
The Bribiescas family, with the help of their attorney Joseph Hoelscher, are contacting lawmakers at all levels to ask them to champion the cause. They said the idea came after reflecting on the stories they had been told about the house where Olsen lived with her boyfriend and two daughters.
"You kind of reflect and you're thinking, 'Oh, my God,' like, 'I had no idea that this stuff was happening around my niece,'" Mancha-Sumners said.
Mancha-Sumners said while she's been lectured about not politicizing the issue, she believes the request is anything but partisan.
"Keeping guns away from people who are dangerous or could be a danger to themselves and others, this is so common sense," she said. "That should not be a partisan issue. It just shouldn't. And the fact that nobody – not one of our representatives has stepped up and tried to do that – is, to me, just ridiculous."
Mancha-Sumners said her family had the resources to take Bribiescas out of the home had they known something was wrong. They believe that, had red flag laws been in place, at a minimum, the family would have known something was wrong.
"Even if no formal interventions happen in that place, then at least some little girl's father could find out about what's happening and come get her," Mancha-Sumners said. "So that it doesn't happen, because I know my brother would have (come for London)."
"We're here a year later and nothing."
Bribiescas's father, Hector Bribiescas, spoke for the first time since his only child's life was taken. He said above everything else, he wants answers.
"I don't know where they're at on their investigation," Hector Bribiescas said of the Bexar County Sheriff's Office's investigation into his daughter's death. "We haven't been notified of anything."
Mancha-Sumners and Bribiescas said they also haven't yet gotten a clear answer as to who is leading the investigation, nor as to what law enforcement is waiting on before they conclude their investigation.
"You would think that there would be a better protocol in place to handling the families," Mancha-Sumners said. "Just letting us know who's in charge would be a huge deal because I've spent days on the phone calling people and trying to figure out answers, answers, answers. And everybody just says, 'Oh, you have to talk to somebody,' or, 'You have to talk to so-and-so.'"
Both said they understand that law enforcement is unable to share certain information because it could compromise their investigation.
"Nobody, at this point, is asking for more details about what happened that night," she said "I think we just want answers about where we are on the investigation."
The Sheriff's Office on Tuesday released the following statement regarding the case and the family's concerns:
"The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office is the lead investigating agency for the Anaqua Springs Homicide Investigation.
From the onset of this investigation, the FBI has been our partner by assisting us with reviewing all of the evidence BCSO Homicide Investigators have gathered.
I am not aware of the misleading comments family members have received in this case, however, as the Sheriff has stated previously before—this case will not be closed until we are satisfied that every bit of evidence has been reviewed and discussed in detail with the FBI.
Additionally, at this time there are no developments or updates available in this case."
FBI public affairs officer, special agent Michelle Lee shared the following statement with KENS 5:
"BCSO has always been the lead agency. The Sheriff has been very gracious in recognizing our partnership in this case, but the FBI’s role in this investigation has always been to assist BCSO.
The FBI does not comment on specific investigative steps it is taking, particularly when we are assisting our law enforcement partners. While we try to do our work as efficiently and quickly as possible, a lot of the work we do can be can be extremely complex requiring a great deal of time and effort to ensure thorough and accurate results."
As of Wednesday evening, the family had not been contacted by the sheriff's office.
As Mancha-Sumners and other relatives move forward with plans to renovate a primate habitat at the Austin Zoo in London's honor, Bribiescas said his life is seemingly at a standstill.
"I guess for me, it's impossible to figure out how to move on," Bribiescas said. "I still don't know what happened.
Both said they won't speculate on what happened in the home, given that they don't have enough information.
"We're here now a year later and nothing," Bribiescas said.
Bribiescas said they want answers not just for themselves, but for Olsen and Montez's families as well.
"They asked us to be patient," Bribiescas said. "Like I said, I've been very patient—but I'm losing my patience at this point."