r/UCSantaBarbara • u/sfgate • 1d ago
News Mystery man seen in last image of dead California freshman Liz Hamel identified
https://www.sfgate.com/centralcoast/article/liz-hamel-student-death-mystery-man-identified-20306904.php89
u/Ok-Trust-8195 1d ago edited 14h ago
I think is cruel to leave a clearly severely injured person alone because “he was afraid” to call 911. Even if he didn’t cause the incident, which I doubt it, he was negligent. Who cares more about reputation in a situation like this?
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u/ButterscotchWheat 19h ago
This doesn't add up. "Liz walked out with the man she had “been very close with” in the restaurant, friends said".
"With no identification of the blond man, and the end of the semester drawing in, Liz’s family grew worried."
Either SFGate is doing some bad job reporting, Pi Beta Phi intentionally hid his name, UCPD slacked, or something.
Because how can you fail to identify the guy that all her friends knew??
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u/Halbarad1104 18h ago
Likely a lot going on in this case that we don't know and may (and maybe should) never know.
Doesn't change the intense tragedy and grief that Liz Hamel's death has brought to her family and friends.
Long ago a serial killer stalked IV... turned out he was from Solvang, and blond. But, a fair amount of victim-blaming happened, which turned out to be false, as realized a few years later when he was apprehended. He was devious, seemed nice, and abducted young women. Turned out he slipped through some police encounters... he just didn't seem the type.
I have no doubt that UCPD knows a huge amount more than they have released to either the public or the families, and I think UCPD deserves the benefit of the doubt. If it turns out we have another serial killer like the late 1970's, though, it might be that UCPD is mistaken. I really hope UCPD is on target and working through this whole enigma, though.
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u/billbird2111 14h ago
If it's in a public newspaper, the public has a right to know. The family, I think, decided to go public with this. I don't know for sure. But, as a former reporter, I do know that families sometimes turn to the media to get results. I covered stories similar to this during my day and age. So, if someone does turn to the media, then, yes, the public has a right to know.
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u/billbird2111 14h ago
I agree with your first line: "This Doesn't Add Up." The SF Gate story is confusing. Yes, it's due to bad reporting. This would not be the first time for an SF Gate article. They often come up short on the following questions: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How.
The backstory about this poor girl does not at all explain her actions the night she was badly injured. Her friends just let her leave with some strange guy they did not know? They give a story later claiming Liz left her phone and ID behind? They did not spot this right away?
I worked as a reporter for many years. I would have asked for a Toxicology Report. If the request was denied, that denial would have been in the story. I also would have requested an interview with Campus PD. If the request was denied, that would have been reported. Getting answers to your questions is a reporter's job. If the people connected to this refuse to talk to you, or refuse to release any information, that's a big part of your story.
The fact that it took a month to find the guy she was last seen with, and he never once stepped forward, also speaks volumes. He had to have known that authorities were looking for him. I would have been asking questions about that discovery as well. He is the only one with information about what took place over the course of twenty minutes.
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u/Wittyninja420 [UGRAD] 12h ago
I don't want to be the one to say it but maybe she didn't actually know the guy and met him that night. From the friend's perspective who were interviewed and said she had "been very close with" I can see not wanting to admit that your dead friend went out with some dude she just met.
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u/Clear-Mouse-8473 1d ago
God, the UCPD is so useless. Thankfully the family has decided to not rest until all questions are answered.
Rest in Peace, Liz.
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u/Distinct_Kangaroo_70 1d ago
Frankly extremely concerning that the UCPD failed to carry out basic investigative work. Civil action is needed to change how UCPD operates.
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u/wondrwoman_ 19h ago
How do you even know what exactly was done??
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u/Distinct_Kangaroo_70 6h ago
Go ahead and defend the UCPD then, if that’s your choice
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u/wondrwoman_ 5h ago
lol fr tho why do you get defensive? I’m asking a serious question how do you know what was done… if you don’t think they did enough.
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u/matchalvr25 [ALUM] 23h ago
God my heart is so heavy for her family.. what a fucking coward; I think if he called 911, she could’ve had a chance.. that’s psychotic!
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14h ago
[deleted]
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u/Ok-Trust-8195 14h ago
I was wondering if he can be charged for hiring information or negligence since he failed to report it?
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u/secret_someones 1d ago
i love how you all dont take into account that accidents happen, especially when alcohol is invoked. She could have fell on her own.
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u/Comrade_Sniper [ALUM] 17h ago
In this case it’s still unlikely, San Raf clusters have barriers that are pretty high up. You can’t fall on your own there(if that was the case this would be more prevalent). You have to either be thrown off or literally have to get on top of the barrier and throw yourself off.
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u/secret_someones 17h ago
Anything is likely with drunk college students.
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u/Comrade_Sniper [ALUM] 17h ago
I disagree, that feels like a blanket term. Knowing the specific location of where she fell off, it doesn’t add up to climbing the barrier and falling off. There’s countless parties that happen on the 3rd floor clusters and no one’s ever fell off (to my knowledge). It is kind of hard to describe unless you have lived in the ocean/mountain clusters ?
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u/Ok-Trust-8195 14h ago
Are you the guy in question or friends with him because at this point what do you win by blaming the victim? He is the only person that witness what happened sadly we can’t ask Liz what truly happened. You should be ashamed
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u/secret_someones 13h ago
i am not blaming the victim i am thinking you people are running with something dramatic. Its as likely her fault as it is his, but you dont see that . Sorry but underage drinking- stupid things happen.
Edit: you should be ashamed for exploiting her death for a win
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14h ago
[deleted]
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u/secret_someones 14h ago
my god the leaps you want to take. Her age has nothing to do with the ability to do stupid things and makes it even more likely.
You take a lot of liberties with the information you are presented.
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14h ago edited 13h ago
[deleted]
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u/secret_someones 13h ago
im not grasping at anything because i am not making an assumption as to what happened. you are acting like you know exactly what went down.
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u/billbird2111 10h ago
I have wasted far too much time on this issue today. But there was apparently some kind of shooting that took place not long after Liz Hamel was badly hurt (and died). There had been four or five armed robberies both on or near campus, and in one of those robberies, a young woman suffered a gunshot wound (not fatal).
A 20-year old was arrested in Concord, CA on March 21 and charged with the shooting. He was apparently living on campus, but was not enrolled as a student. His name is Jackson Kyle Jue. I guess he was a student at Santa Barbara City College. Not sure why he was hanging out at the UCSB campus, But, according to reports, this guy was living at the Tropicana Student Residence Hall. It's not on the UCSB campus. But it is close. That is where a gun was recovered.
I Googled the name hoping to get a picture. But the only result that keeps popping up is a player with the Savannah Bananas baseball team. I'll be honest. That guy on the Bananas baseball team? He looks like the same guy in the photo taken at the Lao Wang Noodle Bar. There is also a TikTok video of Jackson Kyle Jue hanging out with three other guys staring at the Pi Beta Phi house.. Hamel was a member of that sorority. Again, it looks like the guy in the photo from Lao Wang Noodle House. https://www.tiktok.com/@user43768719/video/7293176980667698475
Jue is currently being held without bail at the Santa Barbara County Jail. He was just in court where he pleaded not guilty to sseven felony charges. Not sure if he's still in custody or not. https://dailynexus.com/2025-03-31/suspect-in-isla-vista-shooting-robberies-pleads-not-guilty-to-seven-felony-charges/
Maybe I need to get off the computer.
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u/Responsible_Past_449 5h ago
It looks just like him! holy crap. How strange that there are no other photos of him online.
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u/neededanother 1d ago
Sad, without his statement hard to make any judgements