*The family of Zoe Sozo Bethel previously said she died of serious head injuries sustained from an unspecified accident on Feb. 10.
The Miami Police Department initially investigated her death as an attempted suicide but clarified Tuesday that it was a “tragic accident,” and ruled out foul play, The Daily Mail reports.
Bethel, 27, Miss Alabama who represented the Cotton State in the 2021 pageant, reportedly fell from a third-floor window of a residential building and was transported by Miami Fire Rescue to Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition, police say. She died on Friday (Feb. 18).
“On Friday, February 18, 2022, at approximately 5:30AM Eastern time in Miami, Florida, our beloved Zoe Sozo Bethel passed from this life into the next as a result of succumbing to her injuries,” her parents wrote in a Sunday post to her Instagram page.
READ MORE: Miss Alabama Zoe Sozo Bethel Dead Suffering Head Injuries in Accident
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Bethel’s death was initially thought to be a “possible suicide attempt,” authorities tell PEOPLE in a statement.
“Police say the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner ruled her cause of death as blunt force trauma, and that the manner was accidental,” Per PEOPLE.
“This was a tragic accident, and no foul play is suspected,” police say.
“She was growing and becoming more successful each year of her life, and she was only just beginning. And if she had a choice, she would still be here with us today,” Zoe’s family said.
“As is common with any death that is not due to natural causes, law enforcement will conduct an investigation into the cause of death.”
“Thus, the investigation into the cause of Zoe’s death is part of the normal protocol for law enforcement, and is still open and pending.
“The initial police report is simply preliminary and is not conclusive, and is further absent specific facts from eyewitness testimony that would alter the ‘incident type’ status listed on the preliminary police report.
“The family reserves the right to release information as is appropriate in conjunction with the investigation and will make certain necessary information available at the conclusion of the investigation.”
Per the New York Post, “Along with being named Miss Alabama 2021, the mother of one was a conservative commentator who was involved with organizations such as Project Veritas, Liberty University and Turning Point USA, the Heavy reported. Bethel was also a reporter for Right Side Broadcasting Network and a brand ambassador and executive producer of Miss Liberty USA.”
