North Texas woman's death ruled suicide now under national review for possible homicide

EDITOR'S NOTE: Isabella "Bella" Gonzales died from a gunshot wound five days after her 24th birthday. Her family believes intimate partner violence may hold the key to what happened-and her case could change how suspicious deaths are reviewed across North Texas.

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Isabella Nicole Gonzales had a smile that could light up a football field. Now, her death could shine a light on cases that investigators may have missed.

Known as Bella, the former competitive cheerleader and University of North Texas student died from a gunshot wound to the forehead, just five days after her 24th birthday.

Fort Worth police and the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office ruled her death a suicide.

Her parents, Billie and Jesse Gonzales, aren't convinced.

And now, a national team of experts is reviewing the case to determine whether evidence points to a possible crime.

"I think he beat her mentally and physically," Billie Gonzales said of the man her daughter lived with. "I think that's definitely possible that she did it. I don't think she did, but it's definitely possible."

The man has not been identified as a suspect or charged in connection with Bella's death. CBS News Texas is withholding his identity.

A journal, troubling texts, and questions about Bella's death

Bella's parents say they noticed changes after she entered a new relationship, five years after she ended a relationship with a previous boyfriend. She lost approximately 30 pounds in nine months, became increasingly isolated, and, according to her family, showed signs of abuse.

"I think she saw someone she thought she could help and save," Billie said.

The family later discovered a journal describing alleged intimate partner violence.

"I get so afraid when I hear him wake up," Billie recalled reading.

Another entry, she said, described Bella trying to escape as the man allegedly slammed her head into a wall and doorframe.

Investigators said Bella had a history of depression, suspected intimate partner violence, and messages they interpreted as suicidal. Toxicology results identified methamphetamine, amphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in her system.

Her mother disputes how investigators interpreted the messages.

"You doing this makes me want to take my own life," Billie quoted one message as saying. Another, she said, blamed the man's alleged drug use.

The family also questions accounts of Bella's final moments and the physical evidence.

A Fort Worth crime lab report identified Bella as the major DNA contributor on the gun. A minor DNA profile came from an unknown male, but the genetic material was insufficient for further analysis. Neither profile was suitable for entry into the FBI's CODIS database.

The family acknowledges the unidentified DNA could belong to Bella's father, who purchased the gun for her protection. The finding alone does not establish that another person was involved in her death.

CBS News Texas attempted to contact the man Bella lived with. A woman identifying herself as his mother said he was unavailable and questioned why the story was being pursued because Bella was dead.

In a statement, Fort Worth police said homicide investigators consider all possibilities, including whether a death may be a homicide, and work with the medical examiner's office. Police did not directly address whether Bella's case would be reinvestigated.

One Safe Place examines possible hidden homicides

The Gonzales family turned to One Safe Place in Fort Worth, a family justice center serving survivors of domestic violence.

Michelle Morgan, the center's executive vice president and director of the Family Justice Center, reviewed portions of Bella's journal.

"You can 100% tell that there is some power and control that is happening in the journal," Morgan said.

Morgan, a former Fort Worth police employee, connected the case with a national team of experts trained to examine deaths where domestic violence may have been overlooked.

The review to determine whether a criminal investigation is warranted has no deadline and does not require police to adopt its findings.

But Bella's case could be just the beginning.

Morgan has been working with researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington's School of Social Work to identify deaths that warrant closer examination.

Researchers initially identified 279 suicides and undetermined deaths between 2020 and 2025. They expanded the review to cover a decade and compared those records with One Safe Place's database.

They found nine matches.

That does not mean nine deaths were misclassified.

"What we were at least able to do is go back to see when those survivors came here, what were they disclosing?" Morgan said. "What was their danger score? Were they in extreme danger for homicide to occur? Had they made any police reports?"

The research could help establish a regional multidisciplinary review team capable of identifying warning signs, improving investigations, and recommending policy changes.

"There is no system right now that's set up for us to review these cases and have some cross-agency coordination to see, 'Are we missing something?'" Morgan said.

Family pushes for 'Bella's Law' in Texas

The Gonzales family wants Texas lawmakers to require more thorough investigations of suicides and suspicious deaths when there is evidence of intimate partner violence.

Their proposed "Bella's Law" would also seek accountability when abuse is proven to have contributed to a death by suicide.

"I want accountability for abusers who their abuse contributes to death by suicide," Billie said.

For the Gonzaleses, the fight has come at a cost.

They say they have spent their savings hiring experts and gathering investigative records, in search of answers they believe remain out of reach. Their daughter's grave has become a daily destination.

"I find a sense of peace here, but it never gets easier," Billie said.

The family still doesn't know whether the national review will change the official findings in Bella's death.

What they do know is that other families may be living with the same questions.

"And I know some people think we should have moved on," Billie said. "But when you lose a child, there's no moving on, you move with."

For the Gonzales family, moving with grief now means fighting for answers-and potentially changing how Texas investigates deaths like Bella's.