Nearly six months after Adrian Thompson’s death, a Texas Rangers investigation concluded that no criminal offense had occurred under Texas law. Ranger Britan Marlow’s report reconstructed the April 15 timeline using school surveillance video and staff statements. It documented that Adrian began showing distress around 11:40 a.m., that a staff member directed her toward a trash can after mistaking her actions for impending vomiting, that she briefly left and returned before running to the nurse, and that the nurse used a LifeVac device equipped with an adult mask. The principal’s 911 call came at 11:45:38 a.m. The investigation was closed on July 16 with a determination that the Rangers would take no further law enforcement action.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner had already ruled the death accidental due to choking after finding a large mᴀss of shredded meat in the child’s esophagus. Microscopic examination also noted acute pneumonia and pulmonary congestion, but these findings did not change the primary cause. Adrian’s mother had requested the Rangers review what she described as her daughter’s “questionable death.” After the findings became public in late October, the family shared the surveillance footage with media outlets, arguing that the visual record raises serious questions about the initial response even if it falls short of criminal liability.

Father Greg Sher has spoken of the pain of watching the video and wishing he could intervene. The parents pursued a formal Level Three grievance with the Lindale ISD Board of Trustees, asking the board to determine whether staff actions complied with district policy and whether adequate training and procedures existed at the time. The board later affirmed the administration’s earlier decisions. Superintendent Stan Surratt has publicly expressed condolences and outlined steps the district has taken, including expanded emergency-response training and the addition of more airway-clearance devices across campuses.

Family members have also raised concerns that the state investigation did not include interviews with certain witnesses. They have advocated for changes to Texas laws that grant public school districts legal immunity in various circumstances. Anna Thompson has said parents deserve to know that a child can be seriously injured or die while in the care of a school and that the district may not be held responsible. The family maintains that the absence of a criminal finding is not the same as a determination that everything possible was done in the critical early minutes.