Authorities in Texas say the death of CEO Angela Chao – the sister-in-law of Mitch McConnell and wife of a billionaire – is now under criminal investigati

Authorities in Texas say the death of CEO Angela Chao – the sister-in-law of Mitch McConnell and wife of a billionaire – is now under criminal investigation. Law enforcement said her death was “not a typical accident.”

Chao, 50, was found dead shortly after midnight on Feb. 11.

Chao was found inside a car that had gone into a pond on a private ranch in Johnson City – approximately 40 miles outside of Austin, Texas.

Sheriff’s deputies, firefighters, and other first responders were able to pull Chao out of the submerged vehicle.

According to the Austin American-Statesman, EMS responders performed “advanced life support” for 43 minutes, but were not able to resuscitate Chao. She was pronounced dead at the scene after she “succumbed from being under the water.”

The outlet noted that the preliminary investigation by the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office “determined this to be an unfortunate accident.”

However, the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office has now declared, “This incident was not a typical accident.”

“Although the preliminary investigation indicated this was an unfortunate accident, the Sheriff’s Office is still investigating this accident as a criminal matter until they have sufficient evidence to rule out criminal activity,” the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday.

The Blanco County Sheriff’s Office said it would not release evidence yet since it is a criminal investigation.

“Releasing the reports, videos, and other information prior to the completion of the investigation would interfere with the investigation and possible prosecution of this matter,” the letter added.

CNBC reported, “The ranch where Chao died is owned by a corporate entity connected to her husband, venture capitalist Jim Breyer, who has an office in Austin.”

The outlet noted, “Her husband Breyer is part owner of the National Basketball Association’s Boston Celtics, and previously served on the boards of Facebook, Walmart, Marvel Entertainment, News Corp., and Dell.”

According to Forbes, Breyer has a net worth of $1.8 billion, adding that he is “one of Facebook’s first venture investors” and “made much of his fortune investing in the social network.”

Chao was the CEO of Foremost Group – a New York-based global shipping empire that was founded by her parents.

“She will be greatly missed and leaves a legacy of pioneering leadership — especially for women — in shipping, philanthropy, and the arts,” Foremost Group said in a statement.

Chao is the sister of former U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and sister-in-law to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

McConnell mentioned Chao’s death during an announcement about him stepping down as the GOP leader in November.

“As some of you may know, this has been a particularly difficult time for my family,” McConnell said on the Senate floor on Wednesday. “We tragically lost Elaine’s younger sister, Angela, just a few weeks ago. When you lose a loved one, particularly at a young age, there’s a certain introspection that accompanies the grieving process. Perhaps it is God’s way of reminding you of your own life’s journey to reprioritize the impact of the world that we will all inevitably leave behind.”