Death of shipping CEO Angela Chao under 'criminal investigation,' Texas sheriff says

• The death of Foremost Group CEO Angela Chao is currently under "criminal investigation," a Texas sheriff's office said Thursday.
• Chao, 50, was found dead shortly after midnight on Feb. 11 after being pulled out of a car that had gone into a pond on a ranch in Johnson City, Texas, about 40 miles from Austin.
• In a letter to the state's attorney general, the sheriff said his office was "investigating this accident as a criminal matter until they have sufficient evidence to rule out criminal activity."
• Chao was the sister of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's wife, Elaine Chao.

The death earlier this month of Foremost Group CEO Angela Chao, the sister-in-law of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, is currently under "criminal investigation," a Texas sheriff's office said Thursday.

Chao, 50, was found dead shortly after midnight on Feb. 11 after being pulled out of a car that had gone into a pond on a private ranch in Johnson City, Texas, about 40 miles from Austin.

"This incident was not a typical accident," the Blanco County Sheriff's Office wrote in a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday.

"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 letter said.

Since Chao's death has remained the subject of a criminal probe, the Blanco County Sheriff's public information officer told the attorney general that reports, 911 logs, audio and video evidence as well as other material should not yet be released to media outlets that requested them, including CNBC.

"Releasing the reports, videos and other information prior to the