The next step in the case of Abel Bolanos’ death will be in the hands of Story County Attorney Steven Holmes, and Ames and ISU police officials.

ISU Police Director Jerry Stewart said the case was now primarily in the City of Ames’ jurisdiction, and said any decision on possible charges would be made by the county attorney.

Stewart said the results of Bolanos’ autopsy agreed with the initial assessment that named the cause of death as accidental drowning.

“There was nothing that different from the preliminary results,” Stewart said.

Information about Bolanos’ blood alcohol content would not be released because of medical privacy regulations, Stewart said.

“It’s my understanding that some of the autopsy results are not public information,” Stewart said.

“Results of the BAC are not public information.”

Stewart said, hypothetically, if alcohol intoxication was indeed a factor in 19-year-old Bolanos’ death, charges against the person or persons who provided him alcohol could possibly resemble those filed against party hosts in connection to the 2005 hit-and-run death of student Kelly Laughery.

Four former students were charged with providing alcohol to a minor resulting in death for hosting a party during which then-20-year-old student Shanda Munn consumed alcohol before striking Laughery with her vehicle as Laughery walked along Mortensen Road.

Sgt. Mark Wheeler of the Ames Police Department said he was not able to comment on any charges that could hypothetically arise from the investigation, saying charges would be decided upon by the county attorney.

“We forward all our information to the county attorney,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler said much of the questioning and investigation related to the Bolanos case was near completion and said the Ames and ISU police departments cooperated on the investigation, which examined locations in both departments’ jurisdictions.

“It is a joint investigation with the Iowa State Police Department,” Wheeler said. “We share help both ways.”