Questions remain for a Cameron County family even after a woman was sentenced in connection with the death of a loved one.

Jacqueline Barocio was 25-years-old when she was found dead in her jail cell at the Carrizalez-Rucker Dentention Center on Oct. 2023.

On Sept. 8, 45-year-old Brandy Ann Brown Daniels was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to causing Barocio’s death by delivering fentanyl to her.

Esmeralda Barocio, Jacqueline’s sister, said the guilty plea was not enough to bring closure to her family.

“Do I feel like it was justice? No," Esmeralda said. “[There’s] a lot of questions that I ask myself… and are we ever gonna get those answers? I don't think so."

Jacqueline was found dead in her cell just before 7 a.m. on Oct. 21, 2023. The last time the family spoke to her was the night before. 

Without a trial, the family is left with questions about what happened to Jacqueline.

“My mom says she wants to know how or what,” Esmeralda said. “By them just telling us on that piece of paper that there was residue — doesn't really tell us much."

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Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz spoke with Channel 5 News regarding Daniels’ plea deal.

“We reached an agreement on a 30-year sentence — which I thought was good,” Saenz said. “The moment she agreed to plea, we pled that same day because it's been our experience the defendants will change their mind."

Channel 5 News learned Daniels was in custody after Harlingen police officers arrested her on a charge of possession of drugs. She was then transferred to the detention center.

According to Saenz, Daniels was able to sneak drugs laced with fentanyl into the jail.

“And she passed a portion of that drug to our victim, and [she] died," Saenz said.

It's an explanation Channel 5 News shared with Jacqueline’s family for the first time. They said it doesn't add up.  

“She wanted to get out to be with her kids, was taking that program,” Esmeralda said. “So that's why my mom says she wouldn't have. She knew she was gonna get drug tested when she went to that program."

Esmeralda said her sister and Daniels became friends in jail. The family said they still haven't been able to see Jacqueline’s autopsy report, leading to more questions about her death.  

“I just have a lot of anger,” Esmeralda said. "At the end of the day my sister was not an animal, she was a person who had a family had kids."

Watch the video above for the full story.