ST. FRANCISVILLE — The family of a Texas woman found dead in a St. Francisville hotel bathtub has filed a federal lawsuit over her 2022 death.

A complaint filed last week names Richard Parsons Jr., the Town of St. Francisville, the St. Francisville Police Department and Brian Spillman in his official capacity as sheriff of West Feliciana Parish as defendants. Ty Andrew Smitley and Deborah Hinze filed the case for the wrongful death of their daughter, Renee Hinze. 

The filing says Parsons was with Hinze on March 6, 2022, and March 7, 2022, and drove around with her in his police car while on duty. It says he reported dropping her off at the hotel around 3:45 a.m. and later found her dead in the bathtub between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m.

According to the complaint, Parsons told investigators and Deborah Hinze that Renee slipped in the shower, hit her head and drowned. The lawsuit says the autopsy noted no injuries to Renee's head and a toxicology report issued April 4, 2022, found ethanol, caffeine, Alprazolam, codeine and TFMPP in her blood.

West Feliciana Parish Sheriff's Office first treated the death as a suspected drowning, and an autopsy listed suspicious circumstances. The suit alleges no photographs were taken of the scene.

As reported by the WBRZ Investigative Unit, Deborah reviewed the autopsy and toxicology reports in October 2025 and contacted Sheriff Spillman after learning TFMPP could be used as a date rape drug. The sheriff's office then reopened the case as a homicide investigation.

Parsons was arrested Nov. 3, 2025, and charged with malfeasance in office. He was later charged in April with negligent homicide in connection with Renee's death.

A grand jury indicted Parsons for manslaughter last month. He turned himself in and was released on a $200,000 bond. 

"Wish it could have been second-degree [murder], but we'll take anything we can get at this point," Debbie told WBRZ. 

Parsons' attorney said he did not want to comment on the new charges or any part of the case at this time.

The attorneys for Hinze's family released a statement saying that they believed "the people and institutions responsible for her, and for finding out the truth behind her death, failed [Renee]."

"Renee's family has waited more than three years for answers," the statement said. "We intend to pursue justice for Renee and her children to the fullest extent of the law, in every forum available to us, so that no other family in West Feliciana Parish or anywhere else has to go through this again."