Police look for hit-and-run witnesses

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Friends of a hit and run victim in Austin hope a new Facebook page will lead to clues about the suspect in the case.

The Facebook page is called Justice for Courtney Paige Griffin and encourages anyone with information about the case to come forward. More than 200 people have joined the group which is determined to get justice for Courtney.

Courtney Griffin died on May 27 while walking home to her Tarrytown apartment. An aide to representative Wayne Christian, Gabrielle Nestande, was arrested a few hours later and charged with failing to stop and render aid.

Griffin's friends are using the Facebook page to draw attention to the police investigation into Nestande. Austin police are still trying to determine if Nestande had been drinking the night of the crash. Two sources tell KXAN Nestande was seen at a Rainey Street area bar on May 26, the Thursday night before the crash. Griffin's body was discovered by a neighbor just after 5 a.m. Friday.

"Any information that we can get in that regard is going to be pertinent to prosecuting Gabrielle further than just failure to render aid," said Heather Tatum, one of Griffin's friends.

Nestande is scheduled to make her first court appearance Friday in Travis County for a pre-trial hearing. Her attorneys have said they do not believe alcohol was a factor. The TABC investigation and the APD investigation into this case are both ongoing.