ST. FRANCISVILLE — The mother of a Texas woman found dead in a St. Francisville hotel bathtub is "very happy" that the man suspected of causing her daughter's death is facing upgraded homicide charges.

Last week, a grand jury indicted Richard Parsons for manslaughter in the 2022 death of Renee Hinze. 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," said Debbie Hinze. 

Parsons had been arrested earlier this year on a negligent homicide charge, but investigators did not feel that charge was appropriate and took the case back to a grand jury last week.

"I don't necessarily think he went into that hotel room with the intentions of killing my daughter," Hinze said, "but we don't know what escalated after they were in there."

Manslaughter carries up to 40 years in prison. It is more serious than negligent homicide but less serious than second-degree murder.

Parsons was an officer with the St. Francisville Police Department at the time of Hinze's death. The 39-year-old mother of three's cause of death was initially declared an accidental drowning.

Her toxicology report showed the presence of a drug called TMFPP, sometimes used as a date rape drug. It wasn't until the summer of 2025 that Renee's family raised questions about that drug found in her system, which had seemingly gone unnoticed by investigators.

Following the family's discovery, the investigation was reopened, and Parsons was arrested for negligent homicide more than four years after Hinze's death. He pleaded not guilty to that charge in May.

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