A 28-year-old woman with ties to the Chicago suburbs was found dead Monday in a Texas jail cell from what authorities say was suicide by hanging.



But while officials say Sandra Bland committed suicide in her cell, an online campaign led by her friends and family is questioning that account.



The woman's family will hold a news conference in Chicago's Loop at noon. A news release from a law firm representing the family says, "The family of Sandra Bland is confident that she was killed and did not commit suicide. The family has retained counsel to investigate Sandy's death."



Bland was arrested Friday in Waller County, northwest of Houston, by a Texas state trooper and later charged with "assault of a public servant," according to Waller County Sheriff Glenn Smith.



Bland's family could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathis said she was "down from Illinois" and about to start a new job in Texas.



Bland was arraigned after her Friday arrest and held in lieu of $5,000 bond, Smith said.



The county jail has two "tanks" for women, Smith said, and Bland had been placed alone in one of the tanks.



She was given breakfast about 7 a.m. Monday, he said, and she spoke to staff about an hour later about making a phone call.



A female jailer found her about 9 a.m., Smith said.



Paramedics were called and CPR was administered, he said, but she was pronounced dead shortly afterward.



The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences in Houston performed an autopsy on Bland on Tuesday, with the death ruled a suicide through hanging, according to Tricia Bentley, an institute spokeswoman.



Smith said there was no indication of any issues during Bland's stay at the jail.



He said Bland had come back down to Texas for a job.



"Any time somebody dies, it's a tragic deal," Smith said. "That's exactly what this appeared to be."



Bland was pulled over about 4:30 p.m. Friday in Waller County for failing to signal a lane change, said Trooper Erik Burse, a spokesman for the Public Safety Department.



She was outside the car and about to be issued a written warning when she kicked the officer, Burse said, and was then taken into custody.



Posts featuring "#JusticeForSandy" and "#WhatHappenedToSandyBland" have gone up on Facebook and Twitter in recent days, questioning the official account of the woman's death.