Justice Delayed, Justice Denied — & Chris Hicks Should Explain

Paul Eikelberger who used to work at his family’s company - go ahead and connect the dots with his family having a relationship with Hicks’ extended family.

Nearly a decade after 28-year-old Carson City native Sierra Ceccarelli was shot and killed in south Reno, her accused killer still hasn’t faced a jury.

Nine years. Multiple delays. A family still waiting for justice. And now, under District Attorney Chris Hicks’ watch, the trial isn’t expected to begin until April 2027 — eleven years after Sierra’s death.

The suspect, Paul Eikelberger, was charged with murder only in 2022, six years after the shooting — despite overwhelming evidence suggesting foul play. He’s now out on a $1 million bond, supervised but free, while Sierra’s family remains trapped in a system that seems more protective of the accused than the victim.

Back in 2018, this case was quietly handed off to the Lyon County District Attorney’s Office when it was revealed that Eikelberger’s family had a relationship with Hicks’ own extended family. That “conflict” resulted in years of limbo — a suspect released, re-arrested, released again, and a family forced to relive the horror every time the system shrugged.

For the record, police found Sierra “cold to the touch” with a gun on her thigh, a story of “she shot herself” that crumbled under the evidence: gunshot residue on Eikelberger’s clothes, surveillance footage of the two together hours earlier, and a bullet trajectory consistent with a shot fired from above — not suicide.

And yet, here we are. Still waiting.

While Hicks is busy sponsoring polished taxpayer-funded Facebook posts and planning his re-election, one has to wonder: how many grieving families in Washoe County are waiting for him to do his actual job?

The Ceccarelli case isn’t just about delay — it’s about misplaced priorities. A mother lost her daughter. A family lost faith in justice. And a District Attorney who should be fighting for victims seems far too comfortable letting time do the work for him.

At this point, maybe Hicks should stop campaigning long enough to explain why justice for Sierra Ceccarelli has taken nearly eleven years — and counting.