It is common to see demonstrations in front of the Capitol Complex in downtown Carson City during a legislative session as lawmakers and interest groups wrangle with hundreds of bill drafts. But the small peaceful gathering of people waving signs there on April 24 was demonstrating for another reason — and the messaging was directed at the Nevada Supreme Court, not the Legislature. 

Organized by Kim McKew, this demonstration was about justice — or the lack of it — in the 8-year-old murder case of her daughter, Sierra Ceccarelli. And it will soon be up to the Nevada Supreme Court to determine when the case will finally go to trial.

Ceccarelli was 29 years old and the mother of two young girls at the time of her death in December 2016. She was shot at close range in the south Reno home of Robert Paul Eikelberger, with whom she had a relationship.

Why the demonstration? For one, not only has justice not been served, justice has not had a chance to be served. Despite a mountain of evidence against Eikelberger, for inexplicable reasons the case has not gone to trial. 

But the widely reported evidence clearly shows that the case should have gone to trial years ago. Here are some examples. Eikelberger lied to investigators — claiming he did not know Ceccarelli even though she was shot in his home and there was video footage showing him shopping with her the day of her murder. He also said he was in another room and claimed Ceccarelli shot herself, yet an autopsy report showed suicide was not possible given the location of her wound and the trajectory of the bullet. Never mind the gunshot residue found on his clothing or the many times Ceccarelli tried to call 911 shortly before her death. Or the text messages she sent to her mother a month earlier stating that Eikelberger threatened her with a gun. Or the restraining order filed by Eikelberger’s ex-wife for similar reasons.

You get the picture. There is clearly sufficient evidence to bring this murder case to trial. Instead, the entanglements of this case have resulted in multiple delays with very little justice taking place. Sierra Ceccarelli did not take her own life. She was murdered in cold blood 8 years ago. Although the suspect Eikelberger — and he is the only suspect — has been arrested twice, he has spent only several days behind bars.

In theory, the justice system is built to handle the complexities of judicial technicalities in cases such as these. Early on, the case was referred to Lyon County due to a conflict of interest with the Washoe County district attorney. Lyon County was not ready to file charges, and Eikelberger was released from custody. He was arrested a second time based on a grand jury indictment, then freed again after posting bail. The trial was originally scheduled for April 2024, postponed to October 2024, and then postponed again until March 2025, despite strong objections from Washoe County Judge Kathleen Drakulich. 

For the reason of pushing to bring the case to a fair trial sooner than later, Drakulich is on the side of the victim’s family. But the system is not. The family has suffered to no end, especially Ceccarelli’s mother. Other family members, along with many of Ceccarelli’s close friends who still live in her hometown of Carson City, have suffered right along with her.

By this point, McKew has been driven to make signs and organize a demonstration to bring attention to this travesty of justice. Her latest hope is that the Supreme Court will soon hear the arguments for why this case must be brought to trial. 

Her daughter Sierra is no longer in her life, but Eikelberger is, and he lives his life as a free man just 30 miles away. McKew is soft spoken, but determined more than ever to see justice served, despite being tormented for years by a judicial system that has failed her family.

Everyone — especially those facing years in prison — deserves due process. But so does McKew, the mother of 29-year-old murder victim Sierra Ceccarelli. 

Michael Raponi is a contributing columnist for The Nevada Independent and may be contacted at [email protected].