One of Their Own – Episode: Ciara (November 18, 2025)

Podcast: KPBS’ One of Their Own

Host: Katie Hyson

Episode Overview

This episode of One of Their Own probes the mysterious death of Ciara Estrada, a 25-year-old San Diego police officer found with a gunshot wound between her eyes, her service weapon in her lap, and her death swiftly ruled a suicide by her own department. Host Katie Hyson explores questions raised by Ciara’s family—questions about the original investigation, departmental culture around misconduct, and the real story behind Ciara’s death. The episode intertwines moments from Ciara’s life, her viral act of kindness as an officer, her family’s memories, and the unresolved grief and doubt surrounding her case.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Scene and Immediate Aftermath

• Ciara’s last night: New Year’s Eve, radiant and alive, seen in party photos, celebrating with loved ones.
  • [00:34] “She headed to a party at the Hilton Hotel overlooking the bay. Photos taken around 10pm show her smiling, radiant.” —Katie Hyson
• Discovery of her body: Ciara found in her bathroom the following day, in the same dress, with her gun in her lap.
  • [00:34] "Her fellow officers found her in that dress on her bathroom floor with a bullet hole between her eyes. Her gun was in her lap. A fired bullet casing was still lodged inside. Soot marked a finger on each hand."
• Police response: The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) investigates and rules the death a suicide almost immediately—with little external scrutiny.
  • [00:34] “San Diego police investigated her death themselves. Almost immediately, they called it a suicide.”

Ciara in the Public Eye and Her Character

• The viral video: In 2016, Ciara gained viral fame for her compassionate response to a panhandler.
  • [03:26] “The video is just Ciara doing her job.”
  • [04:10] Ciara Estrada: “For me, talking to people is a big thing, and the way you talk to people is a big thing.”
  • [04:02] The man filming: “You’re the first person who was nice. The female cops are always much nicer.”
• Contrasts in coverage: Ciara’s kindness as an officer gets millions of views, while her death goes unreported by local media.
  • [04:24] “Some cops don’t realize this simple video of Ciara received more attention than her sudden and complicated death.”
• Family’s portrayal: The Estradas remember Ciara as deeply empathetic, responsible, and driven—a daughter and sister who always helped others, excelling in academics, sports, and eventually, in the police academy.

Family’s Search for Answers

• Unanswered questions: Ciara’s family expresses ongoing doubts about the investigation and its integrity, haunted by the rapid suicide determination.
  • [17:06] “The San Diego police investigated Sierra's death and closed the case. But for her family, it's still wide open for us.” —Katie Hyson
  • [19:47] Julie Estrada: “I will tell you flat out to your face and anybody that my daughter did not kill herself. She did not kill herself.”
• Last days and signs: The family saw no signals of depression or suicidal intent. She had just moved, was making plans for the future, and shopping for groceries days before her death.
  • [15:59] Larry Estrada: “She just moved into a new apartment. She was so happy to move in and be on her own and decorating the apartment... These weren’t traditional signs of someone who is... not thinking of the future.”
  • [16:19] Julie Estrada: “Two nights before she died, she was grocery shopping.”
• Ongoing grief: The Estradas live in a state of suspended mourning, surrounded by Ciara’s possessions and reminders of her life.
  • [17:15] Larry Estrada: “For me, it’s January 1st all the time. Holidays, it’s always January 1st, 2018...”
  • [10:24] “Her wallet with cash still inside... and an expired coupon. Sierra was thrifty.”

Portrait of Ciara: Ambitions, Values, and Relationships

• Family bonds: Stories from siblings Cheyenne and the oldest sister illustrate a tight-knit family where Ciara played peacemaker and supporter.
  • [07:33] Julie Estrada: “Sierra was the mediator and all the family. She could always make anybody see the other side.”
• Personal resilience and achievement: Through high school, college, choir, sports, and police academy, Ciara set high standards and thrived on challenge.
  • [11:46] Larry Estrada: “She wanted to try choir, she wanted to go out to be a cheerleader but she wanted to try softball but she wanted to try soccer..."
  • [15:03] Larry Estrada (about academy training): “You have to beat each other up. It’s called fight for life, right?”
• Kindness on and off duty: Cheyenne describes Ciara as an “earth angel,” someone who was consistent in her warmth at home and with strangers.
  • [15:36] Cheyenne Estrada: “I don’t think there’s anything that people would need to know more about her because that video just shows all her character of who she was. An earth angel.”
• Family mementos: The Estradas preserve her memory through quilts, her locker door, and even feathers Julie believes are signs sent from Ciara’s spirit.
  • [19:03] Julie Estrada: "Since Sierra’s died, the angels have left me feathers.”

Difficulty Facing the Truth, and Hints of Complications

• Spiritual coping: Julie Estrada finds comfort in believing Ciara’s spirit is with her, guiding and helping strangers.
  • [18:23] “She’s still doing from beyond... her soul is going through me, telling me, mom, do this, do that, help this guy.” —Julie Estrada
• A complicated relationship: The episode alludes to possible domestic abuse and a recent breakup, suggesting darker currents beneath Ciara’s outward poise and happiness.
  • [20:04] Julie Estrada: “You don’t know what Sierra went through the week before she died. She broke up with Eric.”
  • [20:36] Katie Hyson and Cheyenne hint that the next episode will explore how her relationship may have contributed to her struggles.
    • [20:36] Cheyenne Estrada: “But I do know that that relationship... kind of tore her down.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the viral video and kindness as policing:
  • “For me, talking to people is a big thing and the way you talk to people is a big thing.” —Ciara Estrada [04:10]
• On family resemblance and loss:
  • “You look so much like her.” —Katie Hyson to Cheyenne Estrada [07:13]
  • "Every time she laughs, I’m like, oh my God." —Julie Estrada [08:00]
• Enduring presence of grief:
  • “For me, it’s January 1st all the time.” —Larry Estrada [17:15]
• Refusal to accept the official story:
  • “I will tell you flat out to your face and anybody that my daughter did not kill herself.” —Julie Estrada [19:47]
• On Ciara’s spirit and signs:
  • “Since Sierra’s died, the angels have left me feathers.” —Julie Estrada [19:03]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Ciara’s last night and discovery (00:34–03:05)
• Viral video and policing style (03:05–04:24)
• Host's context and family introduction (04:24–06:35)
• Family stories and memories (06:35–14:27)
• Ciara’s career ambitions (14:27–15:09)
• Police academy training (15:03–15:30)
• Family’s belief—no warning signs (15:54–16:19)
• Grieving process and mementos (17:06–19:47)
• Belief in spiritual signs (19:03–19:28)
• Hints at relationship struggles and next episode preview (20:04–20:36)

Tone and Style

Katie Hyson maintains a compassionate, investigative tone, balancing journalistic rigor with deep empathy for Ciara’s grieving family. Family members speak with emotional candor—recalling intimate memories, voicing disbelief in the suicide ruling, and revealing their ongoing quest for closure. The conversation is often poignant, interspersed with laughter, heaviness, and a persistent sense of unresolved tragedy.

Summary for New Listeners

This gripping episode sets the stage for a deeper investigation into the death of Ciara Estrada, using family interviews to challenge the police narrative and hint at wider issues of departmental accountability, domestic abuse, and trauma. Rich with memory and acute with loss, it invites listeners to question: what really happened to one of their own?