The Party

Summary

Podcast Summary: One of Their Own – "The Party"
Host: Katie Hyson (KPBS)
Released: November 25, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode examines the tragic, controversial death of San Diego police officer Ciara Estrada. After a tense New Year’s Eve party attended by various off-duty officers, Ciara was found dead at home with a bullet wound between her eyes and her service weapon in her lap. Although her department quickly ruled her death a suicide, the family—haunted by relationship turmoil, prior harassment, and procedural questions—doubts this conclusion and believes the investigation was incomplete and compromised by conflicts of interest.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Family's Early Worries and Underlying Tensions

• Astrological Premonitions and Emotional State

  • Julie Estrada, Ciara’s mother, believed the night was “destined for disaster” (00:43).
  • The family sensed Ciara was on edge, influenced by relationship issues and the "wolf moon," an element Julie felt was foreboding (00:43–01:14).

• Ciara and Eric’s Volatile Relationship

  • Brandi Estrada recounts escalating tensions between Ciara and Eric before the party. Alcohol was known to exacerbate their fights (02:26):
    • "She was just tense. They would fight, fight, fight. Alcohol was involved. And then it took it to, like, an unsafe level" (02:26).
  • Brandi claims Ciara did not typically drink heavily, and when she did, she became emotional and confrontational (03:25).

Work-Related Struggles and Alleged Harassment

• Sexual Harassment Complaint
  • The family alleges Ciara was sexually harassed by a male colleague (not Eric) and filed a complaint, but SDPD took no public action (04:32–05:23).
  • Julie: “She pulled me aside and she says, mom, what do you think? … I says, that’s absolutely wrong. You can’t do that” (05:23–05:34).
  • Ciara was upset her complaint was dismissed as “his word against my word” (06:14).

New Year’s Eve Party Events

• Arrival and Mood

  • Eric and Ciara, both off-duty police officers, met other officers at the party. Early on, Ciara appeared “happy, smiling … obviously drinking,” according to her father, Larry (07:33).
  • Toxicology later showed her blood alcohol content was nearly twice the legal driving limit (07:42).

• Escalation at the Party

  • Eric states in his police interview:
    • "This is starting to look like a DV [domestic violence]. So I told Sierra to chill out and stop. CR Sierra is a very fragile and insecure girl. This is why I try not to take her out in public" (08:23).
  • Witnesses describe Ciara crying, storming off, possibly slapping Eric, and persistently calling and texting him (08:38–09:59).

• Desperation and Suicidal Ideation

  • Ciara’s messages and calls to Eric become increasingly frantic. She texts: “goodbye forever” and “leaning on an edge” (09:59).

Friends’ and Family’s Intervention Attempts

• Calls to Jeremy Gates (Friend, Officer)

  • Ciara calls Jeremy, who recalls her sounding “kind of crying, ish, kind of like questioning things … She said, 'I'm by a cliff.'” (12:12–12:33).
  • Jeremy understood her to be “suicidal, 100%,” and he immediately called SDPD Dispatch but was left on hold, then relayed concerns to an SDPD buddy (13:54–14:55).
  • He regrets not being able to do more in the moment (15:41).

• Final Conversations with Mother

  • On the phone with her mom, Ciara says, “I’m standing out here by some ledge” and, “I love him. I always love him,” crying (16:45–17:16).
  • Julie refuses to accept “ledge” as a suicide sign, believing Ciara may have simply wanted to avoid Eric (17:33–18:06).

Timeline Gaps and Record Discrepancies

• Eric’s Statements vs. Phone Records

  • Eric alleges phone calls and exchanges that are not corroborated by Ciara’s phone records—especially regarding final conversations and whether calls were returned or not (20:32–21:04).
  • Texts between Ciara and Eric from that night were deleted. Police claim Ciara deleted them; the family is highly skeptical (23:12–23:35).
    • Julie: "You mean to tell me that someone suicidal is going to delete every text from that night? Bullshit." (23:12)
    • Brandi: "It sounds like somebody else would do that to, like, hide evidence." (23:21)

• Lack of External Oversight

  • Despite the case involving two SDPD officers, the department did not bring in an external agency to investigate (29:40–30:14).
  • Julie: “They were dead set that she committed suicide that night and they were gonna wrap this shit up that night. It's been six years and I still want proof that my daughter killed herself. I don't believe she did. And I want proof." (30:14)

The Aftermath: Discovery and Immediate Investigation

• Discovery of Ciara’s Body

  • Police, Eric, and eventually family, arrive at her apartment the next afternoon. Ciara is found fully dressed, seated in the bathroom with her gun and phone on her lap, having died of a gunshot wound to the forehead (27:36–28:59).
  • Melanie, her squad mate, reports moving the gun and checking for a pulse. There is extensive debate over how the investigation unfolded.

• Ongoing Family Pain and Doubt

  • Family members, especially Julie and Brandi, express ongoing pain and mistrust:
    • Julie: "I still want proof … I don't believe she did [kill herself]. And I want proof." (30:14)
  • They continue to request full access to the case file, including text and phone data, which has been denied (21:04, 24:48).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Julie Estrada (Ciara’s mother):

  • “She seemed kind of melancholy … probably because she had her mind full of what he was giving her that day" (04:10).
  • On harassment: “No, Sarah, I says, that's wrong. I said, that's absolutely wrong. You can't do that." (05:34)
  • “They were dead set that she committed suicide that night and they were gonna wrap this shit up that night. It's been six years and I still want proof that my daughter killed herself. I don't believe she did. And I want proof." (30:14)

• Brandi Estrada (Ciara’s sister):

  • "She was just tense. … They would fight, fight, fight. Alcohol was involved. And then it took it to, like, an unsafe level.” (02:26)
  • On deleted texts: "It sounds like somebody else would do that to, like, hide evidence.” (23:21)

• Jeremy Gates (Friend/former security):

  • “She was suicidal, 100%. There was no doubt in my head. … I just don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t feel like I’m valued. I’m worth anything.” (12:47)
  • “Talk about your stomach just dropping to the floor … so sad. … I felt helpless.” (13:54)
  • “If I could truly play it back, I would have not. I thought giving the information to my buddy would have … You know, at least something would have been done.” (15:41)

• Eric (Boyfriend, as quoted from statement/interview):

  • "This is starting to look like a DV. … CR Sierra is a very fragile and insecure girl. This is why I try not to take her out in public.” (08:23)
  • After Ciara’s emotional texts: “I told her she already knows that I have a key and that she was being dramatic.” (20:32)
  • To Brandi after the party: “I've been calling and texting her. I think she's fine. She's just drunk and big stubborn. She hasn't drove. She's probably home. I told her to text you guys.” (25:07)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Relationship Tension Early Party Prep: 02:26–03:25
• Workplace Harassment Allegations: 04:32–06:14
• At the NYE Party (Photos, Mood): 07:20–08:23
• Party Conflict & Frantic Communication: 08:38–09:59
• Calls to Jeremy Gates (Suicidal Indications): 12:12–14:47
• Family Calls and Emotional Final Conversations: 16:45–18:06
• Eric’s Statements vs. Phone & Text Records: 20:32–23:21
• Family’s Disbelief and Calls for Justice: 23:12–30:31
• Discovery of Ciara’s Body: 27:36–28:59

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Tone & Takeaways

The episode is emotionally raw, weaving together family grief, systemic skepticism, and the haunting gaps left by official protocols. While the podcast avoids overt accusations or endorsing conspiracy, it provides a sympathetic platform for the family’s search for answers, foregrounding mistrust in internal police investigations and the enduring pain of ambiguous tragedy.

Memorable closing (Julie Estrada, 30:14):
"It's been six years, and I still want proof that my daughter killed herself. I don't believe she did. And I want proof."

Up Next:
The investigation continues in the next episode.

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Note: This summary excludes ad/promo/helpline content and podcast credits, focusing solely on the substantive discussion.

Transcript

[Katie Hyson]

This podcast contains discussion of suicide and domestic abuse. We discuss opinions expressed by others. We at KPBS don't endorse those opinions. No one has been charged with a crime relating to Sierra Estrada's death, and we don't intend to imply that anyone should be charged or engaged in wrongdoing. Throughout this podcast, you'll hear my KPBS colleagues voice written documents related to this case, including witness statement excerpts and text messages. Julie and Brandy Estrada voiced their own written quotes.

[Julie Estrada]

Not everybody's into astrology, but it's like it or not, it's the universe. It was a wolf moon that night she died.

[Katie Hyson]

Julie Estrada believes the night her daughter Sierra died was destined for disaster.

[Julie Estrada]

Emotions were all over the place for you, for him, for me. Okay. Astrology couldn't have been worse for her that night. A lot of things, especially with alcohol, get really screwed up.

[Katie Hyson]

I'm Katie Hyson, and this is one of their own, the story of a police officer's death and the way her department handled it. Sarah's family thinks what happened that night should have prompted a more thorough investigation of her death and that her co workers at the San Diego Police Department never should have been the ones to investigate it in the first place. Sarah drove to her older sister Brandi's house in Murrieta that day to do her hair and makeup. She was getting ready for a big New Year's Eve party. Brandi says tensions between Ciara and her boyfriend Eric were already ramping up.

[Brandi Estrada]

She was, like, tense. She was just tense. He was stressed out about not being able to get off in time because he worked New Year's Eve. And I kept trying to encourage her to, like, not fight. Don't start any fights, don't start any arguments. Because once alcohol was involved, that's what their problem was. They would fight, fight, fight. Alcohol was involved. And then it took it to, like, an unsafe level. And that's when I kept trying to tell her. I'm like, oh, tell him not to worry. You know, you get to the party, whenever you get there, you don't have to be, you know, right on time. I was doing her makeup and he was texting her, and she was just, like, rolling her eyes, upset. Just kind of just like, man, he's like, already in a mood, like. And it had. We haven't even gotten there yet. So she didn't drink that much. She did not.

[Katie Hyson]

Perhaps because she didn't drink often. When she did drink, it affected her more.

[Brandi Estrada]

I think alcohol brought out her emotional side and everything that she Felt was wrong in the relationship. So I'm sure she was that drunk girl that's like, man, you don't treat me right, man. You like it? Like, it was like truth serum to her. So she opened up more and said things that she probably wouldn't have said. And so I think he was always caught off guard by that.

[Katie Hyson]

The sisters texted their mom.

[Julie Estrada]

Talk about gut instinct. Like, hey, mom, are you coming over today? I'm so tired. I don't think I'm gonna make it.

[Katie Hyson]

But something told her to go, why.

[Julie Estrada]

The hell are you sitting on the couch? Get your ass over there. Go take your girls some sandwiches. Go tell your daughter happy New Year.

[Katie Hyson]

Julie picked up on Ciara's mood too.

[Julie Estrada]

She seemed kind of melancholy. And I know probably because she was just had her mind full of what he was giving her that day because he had to.

[Katie Hyson]

He meaning Eric.

[Julie Estrada]

He had already bought his $200 ticket, right, for that event because he had already planned to go with some other girls. So that set her off because she was furious. She says, can you believe he didn't buy me a ticket?

[Katie Hyson]

Other off duty STPD cops were going to meet them there. Stress over Eric and the party might not have been the only reason Sierra was feeling down. Her family says Cierra had been sexually harassed on the job by another male coworker, not Eric. They say she filed an internal complaint with the sdpd. Department officials say there are no releasable records of that. That happens when the department decides not to act on complaints. They disappear from public view. Her sergeant did tell detectives that Cierra had gone through a quote, eeo issue. Equal employment opportunity is a civil right that protects in part against sexual harassment in the workplace.

[Julie Estrada]

She pulled me aside and she says, mom, what do you think? She goes thinking of filing a claim against another officer. And I says, well, what's happening?

[Katie Hyson]

Tell me.

[Julie Estrada]

Well, you know, I've already asked them. I've asked the department to separate us, to not team this guy up with me twice. I've asked him, touching my leg, touching my shoulder. Oh, you have beautiful lips. You have beautiful eyes. He's saying all these uncomfortable comments as we're in the car. No, Sarah, I says, that's wrong. I said, that's absolutely wrong. You can't do that. That's the last minute she told her.

[Larry Estrada]

Supervisor, which is the process, right? She'd follow the process. And she asked for input. And she says, no, write him up.

[Katie Hyson]

That's Sierra's father again, Larry Estrada. On New Year's Eve, she Got the news that her complaint was not sustained.

[Julie Estrada]

She said, they threw it out, mom, because they told me that it was his word against my word, and that's all. So they threw it out. And I'm like, you gotta be kidding me. And she was upset over that.

[Katie Hyson]

In the early evening, Sarah returned to her own apartment and started drinking. She sent her mom a selfie in the new robe Julie had gifted her. Said she couldn't wait to come home after the party and put it on. She ubered to Eric's apartment. He met her there a little after eight. According to his witness statement to detectives, they were happy. But Brandy says Sierra texted her that Eric was agitated because she had had a couple drinks. In Eric's witness statement, he says Sierra told him she had already taken five shots of vodka and he told her to slow down. Eric and Sierra ubered to the party at the Hilton overlooking the San Diego Bay. They met other officers in the lobby. Witness statements said Sierra was, quote, in.

[Unnamed Female Officer]

A great mood, laughing and talking and.

[Katie Hyson]

That she seemed sober. Around 10pm they took photos together. Larry got a hold of those photos after she died.

[Larry Estrada]

This is one right here. A picture of her in her dress where she's happy, smiling and obviously drinking. You know, her blood alcohol was high, but it was New Year's Eve.

[Katie Hyson]

Eric's statement says Cira began to get, quote, a little bit too tipsy. The toxicology report put her blood alcohol level at nearly twice the legal driving limit when she died. At that level, depression and anxiety can get worse. Judgment and perception are impaired. Around 10:30, Eric and Sierra got in line for drinks. In witness statements, the other officers told detectives that suddenly Sierra was crying. According to Eric's witness statement, she was upset that he waved over people in their group. He told her to calm down.

[Eric]

Now everyone is starting to crowd around us. This is starting to look like a DV domestic violence. So I told Sierra to chill out and stop. CR Sierra is a very fragile and insecure girl. This is why I try not to take her out in public.

[Katie Hyson]

DV calls to police can be made for everything from physical violence to heated verbal arguments. Eric told detectives Sierra stormed off. One officer told detectives she saw Sierra come back and, quote, storm up to him. I couldn't hear what she said, but it kind of looked like she smacked him in the face and just stormed off. Then he said he was done. Eric said he didn't want her to lose her job over this. The party was big and covered multiple floors of the hotel. Sara's phone records from that night show frantic attempts to reach Eric during the party. She called him at 1055-1056-1059-1111, O4, 1105, 1117. We don't have Cierra's account of what happened between them. That we only have. Eric's detectives did review his text messages with Sierra. They're redacted in the case file, but Eric mentioned some of them in his witness interview. According to that statement, he texted her to get an Uber home. She texted back, goodbye forever.

[Unnamed Female Officer]

Hope it was worth it.

[Katie Hyson]

He told her to stop being dramatic and go home. He says she texted back that she was, quote, leaning on an edge and claims he called her back and told her where he was. Eric began texting. Julie said Sierra was acting crazy. Eric and Julie talked on the phone.

[Julie Estrada]

And I said, eric, tell me why Sierra's so mad at you. Oh, well, she's acting really crazy and there's other cops here and they're going to arrest her if she doesn't settle down. And she's just jealous because these other girls. I stood up like this to wave the girls to our door table. And Sierra flipped a. Julie told Eric.

[Katie Hyson]

Not to leave Sierra alone, to find her and take her home. Right after her frantic calls to Eric, Sarah called Jeremy Gates. Jeremy met Sierra when he was working security at Macy's 2016 or 2017. He says after she started dating Eric.

[Jeremy Gates]

She was always coming to Macy's, take reports. And just the sweetest girl, you know, like, so nice. She would take her time with the reports. Very different compared to what you would usually see, you know, I mean, if you're a cop and you're going to Macy's, take a report, you're not really interested in being there.

[Katie Hyson]

What was that relationship like?

[Jeremy Gates]

Oh, totally cordial, friendship wise. Nothing outside of that. I prided myself on, you know, kind of like listening to her. You can tell when you ask somebody, hey, how's your day? And it's kind of like, you know, having an okay day and like, whatever. And I'd kind of poke her, prod, you know, that and be like, hey, you know, are you okay? You could tell something was a little. Something was always kind of off with her.

[Katie Hyson]

Did you ever get a sense of what was weighing her down, personal?

[Jeremy Gates]

You could tell it was something personal, just like, why are men the way men are? You know, like, that would be the one thing I remember her saying that why are men the way they are?

[Katie Hyson]

That fall, Jeremy took a job as a deputy for another county sheriff's office. Farther north, they were Friendly, but not that close. He was surprised Sierra called him that night.

[Jeremy Gates]

We're out having a good time, and I got a phone call from her. And, man, you could just tell something was off, something was wrong. Astro says, is everything okay? You know, because you could tell she was kind of like, kind of crying, ish, kind of like questioning things. I remember that. And she said, I'm by a cliff. And I was like, why are you by a cliff? Like, what are you doing?

[Katie Hyson]

It's unclear what cliff Sierra would be talking about. The hotel is level with the water. But whatever the exact words she used to Jeremy, her intention was clear.

[Jeremy Gates]

She was suicidal, 100%. There was no doubt in my head. She's like, I just don't know what to do anymore. I don't feel like I'm valued. I'm worth anything.

[Katie Hyson]

Jeremy later told her sister that on that call, Sierra said, quote, eric left me and told me to go. He said, I should just not live anymore. I'm not worth it. Then she said she was by a cliff and thought she should jump off because nobody wanted her around, because Eric didn't want her around. The detective's summary of Jeremy's witness interview is a little more ambiguous. Quote, she said I shouldn't live anymore. I don't know if she was saying Eric told her that or she was saying that herself, end quote. It's unclear whether the detective was noting her own uncertainty or Jeremy's.

[Jeremy Gates]

And, man, talk about your stomach just dropping to the floor, you know, so sad. It's just because I felt helpless. I was not in a position where I could get to my vehicle that was at my buddy's house. I most certainly was not in a position to drive. Just couldn't get there. So I told her, whatever you do, don't do what you're thinking, okay? Don't do anything like that. And I talked to her. I talked to her calmly, you know, I listened to her. She said, thank you for listening. I appreciate that.

[Katie Hyson]

At 11:39, Sierra switched to a phone call with her mom.

[Jeremy Gates]

And I immediately, when I hung up with her, that's when I called San Diego PD Dispatch. And I was just put on hold, you know, but again, it's New Year's night. What else can you expect? I've seen how it works in New Year's night here on patrol, and, you know, God bless those dispatchers, man. There's not much they can do. But I remember being on hold forever. And of course, that's not an uncommon thing.

[Katie Hyson]

So he hung up with Dispatch and tried calling his buddy instead, an on duty SDPD cop.

[Jeremy Gates]

And I gave the information to him, and to my recollection, he was like, yeah, I'll look into it, type of thing. And you never did.

[Katie Hyson]

The detective summary of Jeremy's witness statement says he regretted not calling dispatch and asking them to have someone go check on Sierra. It does not include that he called dispatch and had been left on hold or that the SDPD officer said he would look into it. Jeremy still keeps Sierra's funeral card in the back of his Bible. He replays that night, wondering what choices could have changed its course.

[Jeremy Gates]

Remember, like, being like, why can't I get back to my car? Why can't I? I would have, but I'm not doing that. After drinking, I didn't know where she lived. I didn't have her mom's phone number. But, I mean, if I could play it back, if I could truly play it back, I would have not. I. I would have. I thought giving the information to my buddy would have. You know, at least something would have been done. But then again, here's the thing. Here's the flip side, is that we go to a million. A million suicidal calls of people being suicidal, right? And how many times does it actually. Does it actually happen.

[Katie Hyson]

More after the break? Right after she hung up with Jeremy, Sierra was on the phone with her mom, Julie.

[Julie Estrada]

I said, sierra, what's wrong? You know what's going on? She goes, what's wrong with me, Mom? I says, sierra. I said, what do you mean, what's wrong with you? You know better. I said, you know, he's. You know what you're dealing with. I says, you. You. I says, you know what's wrong. I says, it's not you. You remember that? It's not you. It's him. It's him. I said, I know. And then she goes, I love him. She goes, I love him. I always love him. But that was it. She was just crying. I go, where are you, Sierra? She goes, I'm standing out here by some ledge. And I'm like, oh, my God.

[Katie Hyson]

What.

[Julie Estrada]

What the hell you doing? What ledge?

[Katie Hyson]

This word, ledge is a cause of contention. Seven years later, in her case file, it looks like more evidence that Cierra was thinking of suicide. Julie disagrees.

[Julie Estrada]

She goes, he doesn't know I'm talking to you. I can't let him find me trying to run from him because he was trying to find out where the hell she was, and she was in that hotel area, and she must have went outside by Some ledge, because I think she meant some place.

[Katie Hyson]

I think I have, like, little bell pennies. That's Sierra's younger sister, Cheyenne. The hotel does have some outdoor patios with railings on the lower levels.

[Larry Estrada]

The cops took it as, oh, she's gonna jump kind of context. Ledge and balcony to me could be the same thing. And she's just.

[Katie Hyson]

It's also possible that Ciara was describing being on an edge ledge and cliff to talk about her feelings, metaphorically, at least at that time, before she had more information. Julie was conflicted over this, too. She told detectives she texted Eric that Cierra might be suicidal and asked him to take care of her. I couldn't see those texts for myself. Julie says she deleted all her texts with Eric during an emotional moment. Sierra's phone records show she called eric again at 11:46. Eric was at the party's midnight countdown. One female officer told detectives, quote, when.

[Unnamed Female Officer]

The ball got closer to dropping, he asked, I wonder who's going to be my New Year's kiss? I was like, dude, your girlfriend just left. He said they weren't together. He asked me if I was going to be his New Year's kiss. I told him no and said, your girlfriend just left. I told him I didn't know if it was his girlfriend or not, but that was beyond messed up.

[Katie Hyson]

Just after midnight, Sierra called an Uber driver. Jeremy texted sierra, just try and get home.

[Unnamed Uber Driver or Supportive Friend]

Sleep it off. Guy's a piece of crap if he doesn't want to be with you. You make it home?

[Katie Hyson]

Almost writing back now.

[Unnamed Uber Driver or Supportive Friend]

Good. Yay. I wish I could be there with you, sweetheart. You deserve the world.

[Katie Hyson]

I'm sorry for bothering you.

[Unnamed Uber Driver or Supportive Friend]

You can never bother me. You're so important to me. It's ridiculous.

[Katie Hyson]

Have a good year. I'm gonna sleep or take a bath.

[Unnamed Uber Driver or Supportive Friend]

Take a bath. It's a savior. Happy New Year, sweetheart.

[Katie Hyson]

Sorry again. Just feeling low.

[Unnamed Uber Driver or Supportive Friend]

Don't feel sorry.

[Katie Hyson]

Okay.

[Unnamed Uber Driver or Supportive Friend]

And you have way too many people who adore you for you to feel low. You have me worried, girl.

[Katie Hyson]

At 12:21, she called Eric again. And at 12:22, 12:24, Eric told detectives he missed the 12:24 call and then called her back. Eric said Sierra told him to take care of their beagle, Trevor and asked him if he had a key.

[Eric]

He said, quote, I told her she already knows that I have a key and that she was being dramatic.

[Katie Hyson]

This was later included in the medical examiner's report, which guides the autopsy doctor in determining cause of death. The autopsy doctor included this phone call exchange about the dog. In her explanation for ruling it a suicide. Eric told the detectives, I was starting.

[Eric]

To get worried until I talked to her on the phone and she told me that she was at home.

[Katie Hyson]

Sierra's phone records don't show that call back from Eric. Or that he called her back after her text about leaning on an edge like he claimed to detectives. I have her phone records because she was still on her dad's phone plan, and he shared them with me. According to those records, the last time Sierra answered a call from Eric was before they left for the party that night. There could be a number of reasons why Eric's statements don't line up with the phone records. Maybe he misremembered when he talked to detectives. Maybe he picked up her final call instead of calling her back. Or maybe he called back while she was leaving a voicemail and her phone log didn't register it. Maybe Eric's call log shows something different. It's possible the police have more information or records that would clear questions like this up. The family has asked multiple times for access to the rest of the records. In Cierra's case, STPD has repeatedly denied them. Without more information, the discrepancy can't be squared. The police redacted the text messages between Eric and Sierra from that night in her case file. We don't know what he said to her or what she said to him. The last one marked as red by Sierra was at 12:13. Police later used the thumb of Sierra's dead body to unlock her phone. They told the family Sara had deleted all her texts from that night. So the only texts they have between Eric and Sierra are what Eric showed them on his phone.

[Julie Estrada]

You mean to tell me that someone suicidal is going to delete every text from that night? Bullshit.

[Katie Hyson]

This is a sticking point for Ciara's sister, Brandi.

[Brandi Estrada]

That's the hardest part of me is like, I don't. It sounds like somebody else would do that to, like, hide evidence.

[Katie Hyson]

I don't know.

[Brandi Estrada]

Why would she do that? There's nothing in there to.

[Katie Hyson]

At 12:30, officers leaving the party say they saw Eric waiting outside for his Uber. We don't have Julie's texts with Eric from that night to read directly. She told detectives that Eric texted her at 12:41 to say he was going home. SDPD redacted his Uber receipt from the case file. The statement says it's a screenshot that Eric took himself on his phone and texted to the detectives, to her family. The timeline is far too loose to answer their questions. 15 hours passed between when Sierra ubered home and when her body was found. Sarah's apartment is less than 20 minutes from the hotel and from Eric's apartment. Julie told detectives Eric texted her again at 12:55 that Sierra was going home and he had talked to her. At 1:45, Brandi, who'd been trying and failing to reach Sierra, texted Eric. We do have Brandy's texts.

[Brandi Estrada]

Please tell me Sierra is okay. I know she's been drinking, but she needs to be taken care of.

[Katie Hyson]

He didn't specifically tell Brandi he had talked to Sierra and she told him she was home, as he later told detectives. Instead, he texted.

[Eric]

I've been calling and texting her. I think she's fine. She's just drunk and big stubborn. She hasn't drove. She's probably home. I told her to text you guys.

[Katie Hyson]

Back and forth. Brandi begged Eric to take care of Sierra, and Eric told Brandi Sierra was fine.

[Brandi Estrada]

She's not crazy. She's just drunk. It happens to the best of us. And she just needs support, that's all. Go to her place or whatever you have to do. If not, I will. She needs someone.

[Eric]

I'll let you know. Don't worry anymore.

[Katie Hyson]

Thank you again. The police might have more information that could change how the family feels about what happened that night. But they'd never given the family the full picture, even though the case has been closed for years. Early the next afternoon, Eric texted his sergeant saying he would be late. Sierra didn't show up for her shift. Her sergeant, Farrell Layton, called Eric. Eric told him they'd been drinking and had a heated argument the night before. Told him she was, quote, talking crazy stuff and had told him to come over and get the dog. Farrell asked Eric when the last time he talked to Sierra was. Eric said 12:30. Farrell told the detective, who later interviewed him, quote, I looked at my watch and it was at 14:22 hours, 2:22 in the afternoon.

[Jeremy Gates]

I confirmed he was talking about a couple hours ago, and he said yes. So at that time, I was thinking he had just talked to her.

[Katie Hyson]

Farrell headed with one of Sierra's squad mates, Melanie Bognuta, to Sierra's apartment. They called Eric to ask for the address. Eric offered to come since he had a key. Eric called Brandi. When the family couldn't get a hold of Cierra either, they sped to her apartment. Farrell and Melanie arrived first. All the doors were locked, the dog silent. Eric arrived with the key shortly after three. They told him to stay in the parking lot while they went Inside, quote.

[Unnamed Uber Driver or Supportive Friend]

In case there was some type of.

[Jeremy Gates]

DV situation going on.

[Katie Hyson]

Melanie went in. Sierra's high heels were on the living room floor. She saw Sierra's leg through the door frame of the bathroom. It wasn't the right color. She rounded the corner, saw blood splatter on her arm. Sierra was slumped against the bathroom wall, still in her red dress, phone and gun in her lap. Melanie moved the gun from Sierra's lap to the sink. Farrell told her to check for a pulse. Melanie told him Sierra was gone. He called for paramedics, told Melanie to put pressure on her bloody wrists. He didn't understand. Sarah was shot in the head between her eyes. Sierra's family arrived.

[Julie Estrada]

I'm walking up. My daughter's literally screaming to the entire police department out there, where the fuck is Eric? They were holding her back. They're like. And she's like, where the fuck is Eric? Where is he? And they basically were trying to get me to control her. And I was walking up to Melanie and I said, what happened, Melanie? And she's looking right at me. She's like, then what? What happened? She shot herself. And that was it. She shot herself.

[Katie Hyson]

At 3:14. Farrell called it in to the department. The crime incident report says the homicide team was sent to Sierra's apartment to, quote, conduct a suicide investigation. This still bothers Julie. The family finds it hard to trust the finding of suicide because even though both the victim and her boyfriend were their employees, SDPD didn't call the sheriff's office or another outside agency, they chose to investigate it themselves.

[Julie Estrada]

They were dead set that she committed suicide that night and they were gonna wrap this shit up that night. It's been six years and I still want proof that my daughter killed herself. I don't believe she did. And I want proof.

[Katie Hyson]

The investigation next time on one of their own. If you or someone you know have thoughts of suicide or need emotional support, Please call or text 988. If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic abuse, please call 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788. Help is available 24. 7. One of Their Own is produced by me, Katie Hyson and edited by D. David Washburn with support from Elizabeth Hames. Mix and sound design by Emily Jankowski. Additional voicing for this episode by Julia Dixon Evans, Scott Rod, Tammy Murga, Jacob Ayer, Katie Anastas and Andrew Dyer.

[Brandi Estrada]

Sa.