Man charged in 2020 killing appears in court after extradition from Mexico

For the first time, the man accused of killing Lesly Palacio and fleeing to Mexico went before a district judge Wednesday — an appearance the district attorney described as “long overdue.”

Erick Rangel-Ibarra, 30, was brought to Las Vegas on Thursday to face a 2020 arrest warrant.

Palacio disappeared on Aug. 30, 2020, and her body was found 10 days later in Moapa Valley, near Valley of Fire State Park. Shortly thereafter, Rangel-Ibarra, with whom Palacio was last seen, was charged with open murder and destroying or concealing evidence.

The Clark County coroner’s office has ruled Palacio’s cause and manner of death undetermined, meaning that investigators could not confidently conclude that her death was accidental, natural, homicide or suicide.

Rangel-Ibarra was detained in Mexico in July 2024 before being extradited. In court on Wednesday, he asked Judge Tierra Jones if he could hire his own attorney instead of being given a public defender.

Jones granted the request, setting his arraignment for Sept. 11.

During a news conference after the hearing, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said, “This day has finally come for justice, long overdue. It’s been five years since the time Lesly was murdered.”

Wolfson also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI, Mexican and local authorities, and Deputy District Attorney John Giordani for their work on the case.

“It took a lot of folks and a lot of work to get Erick Rangel-Ibarra back to Clark County,” Wolfson said. “I’m confident the arraignment will occur next week. I expect the trial date to be set. We intend to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, assuming we do, send him to prison for a long, long time.”

Asked whether Rangel-Ibarra had come to the United States as child lacking legal status and if federal authorities were interested in the case, Wolfson responded that the defendant’s citizenship status did not matter.

“He’s a man accused of murder. I don’t care what his citizenship is. The evidence shows that he committed this crime of murder,” Wolfson said. “Again, he’s got a right to a trial. He’s got a right to a lawyer. He’s got a right to all the constitutional protections.”

Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.