The sidewalk outside the Palacio home in Las Vegas has become a memorial to Lesly Palacio, Tuesday Sept. 22, 2020. Palacio’s body was found in the desert near Valley of Fire State Park back on Sept. 9, 2020 after going missing for nearly 12 days. The suspects in her murder, Erick Michel Rangel-Ibarra, 25, and his father Jose Rangel, 45, are still at large.
Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023 | 2 a.m.
It’s been three years since 22-year-old Lesly Palacio was killed and her body dumped in the desert near Valley of Fire State Park, and yet her family continues to wait for justice.
Erick Rangel-Ibarra, the primary suspect in the murder, is believed to have fled to Mexico.
Video surveillance showed the two entering Rangel-Ibarra’s southeast Las Vegas house about 6 a.m. Aug. 29, 2020. An hour later the video showed Rangel-Ibarra and his father, Jose Rangel, dragging a body to his truck.
Ofelia Markarian, the Palacio family attorney, said there haven’t been any tips recently about Rangel-Ibarra’s whereabouts.
“This year is an extremely hard anniversary,” Markarian said Tuesday, the three-year anniversary of the killing. “It is harder than the other years. It is going to get harder and harder as Erick is not found.”
Palacio was months away from obtaining a degree as a phlebotomist, her family previously said. She loved long talks and cooking meals with her family. She was working on helping her mother set up her own cleaning business hours before her death.
“Her family misses her very much,” Markarian said. “Her absence has caused the family not only pain and suffering but (left) a big question mark. A big why. She was a beautiful soul, and it’s just very, very sad that this happened. But what makes it worse is that we can’t even apprehend her killer.”
Palacio’s body was found Sept. 9, 2020. The Clark County Coroner’s Office said it was unable to determine how she died.
Jose Rangel, then 46, pleaded guilty to one count of each accessory to commit murder and destroying evidence after turning himself into police at the U.S.-Mexico border near San Diego in January 2021.
He told police he was with his son in Mexico, but they had split up.
Jose Rangel was sentenced to two years in prison — the maximum sentence allowed under the law for the gross misdemeanors. He wound up serving eight months behind bars.
Markarian said the Palacio family felt Jose Rangel’s sentence was too low for the crime he committed.
“They feel this is a slap in their face and that there is little hope left,” Markarian said. “Yet, they are still holding faith.”
Markarian said Jose Rangel received a lower sentence because of a Nevada Revised Statute calling for a maximum sentence of two years in prison for anyone who is an accessory to a crime if the person committing the crime is a family member.
The Palacio family hopes to change the law but it needs more support from the public.
“We are looking for people to step forward and help us at least change the law,” Markarian said. “Help us get in front of the legislature.”
The family also hopes that Erick Rangel-Ibarra is found soon, that someone will see something hear or something and provide a tip.
“If anybody knows Erick’s whereabouts, do not believe any story that Erick says in regards to this,” Markarian said. “He does not deserve any protection. He needs his day in court.”
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