The Murder of Anna Scott

 

During the early-morning hours of February 3rd, 2022, police in Washoe County, Nevada received a call about a vehicle on fire in southbound shoulder area of Interstate 580. Officers responded to the scene and found the car burning about a mile north of the Galena Creek Bridge. Inside the vehicle, police found the body of a young woman. The medical examiner later identified the victim as Anna Scott of Reno, Nevada. She was just 23 years old. 

Anna's family members describe her as a loving mother who was dedicated to raising her young children. Anna was also a member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and a beloved part of the community. Her loved ones are inevitably heartbroken by her death. Anna’s family last heard from her the night before she was found deceased. Anna's stepmother said that Anna was posting on social media on the evening of February 2nd but did not post at all the following day--which was unusual. 

Around the same time, Anna's stepmother heard news about a car being found on fire with a deceased female inside. Days later, the family learned that the female inside the vehicle was, in fact, Anna. She had died from a gunshot wound to the head. It appears that Anna's killer(s) then set her car on fire in attempt to destroy evidence.

source: rdj.com

In the days that followed Anna's death, authorities stated that they were trying to an establish a timeline leading up to the murder. On February 7th, the Washoe County Sheriff's office announced that they were "trying to piece together [Anna's] movements and contacts in the hours and days before her body was found."  

Anna's stepmother said that the family heard from a friend who saw Anna that night, but the interaction was "odd". In a report from March 2022, her stepmother was quoted saying, "[The friend] did say she had seen Anna that night and that she had left Anna alone with some people that she hadn’t mentioned to us, I don’t know if she mentioned it to the detectives, but to me that was odd. How are you just going to leave your friend alone?" 

Other than that, detectives remained tight-lipped for several years about the investigation into Anna's death. An April 2022 report on the case states that the sheriff's office did not respond to the reporter's request for updates. However, Anna's family members vowed to not let Anna be forgotten. They also have made efforts to raise awareness about the numerous other missing and murdered indigenous women whose cases also remain unsolved. More information about this nationwide issue can be found here.

A little over four years passed without any updates in Anna's case. Finally, in June 2026, an arrest was finally made; Delshay Astor was indicted on second-degree murder charges. The following month, the grand jury updated those charges to first-degree murder. Additionally, an accomplice, Joel Christy, was charged with accessory after the fact.

Prosecutors allege that Astor shot Anna to death before setting her car on fire. Christy then reportedly helped Astor avoid apprehension after the crime was committed. At this time, it has not been revealed how investigators tied the two men to Anna's murder. Their charges are currently pending. 

Delshay Astor

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Sources:
2 News

KOLO TV, 2, 3

People

RDJ,2