A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Delshay Astor with the alleged murder of Anna Scott in February 2022, and Joel Christy for assisting Astor to avoid apprehension, according to a July 28 announcement from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada.
Astor was initially indicted in May 2026 on one count of second-degree murder within Indian Country. The new indictment charges Astor with first-degree murder within Indian Country, while Christy is charged as an accessory after the fact. According to allegations in the superseding indictment, on or about February 2, 2022, Astor murdered Scott with premeditation and malice on the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony. It is alleged that Scott, a member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, was shot and killed; her body was then placed into her car and set on fire. As further charged in the indictment, Christy assisted Astor and another individual to hinder their apprehension.
“While these new charges reflect the expanding scope and strength of our ongoing investigation, our primary focus today remains exactly where it belongs, on Anna Marie Scott, her family, and everyone who loved her,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “Our office, alongside our partners in law enforcement, will continue to work tirelessly as this case moves toward trial until justice is fully served.”
“We hope the arrest of a second subject on charges of aiding and abetting brings some measure of relief to the family of Anna Scott after many years of awaiting justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas office. “The FBI, alongside our law enforcement partners, specifically the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, the Reno Sparks Tribal Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service, remain committed to combating violent crime in all its forms on tribal lands and throughout the state of Nevada.”
If convicted at trial scheduled for September 29, 2026, Astor faces a statutory minimum penalty of life imprisonment; Christy faces up to fifteen years’ imprisonment if convicted as an accessory after the fact. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based upon applicable guidelines.
The FBI and Washoe County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case with operational support from the U.S. Marshals Service; Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Brister is prosecuting it.
A superseding indictment is merely an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
The U.S. Attorney for Nevada advances community wellness through federal law enforcement initiatives across all seventeen counties as part of its role within both federal judicial entities and public safety collaborations involving local agencies, according to its official website.