A Houston mother says she has been denied her daughter’s autopsy and toxicology records for months — even after the man who shot and killed her daughter walked free without facing any charges.
Erika Carriere has been fighting to obtain official records following the September 2024 fatal shooting of her daughter, Sierra Reed. The shooter told investigators he fired after Reed allegedly tried to run him over with a vehicle following an argument at a party. Carriere says detectives had almost no witness accounts to verify that version of events.
“Detectives got there and determined no one saw it, so it was just his version of things,” Carriere said.
A Harris County grand jury later declined to indict the shooter, meaning the criminal case ended with no charges filed. Despite that outcome, Carriere’s repeated public information requests for her daughter’s records have been denied — with responses citing an ongoing law enforcement investigation.
The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences confirmed it received an objection from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office blocking the release of those records. The DA’s office has not explained why the law enforcement exemption would still apply in a case that appears to have concluded.
“I’m a law-abiding citizen. I just feel like there should be some things that should be straightforward and I’m getting the runaround,” Carriere said.
Legal experts say this situation is unusual. Records are typically released after a grand jury issues a no-bill. One attorney noted that if administrative options are exhausted, Carriere could pursue the records through civil court, where a judge could issue a subpoena compelling agencies to hand them over.
For Carriere, this is about more than closure. The records could help her access crime victim benefits to cover funeral costs and support Reed’s 2-year-old son.
“If this is the last thing I can do for her that would benefit my grandson, it would at least help,” she said.
