Antolin Garcia-Torres' family was in court, but he was not. Defense attorneys arranged it so the man accused of kidnapping and killing the Morgan Hill teen did not have to appear before the judge or enter a plea.
Supporters of the LaMar family are frustrated.
"I really wish he would just, just tell us where she is; have some heart out of all of this, give the family some closure," Renee Figueria said.
Sierra disappeared March 16 while walking to the school bus stop from her rural Morgan Hill home. Despite four months of intense searching, the cheerleader's body has never been found.
Legal analysts say it's not unusual for defense attorneys in complex cases to take their time.
"There is a mountain of evidence for the defense to go over, not just their client but about this entire investigation and they need time to review that, so that is why you see plea delayed once again," Steven Clark said.
Sheriff's deputies arrested Garcia-Torres in May after finding DNA evidence in his car and on Sierra's clothing found just days after her disappearance. The defendant's family maintains he is not responsible for the crime, although they have stopped talking at length about the case.
Sierra's parents are not yet ready to face Garcia-Torres in court and say they are especially grateful to the dedicated community volunteers who continue their weekly searches for Sierra.
"We haven't given up yet; we are out there Wednesdays and Saturdays and we're continuing search effort because we want to bring peace to the family," search volunteer Erika Miller said.
The judge set a new date for Garcia-Torres to enter a plea. If there is not another delay, that will happen on August 29.
