Show notes
Episode 139 Elizabeth 'Liz' Barraza Part 1 of 2
On the morning of January 25,2019 just before sunrise, 29 year old Elizabeth 'Liz' Barraza was setting up for a garage sale in her yard in Tomball, Texas. She and her husband Sergio were about to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary with a vacation to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, so the extra cash from the sale would come in handy. Sergio had just left for work when a Black Nissan truck pulled up and turned around before parking in front of the Barraza's home. After parking, the driver got out and walked toward Liz, and she said good morning to them likely expecting her first customer of the day. However, this person wasn't out bargain shopping, they were targeting Liz. They pulled a revolver and after several seconds of interaction with Liz, they shot her three times. When Liz fell to the ground, the shooter stood over her and shot her a fourth time before jumping back into the Black truck and fleeing the scene. Although there were no witnesses to the shooting, a combination of grainy video and distorted audio surveillance from both the Barraza's home, and a neighbor's captured the events of that morning. The shooting, the killer, and their vehicle were all caught by the surveillance systems, but frustratingly, the shooter has not been identified.
Seconds after the shots rang out, a neighbor called 911, and as they looked out to see what was going on, the Black Nissan drove back by the Barraza's, and the caller was able to give the description of the truck to the 911 dispatcher. A BOLO of the truck was quickly issued, and police and first responders descended on the scene. Moments later, a truck fitting the suspect vehicle description was spotted and pulled over by police not far from the Barraza home, but the driver supposedly had a legitimate reason to be in the area, and was let go. Meanwhile, Liz Barraza was life-flighted to a hospital for the four gunshots she had suffered, but sadly she wouldn't survive, and passed away in the hospital.
When police searched area surveillance cameras close to the Barraza's home, they discovered that the Black Nissan truck had stalked the area hours before the shooting driving slowly past the Barraza's home. Moments before the shooting, other surveillance tracked the movements of the truck before it headed to the Barraza's home, and it was clear from the footage that the driver was waiting for Sergio to leave for work in order to attack Liz.
Since there was no clear motive in the shooting, finding a suspect has been difficult. Liz was well-liked and sociable with no known enemies. She volunteered her time for children at the local hospital, and was a member of the 501st Legion, a group dedicated to Star Wars Cos-play. Although many people have pointed the finger at Liz's husband Sergio, he has cooperated with police and taken and passed at least one polygraph, and a close look at Liz and Sergio's lives and marriage by police, found no evidence of financial issues, infidelity, or any other clue that would establish a motive.
The best clue in the case may be the Black Nissan truck driven by Liz's killer. Police describe it as a Nissan Frontier Pro 4X edition crew cab, model year 2013 or newer with a Pro4X sticker on the rear of the truck. Details of the shooter are not exact due to the poor quality of the video footage, and it's not even clear if the shooter is a man or woman. In the video footage, they appear to be wearing a long robe, coat, gown, or dress and what looks to be thigh-high White Go Go boots. They appear to either have long hair, or they are wearing a wig. The gun used to kill Liz is believed to be a .380 revolver.
There is currently a reward of up to $50,000 for information in this case. If you have any details about the murder of Elizabeth Barraza please call (713) 222-TIPS and share what you know. You can also go to crime-stoppers.org to submit your tip.
In this episode, Liz's parents Robert and Rosemary Nuelle discuss the tragic death of their daughter, and their efforts to see her killer brought to justice. They talk about the many issues they have faced in the aftermath of Liz's murder, and some of the resources and allies that they have turned to for help, including Andy Kahan, director of Victim services & advocacy of Houston, who also joins us in this episode to talk about the work he does in support of people like Liz's family.
Because Liz's case has gotten a lot of media and online attention, some rumors and inaccuracies in the case have made their way out there. For the most updated, accurate, and complete information about Liz's case, I highly recommend visiting the WhokilledLizBarraza website set up and run by Liz's parents.
To learn more about Andy Kahan's work at Crimestoppers Houston, be sure to visit this website.
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