TX - Elizabeth Barraza, 29, murdered setting up garage sale, Harris Co, Jan 2019 #4

[hexicon]

For the reasons described above (revolvers being rendered obsolete in some ways by modern semi-automatic pistols), my sense is that a lot of gun-owning households have old revolvers gathering dust on top of the armoire or (preferably) in the back of the the gun safe.

That leads me to suspect that the shooter, who did not seem at all proficient with the weapon, "borrowed" the revolver from family storage with the expectation that no one would miss it. The shooter would then discard the weapon in a random trash can and and assume that they would not be connected to the crime via ballistics.

 

[santacruztodd]

In 2017, I learned an important lesson when sleuthing murders. Taylor Wright's murder taught me to ask: Cui bono. Who benefits from the crime? Taylor trusted the wrong person. Maybe Liz did, too.

AS has a video, the only one of his videos allowed on this case, where he explains the direction the killer(s) took after her murder in the Nissan Frontier 4x4. The truck had to travel through a ravine when following the arrow on the left.

A Nissan Frontier Pro 4X model can easily handle traversing the terrain in either direction. This model has a removable roof rack. The truck had fog lights that are standard with the Pro 4X which makes it extra nice while driving over rugged land in the dark.

AS also mentions that the Nissan Frontier Pro 4X can be rented. He notes the truck is clean and without signs of any damage, dents, mud on the tires, etc.

View attachment 413985

Around the 32:22 mark, one can see the truck has a passenger, an accomplice.

In 2017, I learned an important lesson when sleuthing murders. Taylor Wright's murder taught me to ask: Cui bono. Who benefits from the crime? Taylor trusted the wrong person. Maybe Liz did, too.

AS has a video, the only one of his videos allowed on this case, where he explains the direction the killer(s) took after her murder in the Nissan Frontier 4x4. The truck had to travel through a ravine when following the arrow on the left.

A Nissan Frontier Pro 4X model can easily handle traversing the terrain in either direction. This model has a removable roof rack. The truck had fog lights that are standard with the Pro 4X which makes it extra nice while driving over rugged land in the dark.

AS also mentions that the Nissan Frontier Pro 4X can be rented. He notes the truck is clean and without signs of any damage, dents, mud on the tires, etc.

View attachment 413985

Around the 32:22 mark, one can see the truck has a passenger, an accomplice.

Taylor Wright’s case was very disturbing, indeed. Her killer was a textbook sociopath. I agree that in most murder cases one must ask-“who benefits?” The fact that Liz seemed to live an exemplary life makes it difficult to assume that she did anything to warrant this heinous act. Now, not all killers have good reasons to kill, so something that may strike you or I as trivial could send an unhinged person over the edge. We don’t know if the crime equaled the magnitude of anything that Liz may have done-either knowingly or unknowingly.

If we are to assume that the killer had a “good reason” to kill Liz, then we know from history that it should be either for love (or lack of it), money, or vengeance. The fact that this murder took place in their driveway leads me to believe that the killer resides outside of the family circle. What better way to bring suspicion upon yourself than by coordinating a hit at your own residence? Only a complete fool would do that. As for the motive of money, again, the suspicion would be overwhelming for the spouse and immediate family members. This is why I believe that this crime was perpetuated by someone who had a lingering grudge with Liz. Insurance payouts in murder cases can be held up for years, if not forever, so someone could end up killing her and never realizing financial gain from it. Logically, who seeking money would arrange to have the murder performed at their own residence? I’m just not feeling it.

If Liz did do something dubious in nature, it was most likely very secretive, and known only to herself and one other party. The fact that this dubious action was secretive makes the motive difficult to ascertain. I agree with many here that to find motive will lead to the perpetrator. Very few things in life occur in a vacuum, so I am thinking that someone other than the killer knows about what took place, but either benefited by this action or they are in fear of retaliation should they come forward. This is why I recommend a higher reward amount-it could be the tipping point in this case.

There is no arguing with success, so whatever the reason for the killing, the killer was prepared and executed a pre-thought out plan pretty much to the letter. As I look at the complete mess that Houston is, I doubt very much that many resources were thrown at this case. It could very well be that early on in the investigation law-enforcement expected this to be an open and shut case, and did not consider motives other than financial or romantic. I’ve seen many cases where law-enforcement interviewed the perpetrator early on in the investigation, only to fail to follow up on one or two items that eventually lead to the killers.

Is this such a case?

 

[Ajs1004]

I know nothing about firearms. Thank you for your post.

Killer knew Liz would not be armed. She was defenseless, innocent and would not be able to defend herself, imo, killer knew this. The killer is a coward who brutally murdered her, and anyone that knows of information about the murder and does not disclose what is known is a coward too. moo

Not only was she not armed and defenseless, she was standing between a table and a treadmill, pretty much unable to make a run for it. Conveniently blocked in.

 

[somequestions]

I think it is strange that when Elizabeth Barraza said "Good Morning", it does not sound like she got an equal reply. I think it is natural when someone says "Good Morning" to say something back like "Hello" or "Good Morning" too.

Whatever was handed to Elizabeth Barraza before she was shot was so quick that she had absolutely no time to process it. It would suggest to me a picture, maybe of the murderer themselves, letting her know exactly who it was that was her murderer. This is speculation though, but the only thing that makes sense to me in terms of the time Elizabeth Barraza would have had to process the information.

 

[HousewaresAisle3]

A few comments that are purely my opinion and speculation.

The vehicle and route: in my mind this is just more evidence of planning in advance and that it was coordinated and carried out between two or more individuals. They driving back by the scene shows they were confident they had a solid escape route and plan.

The killer “handing something to Liz”: I think it’s unlikely that was anything more than a distraction. So it was likely just a scrap of paper or nothing at all. No picture or note or anything like that. Just a way to distract Liz for a split second while the murderer went in for the final action.

Motive and suspects: I lean towards someone close to Liz or her circle of family and in laws. I do not believe it is some person from work or in her past holding a grudge. I also lean way from it being a member of the cosplay community but that is a little intriguing. Keep in mind the only inkling of motive we can extract or speculate about is with Sergio and his father. We can say it could be someone from cosplay group but we have no name or any indication she had any people holding a grudge.

 

[arielilane]

I lean toward revenge because of how Liz was killed. Possibly someone had a grudge against Liz for years. Curious if the break-in at the apartment Liz and S shared together years ago ties into the murder somehow? Was that possibly the first attempt to stake out the living arrangements, their schedules? Don't know enough about the break-in, etc to put anything together.

Just my opinion, and subject to change my mind. All speculation.

 

[lonewanderer]

Can burner phones be tracked? If a pay-as-you-go phone was used by the participants, about the only way to discover the phone numbers, would be by obtaining a geofence warrant.

"... can be difficult to trace the location or person behind a prepaid cell phone number since a prepaid cell phone can be purchased and used without using personal information."

https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-trace-a-prepaid-cell-phone

Geo-fence warrant - Wikipedia


Investigators are questioning the victim's husband.

Woman gunned down while setting up for garage sale dies; suspect sought

To answer the burner phone question, yes and no. It depends on how it was obtained and when it was obtained.

So, several burner phone murders have been unraveled due to things like being caught on CCTV. I remember a plot where a woman was heading to DC and hired another woman who was still in Detroit to murder someone while she was gone.

I can recall a different person getting busted because they used their credit card with their name on it instead of a prepaid card or cash.

There was even one time where a person IMEI and/or serial number was tracked back to a certain store and they were exposed.

BUT there are two cases I can think of where the burner was useless.

There is an unsolved case where a man pretended to be disabled with a cane, rented and apartment, and killed one of the landlords in a really weird torture. His burner was tracked back to a 7-11 but the footage had beed erased by that time as 7-11 company police for that store. It’s speculated the man waited to carry out the murder because he knew that somehow.

There was also the case of Lindsay Buziak whose case eventually uncovered a burner phone, but didn’t lead to an arrest. This turned into a bit of a rabbit hole as the phone was registered with a legit address and business. A person even called it a few times, but no arrest was ever been made and that was 2008.

 

[santacruztodd]

I found this case from about eight years ago that took place in Tomball, Texas as well. Here, the Texas rangers got involved and it would be interesting to know what their criterion are for assisting with open murder cases. The circumstances of that case seem no more horrible than with the Barraza case yet, for some reason, they became involved in a murder involving a day laborer from Guatemala. It would seem to me that again, law enforcement must request the help of the Rangers in order for the request to be considered. I’m still gathering resources ranging from the Governor, Attorney General, and both private and university forensic organizations.

Barring that some maniac woke up one day and decided he was going to kill someone, there is a trail leading to the killer and it is going to take resources to uncover that trail. It would be interesting to know what information regarding Liz’ case is available from the police as public information.

I feel that if you knock on enough doors, someone will answer.

Tomball police, Texas Rangers hope you can help solve a murder

Tomball police and the Texas Rangers met with reporters Wednesday to try to solve a murder. And they need the public's help to do so.

abc13.com

 

[DeDee]

If you haven’t looked at google maps, I recommend it. You can see how smooth and easy that terrain is, any 2 wheel drive vehicle likely wouldn’t have a problem driving that.

I don’t think the truck was specifically chosen, I think it was convenient for the killer and not connected to them.

:: Hi! ::

Thank you for the kind suggestion. It's been a while since posting on Elizabeth's case as I've been embedded in the Murdaugh trial, the Stauch trial, the Idaho4 case and several others. Like most of us - I follow multiple cases.

Your theory of the truck being a convenience is plausible. I've never owned a truck to know if the terrain would require a 2 or 4 wheel drive. A cursory glimpse at google indicates a 4 wheel drive is optimal for off-road driving.

AS mentioned in his video, I previously posted, that if the killers took the route marked by the arrow on the left, the driver would have traversed a ravine. Before reaching the houses off the cul de sac of Oconee Dr., the ravine is a darker shade of green and leads to a possible concrete drainage system seen further to the West near the top of the still image taken from AS's video. Maybe fog lights and the Nissan Pro X4 made crossing the ravine easier. IDK.

Ravine - Wikipedia A ravine is a landform that is narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streambank erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys with the potential to be deep and wide.

Cedar Walk Dr · Princeton Place, TX 77375

 

[DeDee]

I lean toward revenge because of how Liz was killed. Possibly someone had a grudge against Liz for years. Curious if the break-in at the apartment Liz and S shared together years ago ties into the murder somehow? Was that possibly the first attempt to stake out the living arrangements, their schedules? Don't know enough about the break-in, etc to put anything together.

Just my opinion, and subject to change my mind. All speculation.

Revenge is part of GSR. Det Ken Mains believes a murder is caused due to one of the three factors:
Greed, Sex, Revenge or GSR.

The killer shows Liz the piece of paper. AS, utilizing special techniques, has the captions in his video of what he suspects the killer says to EB before firing the weapon. "I got you, B*."
Everyone can use their own judgment regarding their conversation.

It seems to me that the killer has made an offer to make a purchase from her garage sale which, in turn, would allow him close proximity to Liz as if extending money to her. The paper he holds out for her has a purpose and it's not just to get closer to her. He's already close. He wants her to see what's on the paper. The piece of paper may be the reason the killer, then says, "I got you, B*."

Written as a humble opinion of my own.

@ 25:10

 

[arielilane]

I found this case from about eight years ago that took place in Tomball, Texas as well. Here, the Texas rangers got involved and it would be interesting to know what their criterion are for assisting with open murder cases. The circumstances of that case seem no more horrible than with the Barraza case yet, for some reason, they became involved in a murder involving a day laborer from Guatemala. It would seem to me that again, law enforcement must request the help of the Rangers in order for the request to be considered. I’m still gathering resources ranging from the Governor, Attorney General, and both private and university forensic organizations.

Barring that some maniac woke up one day and decided he was going to kill someone, there is a trail leading to the killer and it is going to take resources to uncover that trail. It would be interesting to know what information regarding Liz’ case is available from the police as public information.

I feel that if you knock on enough doors, someone will answer.

Tomball police, Texas Rangers hope you can help solve a murder

Tomball police and the Texas Rangers met with reporters Wednesday to try to solve a murder. And they need the public's help to do so.

abc13.com

Agree, about “knock on enough doors, someone will answer” and I truly praise all of your efforts! Moving Mountains!

IIRC, the Rangers were involved in Liz’s case but there is no link to subsequent this, imo. Additionally, Kim Ogg with the TX District Attorney can be found in this video and it gave me hope… but the video is from over a year old.

 

[cujenn81]

Out of curiosity, why are revolvers not used often anymore - why is that gun choice noteworthy? People have noted its advantages, but what were the disadvantages?

Here are the primary differences --

PISTOL PROS
- higher capacity (magazines typically hold 7-15 rounds but can hold as many as 20, depending on the gun)
- less recoil
- fires faster
- easier to reload (pop out the empty magazine, pop in another loaded one)

REVOLVER PROS
- lower risk of jamming/misfiring
- easy to use; minimal training required, if any
- easier to clean
- made to withstand more force which allows for larger caliber bullets (depending on the gun)
- more forgiving ammunition choice
- doesn't require significant hand strength (compared to pistols where you have to pull back the slide to chamber a round)
- collects spent cartridges

PISTOL CONS
- must be meticulously cleaned (remove all the parts, clean them, put them back together)
- jams easier
- requires very specific ammunition
- more complicated for new shooters (must know how to operate slides, stops, mag releases, safeties, etc.)
- the slide to chamber a round requires considerable hand strength

REVOLVER CONS
- limited capacity (only holds 6 rounds, typically)
- slow to reload


This is all just my opinion, of course.

 

[Cryptic]

Very few things in life occur in a vacuum, so I am thinking that someone other than the killer knows about what took place, but either benefited by this action or they are in fear of retaliation should they come forward. This is why I recommend a higher reward amount-it could be the tipping point in this case.

Very well said.

Human social behavior makes "seething in total secrecy" unlikely. If the motive was personal grudge based, somebody else could well know, or say, "strongly suspects" who the murderer is. There could also be a slightly larger circle who have general details of a negative interaction.

In regards to the reward, it needs to be presented actively to the target audience and not just indrectly by bland announcements. Say....

- Police set up a booth at Star Wars cosplay conventions. Booth is a "Celebration of life for Liz" (builds connection) . But... reward information is also passed out. Booth is highlighted by an easy tip line number that can be seen at a glance. No- you don't need to come to the booth to get that special number.

- The booth is set up at home town- or 'burb football games to cover possible "Stole my high school 4Ever luv" type grudge. If reunions are scheduled, so is a Celebration of Life / Reward booth.

- Hospitals were Cos Play visitations are occurred are given toned down, un manned tables. Does a nurse remember a mother with high expectations regarding a visit?

- Celebration of life / Reward booths or tables are set up at events where large numbers of family members will be in attendance. For example, family always goes to say, 4th of July celebrations at park "P".

 

[santacruztodd]

Very well said.

Human social behavior makes "seething in total secrecy" unlikely. If the motive was personal grudge based, somebody else could well know, or say, "strongly suspects" who the murderer is. There could also be a slightly larger circle who have general details of a negative interaction.

In regards to the reward, it needs to be presented actively to the target audience and not just indrectly by bland announcements. Say....

- Police set up a booth at Star Wars cosplay conventions. Booth is a "Celebration of life for Liz" (builds connection) . But... reward information is also passed out. Booth is highlighted by an easy tip line number that can be seen at a glance. No- you don't need to come to the booth to get that special number.

- The booth is set up at home town- or 'burb football games to cover possible "Stole my high school 4Ever luv" type grudge. If reunions are scheduled, so is a Celebration of Life / Reward booth.

- Hospitals were Cos Play visitations are occurred are given toned down, un manned tables. Does a nurse remember a mother with high expectations regarding a visit?

- Celebration of life / Reward booths or tables are set up at events where large numbers of family members will be in attendance. For example, family always goes to say, 4th of July celebrations at park "P".

Something as simple as distributing playing cards highlighting Liz' case to all Texas prisons and county jails would be cost-efficient and pragmatic

 

[Cryptic]

Something as simple as distributing playing cards highlighting Liz' case to all Texas prisons and county jails would be cost-efficient and pragmatic

I like the idea of cards.

Maybe create Celebration of Life cards and distribute them at Star Wars Cosplay conventions, high school games and hometown / 'burb events.

The cards are tailored to each target audience. Star Wars convention releases feature Liz as a fellow cosplayer. High School cards feature Liz as an involved student etc.

 

[Jleo90]

I am enthralled in this case and dragging my husband down this rabbit hole for justice for Liz with me. I’ve watched the gut wrenching video a million times, has anyone figured out what the shooter (if anything and we’re just mistakingly a radio for talking) said to her before she was shot? I apologize if this has already been visited, I am brand spanking new.

 

[Jleo90]

I am enthralled in this case and dragging my husband down this rabbit hole for justice for Liz with me. I’ve watched the gut wrenching video a million times, has anyone figured out what the shooter (if anything and we’re just mistakingly a radio for talking) said to her before she was shot? I apologize if this has already been visited, I am brand spanking new.

 

[Centaurus]

I am enthralled in this case and dragging my husband down this rabbit hole for justice for Liz with me. I’ve watched the gut wrenching video a million times, has anyone figured out what the shooter (if anything and we’re just mistakingly a radio for talking) said to her before she was shot? I apologize if this has already been visited, I am brand spanking new.

Hey welcome to WS! IMO, this Arrin Stoner video is a MUST watch. I think he has at least one more video about her case, but I'm not sure if they are approved by the admins here. This video, however, is approved:

eta: more info

 

[KooshBall]

In the Stoner video he claims he hears several comments from the killer but I don't hear any of it at all. Is something wrong with my hearing? I'm not being snarky, I'm legitimately confused how someone can be so confident about hearing something that is not even registering to my ears.

 

[squareandrabbet]

Revenge is part of GSR. Det Ken Mains believes a murder is caused due to one of the three factors:
Greed, Sex, Revenge or GSR.

The killer shows Liz the piece of paper. AS, utilizing special techniques, has the captions in his video of what he suspects the killer says to EB before firing the weapon. "I got you, B*."
Everyone can use their own judgment regarding their conversation.

It seems to me that the killer has made an offer to make a purchase from her garage sale which, in turn, would allow him close proximity to Liz as if extending money to her. The paper he holds out for her has a purpose and it's not just to get closer to her. He's already close. He wants her to see what's on the paper. The piece of paper may be the reason the killer, then says, "I got you, B*."

Written as a humble opinion of my own.

@ 25:10

...An affair, actually being carried on by either of Elizabeth or Sergio?

...A wished-for affair, which meant that someone wanted her out of the way?

...A job-related reason?

All of the above of course are IMO, not trying to sleuth anyone but...what we know/don't know is weird. IMO.