TX - Elizabeth Barraza, 29, murdered setting up garage sale, Harris County, Jan 2019 #2

[stmarysmead]

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I think it’s possible that they were living well above their means. For sleuthing purposes, crushing debt can be a motive for murder or bring a dangerous element of people into your life.

 

[bears10]

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they bought the house for $190K in 2016. So mid 20s. Not right out of high school. $190k is nothing for a house these days. If they were first time hone buyers they probably didn’t have to make a huge down payment. Idk how old you are, but I think you’re underestimating the potential of many millennials. By 28, I was making more money than my mom. I see no reason why a mid 20s couple couldn’t afford a mortgage on a $190k house.

 

[roguelady]

I don't think the price of their home has much to do with anything. Housing prices are going up but back then $200k for a home in a development was pretty average. My family member bought her first brand new home down closer to Galveston around that time and she paid $165k. TX was cheaper then. Now many out of state people are moving to TX so prices are going up. If Elizabeth and her husband had a big mortgage, lots of debt, and a very expensive home, I'd look closer at that as a motive ($$$$$.) Their home seems in line with a young couple, both employed, just starting their married lives and planning ahead for a family. Makes me sad just to think about it. IMHO.

 

[j_in_c]

I don’t ever remember reading specifically whether she did or not but I’m very interested in the answer.

I’m also interested to know the overall financial situation here. They were leaving on vacation two days after the garage sale, that they were having to raise money for the trip. Was there poor planning involved when they scheduled the trip? It seems if you’re selling belongings two days before a vacation maybe it’s not a financially wise choice?

I definitely wouldn't read that far into it. I am sure airline tickets and accommodations were already at least partially paid. I have had friends who might do something like this for vacation "fun money", like a nice dinner out, drinks, souvenirs, etc.

 

[Cryptic]

I think it’s possible that they were living well above their means.

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verse....

I definitely wouldn't read that far into it. I am sure airline tickets and accommodations were already at least partially paid.

I see no reason why a mid 20s couple couldn’t afford a mortgage on a $190k house.

Though opposed to each other, I think all the above points are valid.

Yes, Texas has (though to a increasing lesser degree now) affordable housing. Texas builders are also known to favor Texas size in the form of larger big box homes- but with less interior features. A young couple could, under the right circumstances, afford a lot of home in Texas.

But in support of debt possibility...

This couple has the house, and an expensive hobby and has taken a series of expensive vacations (do cosplayers ever do Disney light?- is Disney light even possible?) and could well also have car loans.

Thus, like WWIIs famous "A Bridge too Far" (Allies could win battle in theory- but winning "in practice" can be very different), there might be one "and" too far regarding the couple's finances.

 

[bears10]

Why murder someone that owes you money though? That’s a sure fire way to never get paid.

 

[acehard]

they bought the house for $190K in 2016. So mid 20s. Not right out of high school. $190k is nothing for a house these days. If they were first time hone buyers they probably didn’t have to make a huge down payment. Idk how old you are, but I think you’re underestimating the potential of many millennials. By 28, I was making more money than my mom. I see no reason why a mid 20s couple couldn’t afford a mortgage on a $190k house.

Agree, that's not a big deal especially for college educated people. I wonder if there was a life insurance,

 

[stmarysmead]

Agree, that's not a big deal especially for college educated people. I wonder if there was a life insurance,

Were they both college educated? I brought forward a post from the first thread from a woman that knew EB. She says SB “installs flooring. . I believe that same poster was the thread starter

‘On page 2 of the first thread on this case...a poster, kcookok... who worked with EB said this:

“FYI The husband installs flooring... so I’m not sure about the consistency of his work schedule. She took off work to have the garage sale.”

Not sure either of them had degrees. I’d like to know more about SB’s employment as to whether he had a set time he left for work, or was an independent contractor with a flexible schedule.

 

[Cryptic]

Why murder someone that owes you money though? That’s a sure fire way to never get paid.

I think the usual line of thought in this motive is:

- Person "P" owes me money. This both a financial loss and insulting to me.
- Either I cant make "P" pay up legally. Or, legal options are long, time consuming and complicated.
- Therefore, I am not going to get paid.
- I"ll harm "P" in revenge for both the debt and insult.

 

[Cryptic]

Agree, that's not a big deal especially for college educated people. I wonder if there was a life insurance,

College was a good idea and a clear road to a good income- until everyone started getting a degree of some sort. There is a glut of college degrees and many have become de-valued (ubber specialized degrees aside).

Thus, having a college degree is no longer a ticket to a good income. In fact, the husbands floor laying might have generated more income than her degree.

 

[sl222]

“You feel like something extraordinarily evil reached out and intentionally murdered my daughter,” Barraza’s father Robert Nuelle Jr. tells PEOPLE. “This was not a robbery. This was not a gang initiation. This was somebody that wanted to kill my daughter, and did it.

After 18 Months, Police Still Seek Clues on Who Fatally Shot ‘Star Wars’ Fan at Her Own Garage Sale

IMO, the father already knows what happened. JMO. I say this based on all I've privately done to look into this and in observing the father, who is obviously a great person. MOO.

 

[bears10]

I think the usual line of thought in this motive is:

- Person "P" owes me money. This both a financial loss and insulting to me.
- Either I cant make "P" pay up legally. Or, legal options are long, time consuming and complicated.
- Therefore, I am not going to get paid.
- I"ll harm "P" in revenge for both the debt and insult.

Yeah idk, I don’t see that being the situation here. Maybe if Liz was a drug or gambling addict or something along those lines, but I don’t get that vibe from her at all. I’ve certainly been wrong before though.

 

[Cryptic]

Yeah idk, I don’t see that being the situation here. Maybe if Liz was a drug or gambling addict or something along those lines, but I don’t get that vibe from her at all. I’ve certainly been wrong before though.

I agree.

As you stated, she seems to have lived the opposite of a lifestyle that could involve debts to the wrong person- with the possible exception of a money centered family dispute that turned from bad to worse.

In the end, the couple may well of had debt. But that debt was more likely to be to non murderous credit card companies rather than bad news individual.

 

[TacitusKilgore]

IMO, the father already knows what happened. JMO. I say this based on all I've privately done to look into this and in observing the father, who is obviously a great person. MOO.

I tend to agree. And his closeness with SM would indicate he also has an idea. Do they still live in the area? Was there fear on their part for their safety recently? SM not being very private is just a little odd, IMO.

 

[Satchie]

Yeah idk, I don’t see that being the situation here. Maybe if Liz was a drug or gambling addict or something along those lines, but I don’t get that vibe from her at all. I’ve certainly been wrong before though.

I'm not thinking about a lender who Elizabeth owed money to, I agree that's unlikely. I'm alluding to a possibility closer to home, so to speak. I'm just speculating, but to me this doesn't seem like a crime of passion, but a cold, calculated, and well-covered up action to eliminate her. My thought process is that people capable of such cold, calculating behaviour are possibly motived by money.

 

[Satchie]

I tend to agree. And his closeness with SM would indicate he also has an idea. Do they still live in the area? Was there fear on their part for their safety recently? SM not being very private is just a little odd, IMO.

Sorry, who is SM?

 

[BaffleMe]

Sorry, who is SM?

Thank you for asking. No idea.

 

[Eloise]

Is it a typo and they mean SB?

 

[iamnotagolem]

Yeah idk, I don’t see that being the situation here. Maybe if Liz was a drug or gambling addict or something along those lines, but I don’t get that vibe from her at all. I’ve certainly been wrong before though.

Has anyone alluded to Liz being murdered because of owing money to shady people? I’ve only seen posts refuting that theory but no one has suggested it and it seems quite unlikely, much like her being a victim of gang initiation.

Money as a motive for murder is usually because someone is benefiting financially like being the beneficiary on a life insurance policy.

 

[bears10]

Has anyone alluded to Liz being murdered because of owing money to shady people? I’ve only seen posts refuting that theory but no one has suggested it and it seems quite unlikely, much like her being a victim of gang initiation.

Money as a motive for murder is usually because someone is benefiting financially like being the beneficiary on a life insurance policy.

there were multiple posts questioning how Liz and SB afford their home and (apparently lavish?) lifestyle. Some speculated maybe SB didn’t pay someone that did flooring work for him, that Liz and/or SB borrowed money from people, “crushing debt can be a motive for murder or bring a dangerous element of people into your life” etc