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

[Curiousobserver]

This reminds me a bit of the Dan Markel case. When they (the hitmen) left the residence after shooting Markel, the neighbor was able to describe the vehicle. The police checked the turnpike for green Prius's and bingo they found it traveling to Miami. The 2 men had rented the car at a place not generally known to the public. Very little paperwork was exchanged. These quick thinking detectives also pulled video off the buses that day and they got great video of the perps in the car.

So I wonder if the truck was rented at a podunk place somewhere far from Houston. And if there weren't cameras or tolls out on the highway, there would be no way to track the direction of the vehicle. Small chance this is the case but thought I'd mention it.

I think you've got the right idea. If the truck had a connection to the victim, LE would have stumbled across it by now. For example, I am sure they pulled all the registrations for 50-100 miles and put the list of names in front of her friends and family.

This truck's linkage is cloaked somehow.

 

[BINGOdinoDNA]

What a great point! Grand Parkway (99) is a toll road running E/W and Ritchie stated the killer came from the South of Kuykendahl, which runs N/S.

This reminds me a bit of the Dan Markel case. When they (the hitmen) left the residence after shooting Markel, the neighbor was able to describe the vehicle. The police checked the turnpike for green Prius's and bingo they found it traveling to Miami. The 2 men had rented the car at a place not generally known to the public. Very little paperwork was exchanged. These quick thinking detectives also pulled video off the buses that day and they got great video of the perps in the car.

So I wonder if the truck was rented at a podunk place somewhere far from Houston. And if there weren't cameras or tolls out on the highway, there would be no way to track the direction of the vehicle. Small chance this is the case but thought I'd mention it.

 

[BINGOdinoDNA]

What bothers me the most is that whoever did this had to have known she would be home from work that day, which narrows down the suspect pool significantly IMO. Knowing the truck was seen in the area the day before..they knew either directly or they were told by someone else.

I'm also curious about how LE handles cases like this in regards to Sergio and Liz's family and their safety. I would be terrified to even leave my house without knowing a motive, but if they somehow know Liz was the only target...something to think about.

 

[SAMS]

What bothers me the most is that whoever did this had to have known she would be home from work that day, which narrows down the suspect pool significantly IMO. Knowing the truck was seen in the area the day before..they knew either directly or they were told by someone else.

I'm also curious about how LE handles cases like this in regards to Sergio and Liz's family and their safety. I would be terrified to even leave my house without knowing a motive, but if they somehow know Liz was the only target...something to think about.

I agree, and how many times have the perp returned to the scene of his/her crime? Who knows. I wonder if LE have checked CCTV around the neighborhood since this happened. MOO

 

[sl222]

What a great point! Grand Parkway (99) is a toll road running E/W and Ritchie stated the killer came from the South of Kuykendahl, which runs N/S. View attachment 218687

Thanks, BINGOdinoDNA, that is significant to me. Going the other way would indicate heading north of Houston and they're already far north. The other way could indicate a lot of other possibilities. One of my main things I wonder is, do the detectives think the shooter came from out of town? They must not have been to the couple's home regularly or they wouldn't have had to go there the night before. They had to avoid the toll roads since that would put them on camera. If they came from far enough out of town then they would have had to stop for gas somewhere but not all places would have cameras; they could have carried their own gas maybe too. It certainly does seem like this was a hired killer.

 

[sl222]

I get the impression from the recent 2 interviews that the police are close to an arrest and that they know who did this. They welcome information from the public but they already have a whole lot, so it's a slightly different tone from right after it happened. My opinion. The killer hoped this would be a baffling case that would go away, but THAT is not happening.

 

[Ksprincess2]

I get the impression from the recent 2 interviews that the police are close to an arrest and that they know who did this. They welcome information from the public but they already have a whole lot, so it's a slightly different tone from right after it happened. My opinion. The killer hoped this would be a baffling case that would go away, but THAT is not happening.

I hope your right that police are close to an arrest! There have been lots of cases where I thought the police had nothing when they had a great case they just needed time to get all their ducks in a row.

 

[borndem]

What bothers me the most is that whoever did this had to have known she would be home from work that day, which narrows down the suspect pool significantly IMO. Knowing the truck was seen in the area the day before..they knew either directly or they were told by someone else.

I'm also curious about how LE handles cases like this in regards to Sergio and Liz's family and their safety. I would be terrified to even leave my house without knowing a motive, but if they somehow know Liz was the only target...something to think about.

Did EB or SB put up fliers about the yard sale around the neighborhood, EB's or SB's workplace, in the local (if one) newspaper, with their cosplay folks, etc.? It would be interesting to know how widespread the knowledge of the yard sale was.

 

[hey_GARY]

Did EB or SB put up fliers about the yard sale around the neighborhood, EB's or SB's workplace, in the local (if one) newspaper, with their cosplay folks, etc.? It would be interesting to know how widespread the knowledge of the yard sale was.

From what I’ve read, they put up signs in the neighborhood the morning of. Didn’t post anything on social media, and only told close family & friends. I’m guessing people at her work knew since she had the day off for the sale. That makes the circle of people very small that knew of the garage sale...

 

[borndem]

From what I’ve read, they put up signs in the neighborhood the morning of. Didn’t post anything on social media, and only told close family & friends. I’m guessing people at her work knew since she had the day off for the sale. That makes the circle of people very small that knew of the garage sale...

Thanks, @hey_GARY -- hmmm, that really keeps the circle of "who knew" about it kind of small, doesn't it??

 

[sl222]

<IMO: mod edit> The killer watched for the husband to leave for work in order to catch Liz when she was alone. That is what makes sense to me. So this has to narrow things down still more that the killer knew that her husband would leave for work this early while Liz was setting things up. The killer arrived 4 minutes after the husband drove off. I don't even think it was yet fully light out at this time in January with Daylight Savings Time. It was a school day and there's plenty of traffic of commuters.

<modsnip - unsubstantiated claim>

I'm very hopeful that we're going to hear something soon.

 

[Gunslinging Granny]

The killer watched for the husband to leave for work in order to catch Liz when she was alone. That is what makes sense to me. So this has to narrow things down still more that the killer knew that her husband would leave for work this early while Liz was setting things up. The killer arrived 4 minutes after the husband drove off. I don't even think it was yet fully light out at this time in January with Daylight Savings Time. It was a school day and there's plenty of traffic of commuters.

Since the killer headed south, they were heading into morning commuter traffic. By then there is plenty of it because it would be close to an hour to commute into Houston from there at that time of day (almost 7am). I lived way closer in from there in the past and I had to allow that much time.

I'm very hopeful that we're going to hear something soon.

There are surveillance cameras everywhere. Homeowners have them. Business owners have them. The government has them. The killer must have been caught on numerous surveillance cameras for numerous miles.

I hope Liz's dad knows that "the squeaky wheel gets the grease". He must push LE to solve this murder.

 

[sl222]

From observing as a local I think Harris County Sheriff''s Office is dead set on solving this crime and has a lot of respect for Liz's dad. MOO. I hope the killers are prepared to become "famous" on all the national crime shows, which will be repeated for decades. Once they make an arrest, this is going to be worldwide news more than ever. Like so many other crimes.

Referring back to an earlier comment, about the public's safety, if this was a hired killer, I wonder if the person who hired someone knows the person who did the shooting or if it was arranged by a 3rd party. The more people involved, the more chance someone else involved could get killed to cover this up.

 

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

What bothers me the most is that whoever did this had to have known she would be home from work that day, which narrows down the suspect pool significantly IMO. Knowing the truck was seen in the area the day before..they knew either directly or they were told by someone else.

I'm also curious about how LE handles cases like this in regards to Sergio and Liz's family and their safety. I would be terrified to even leave my house without knowing a motive, but if they somehow know Liz was the only target...something to think about.

BBM

I've been following this case, but not really closely... Do we know if Liz usually left for work before or after her husband? Is it possible that Sergio always left first, and the killer timed it to catch her at home alone before she left for work? In other words, is it possible her day off is just a coincidence?

 

[TGIRecovered]

I’ve always suspected that the vehicle wasn’t driven very far immediately after the crime. The only way I can think of to avoid being on any kind of surveillance camera is to park it quickly in an accomplice’s garage or storage building. It probably isn't that simple but I can’t get it out of my mind.

 

[sl222]

I wondered that too about whether the car was left somewhere. I also wonder how stupid these killers are and how much planning and "trouble" they went to regarding the truck. Has it been found by now? They haven't let us know. No doubt the police have looked for every possibility on this model.

A person has to ask, what are the odds that this was totally random? Next to nothing. She's outside doing this garage sale only one day each year, and the killer pulls up 4 minutes after her husband drives off. Sits in the car before walking up to her, and made the 4th and final shot when she was already on the ground. Killer being in disguise in some very strange clothes. Some kind of dress or robe, and boots, and maybe a wig. As said here, there are cameras everywhere so where the truck stopped being seen, hopefully the police know that. Also what direction it came from.

 

[TGIRecovered]

Does anyone know if the husband’s vehicle was seen on surveillance on the way to work at times that would coincide with the time he left the house? I’m only asking if it’s been in MSM. Don’t want to break any rules!

 

[AmandaSkis]

<modsnip> I just can't fathom any way someone could kill someone on a neighborhood street where numerous people must have surveillance cameras, and that the car would have to go out via Kuykendahl; I don't think there is any other way out. That street is non-stop businesses of all kinds with cameras I'm sure too. And if anything the costume makes it stand out even more. How could this person expect to not be apprehended unless they took great pains to plan this. I do feel like a woman is behind this crime. But the shooter still strikes me as a man dressed as a woman. I can't tell the height, though thankfully the police can, but the skinny long legs and the somewhat bulkier middle, and the general look of the wig, look to me like a man; hopefully soon we will get some answers. I'm so grateful to the police for their continued work on this case. I believe they care very much. I'm from the area so I have plenty of faith in our law enforcement officers there.

<modsnip - quoted part being discussed has been removed because it is unsubstantiated>

I keep looking around for more details but it’s pretty quiet. Based on other cases I’ve followed, I’m hoping this means that LE has plenty of good leads they are working on.

 

[CocoChanel]

........

<modsnip> By then there is plenty of it because it would be close to an hour to commute into Houston from there at that time of day (almost 7am). I lived way closer in from there in the past and I had to allow that much time.

I'm very hopeful that we're going to hear something soon.

MOD NOTE:
PLEASE POST AN MSM OR LE LINK TO THE INFO POSTED ABOUT WHAT DIRECTION THE KILLER’S TRUCK HEADED, OTHERWISE IT IS UNSUBSTANTIATED AND WILL BE REMOVED, AS WILL SUBSEQUENT POSTS REPEATING INFO THAT IS UNSUBSTANTIATED.

Faithfully,
CocoChanel
Moderator

 

[twt11]

Sounds like whoever it was parked in a place where they could watch the husband leave and move in immediately afterwards. There has to be more video.