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

[JnRyan]

I had to go back and watch the Paula Zahn program again. After watching the video they have of the shooting the killer definitely appears to be shooting high with the first shoot and then lowers the gun for the second. I had forgotten about the half million dollar like insurance policy or her father-in-law's infidelity. LE seemed set on the killer being one of those who knew about the garage sale. I understand that aspect and was glad to see they looked in that direction. But I also wonder about the timing with the trip to FL for their 5th wedding anniversary and whether that held some significance to the killer. IOW, they planned the murder for the last weekday before the trip.

Of course, the trip and the garage sale could have nothing to do with it at all. Maybe this killer just happened to have access to the truck that day. Maybe the disguise was for the ring camera and they planned to shoot her in the driveway as she walked to her car. They saw the garage sale and improvised.

 

[ilovewings]

I had to go back and watch the Paula Zahn program again. After watching the video they have of the shooting the killer definitely appears to be shooting high with the first shoot and then lowers the gun for the second. I had forgotten about the half million dollar like insurance policy or her father-in-law's infidelity. LE seemed set on the killer being one of those who knew about the garage sale. I understand that aspect and was glad to see they looked in that direction. But I also wonder about the timing with the trip to FL for their 5th wedding anniversary and whether that held some significance to the killer. IOW, they planned the murder for the last weekday before the trip.

Of course, the trip and the garage sale could have nothing to do with it at all. Maybe this killer just happened to have access to the truck that day. Maybe the disguise was for the ring camera and they planned to shoot her in the driveway as she walked to her car. They saw the garage sale and improvised.

It is a huge mystery but IMO it is someone who really hated her or wanted revenge
For some unknown reason.

 

[arielilane]

I had to go back and watch the Paula Zahn program again. After watching the video they have of the shooting the killer definitely appears to be shooting high with the first shoot and then lowers the gun for the second. I had forgotten about the half million dollar like insurance policy or her father-in-law's infidelity. LE seemed set on the killer being one of those who knew about the garage sale. I understand that aspect and was glad to see they looked in that direction. But I also wonder about the timing with the trip to FL for their 5th wedding anniversary and whether that held some significance to the killer. IOW, they planned the murder for the last weekday before the trip.

Of course, the trip and the garage sale could have nothing to do with it at all. Maybe this killer just happened to have access to the truck that day. Maybe the disguise was for the ring camera and they planned to shoot her in the driveway as she walked to her car. They saw the garage sale and improvised.

It's a nice refresher to rewatch as there are many facets to this case.

 

[Ajs1004]

I had to go back and watch the Paula Zahn program again. After watching the video they have of the shooting the killer definitely appears to be shooting high with the first shoot and then lowers the gun for the second. I had forgotten about the half million dollar like insurance policy or her father-in-law's infidelity. LE seemed set on the killer being one of those who knew about the garage sale. I understand that aspect and was glad to see they looked in that direction. But I also wonder about the timing with the trip to FL for their 5th wedding anniversary and whether that held some significance to the killer. IOW, they planned the murder for the last weekday before the trip.

Of course, the trip and the garage sale could have nothing to do with it at all. Maybe this killer just happened to have access to the truck that day. Maybe the disguise was for the ring camera and they planned to shoot her in the driveway as she walked to her car. They saw the garage sale and improvised.

Yeah but S says he typically left at a different time and that Liz also left at a different time so it seems very unlikely that they would have been able to shoot her unless they knew. Would they have taken the risk of shooting her if S was present or what if they got there and she had already left for work?

 

[arielilane]

There is no doubt that LE will put this all together, make arrests, and justice will finally come for Liz and her loved ones. Only a matter of time. Good will prevail. Liz represented good in life and in spirit.

I agree that it’s someone who disliked Liz for some reason, or someone that wanted revenge...perhaps jealousy?

• Did LE determine that someone had issue with Liz?
• Did Liz confide in S of someone having issue with her?
• What about colleagues? Did Liz get promoted over someone else at her employment? Did Liz receive special treatment or favors from management and an employee became disgruntled about it? I believe colleagues at her work were cleared (only persons cleared in this case).
• What about the Cool Kats job? Anyone hear anything about CK job? The shooter's disguise could have been more Halloween costume than Star Wars.
• What's the importance to the perpetrator to stop Liz from going on the Orlando trip? Is that why the Friday before the planned trip was the day Liz was murdered?
• Or did perpetrator not want S to go on the Orlando trip?
• There is no doubt that shooter waited for S to leave the neighborhood before driving to Barraza home. Why did shooter want S out of the way before shooting Liz? Shooter didn’t want to deal with more than one person? Shooter had no issue with S?

All MOO

 

[Betty P]

There is no doubt that shooter waited for S to leave the neighborhood before driving to Barraza home. Why did shooter want S out of the way before shooting Liz? Shooter didn’t want to deal with more than one person? Shooter had no issue with S?

This part seems very important. The precise timing of the killer's movements during that small space of time, as S was leaving for work and she was setting up is very, very, very important. JMO The movements of the killer and the husband during that period before and after the murder are key to solving this.

 

[JnRyan]

Yeah but S says he typically left at a different time and that Liz also left at a different time so it seems very unlikely that they would have been able to shoot her unless they knew. Would they have taken the risk of shooting her if S was present or what if they got there and she had already left for work?

This was such an unusual day for them and work. So if the killer had knowledge of the garage sale there is also the fact that S didn't stay to help her. It makes me wonder that if he did stay what would have happened. Of course, that may have the reason for waiting in the school lot - to make sure she was alone.

Everything I've read or heard seems to indicate this sale plan was made the day before. But they already had the signs? I suppose they may have signs from a previous sale. I wonder if sometime in the month leading up to the murder, Elizabeth mentioned the possibility of the sale when talking about the Orlando trip. To either the person directly involved or it was overheard by the killer. Maybe something to the effect that she would like to do it, but would want to wait till closer to that Friday to see what work and the weather was like. If that is the case, that may have been part of the reason for driving through earlier that night. To verify the sale was a go.

 

[JnRyan]

There is no doubt that LE will put this all together, make arrests, and justice will finally come for Liz and her loved ones. Only a matter of time. Good will prevail. Liz represented good in life and in spirit.

I agree that it’s someone who disliked Liz for some reason, or someone that wanted revenge...perhaps jealousy?

• Did LE determine that someone had issue with Liz?
• Did Liz confide in S of someone having issue with her?
• What about colleagues? Did Liz get promoted over someone else at her employment? Did Liz receive special treatment or favors from management and an employee became disgruntled about it? I believe colleagues at her work were cleared (only persons cleared in this case).
• What about the Cool Kats job? Anyone hear anything about CK job? The shooter's disguise could have been more Halloween costume than Star Wars.
• What's the importance to the perpetrator to stop Liz from going on the Orlando trip? Is that why the Friday before the planned trip was the day Liz was murdered?
• Or did perpetrator not want S to go on the Orlando trip?
• There is no doubt that shooter waited for S to leave the neighborhood before driving to Barraza home. Why did shooter want S out of the way before shooting Liz? Shooter didn’t want to deal with more than one person? Shooter had no issue with S?

All MOO

All good questions regarding motive. The Cool Kats job is either something I had not heard of or had forgotten.

Elizabeth appeared to be a positive upbeat person. Of course, in the Paula Zahn episode, S says there were some run-ins with others in their Star Wars or Harry Potter groups. He did qualify that by inferring that he didn't see anything that would be serious enough for this. Many a time we see someone who ran with the wrong crowd or went missing while engaging in risky behavior like out at a bar without using the buddy system. Not so here. There isn't a bad ex-boyfriend or ex-husband in the picture. So one would think in her life such a person with a grudge would really stand out. I wonder about that LE trip to Florida since she lived there at one time.

Listening to Arrin Stoner and the LE report S did give LE a name at the time. (I believe Stoner may have edited that video to remove the person's name.) Was this something S witnessed or she told him afterwards? I still believe it is a connection to her and S's hobbies.

Work colleagues? The PZ episode said only Elizabeth was absent from work that morning. BUT that does not rule out a family member of such a colleague.

I do believe it was her that was targeted and her alone. If nothing else but the killer parking where he see vehicles leave the area and left immediately after S left the neighborhood.

There is still a chance of a thrill kill by a stranger. So far from everything I read in the murders of the 4 students in Moscow ID, the killer may have not had a connection to the victims. And LE said in the beginning it was a targeted attack. I highly doubt this is anything outside of a targeted killing related to someone who knew Elizabeth, but I hope LE doesn't disregard it either.

 

[santacruztodd]

All good questions regarding motive. The Cool Kats job is either something I had not heard of or had forgotten.

Elizabeth appeared to be a positive upbeat person. Of course, in the Paula Zahn episode, S says there were some run-ins with others in their Star Wars or Harry Potter groups. He did qualify that by inferring that he didn't see anything that would be serious enough for this. Many a time we see someone who ran with the wrong crowd or went missing while engaging in risky behavior like out at a bar without using the buddy system. Not so here. There isn't a bad ex-boyfriend or ex-husband in the picture. So one would think in her life such a person with a grudge would really stand out. I wonder about that LE trip to Florida since she lived there at one time.

Listening to Arrin Stoner and the LE report S did give LE a name at the time. (I believe Stoner may have edited that video to remove the person's name.) Was this something S witnessed or she told him afterwards? I still believe it is a connection to her and S's hobbies.

Work colleagues? The PZ episode said only Elizabeth was absent from work that morning. BUT that does not rule out a family member of such a colleague.

I do believe it was her that was targeted and her alone. If nothing else but the killer parking where he see vehicles leave the area and left immediately after S left the neighborhood.

There is still a chance of a thrill kill by a stranger. So far from everything I read in the murders of the 4 students in Moscow ID, the killer may have not had a connection to the victims. And LE said in the beginning it was a targeted attack. I highly doubt this is anything outside of a targeted killing related to someone who knew Elizabeth, but I hope LE doesn't disregard it either.

It is interesting to ponder. <modsnip - not victim friendly>

Liz had no know enemies/debts/bad habits/contentious work relationships.

She had no high-risk behavior at all and appeared to be saintly.

A very small number of people knew about the garage sale.

The killer appears to be amateurish.

The killer and Sergio were moving toward/away from the same target at the same time.

<modsnip - not victim friendly>

Killer may have come up from Mexico to commit this crime, making the vehicle a ghost now.

I think that the mistake many are making is assuming that the reason for this murder is twisted and contorted. Look at the past and present and what has changed? <modsnip> The cell info can only do so much if burner phones were used. Rest-assured that this will be solved. Someone will come forward when they get pinched on something else. Criminals make poor confidants.

 

[santacruztodd]

All good questions regarding motive. The Cool Kats job is either something I had not heard of or had forgotten.

Elizabeth appeared to be a positive upbeat person. Of course, in the Paula Zahn episode, S says there were some run-ins with others in their Star Wars or Harry Potter groups. He did qualify that by inferring that he didn't see anything that would be serious enough for this. Many a time we see someone who ran with the wrong crowd or went missing while engaging in risky behavior like out at a bar without using the buddy system. Not so here. There isn't a bad ex-boyfriend or ex-husband in the picture. So one would think in her life such a person with a grudge would really stand out. I wonder about that LE trip to Florida since she lived there at one time.

Listening to Arrin Stoner and the LE report S did give LE a name at the time. (I believe Stoner may have edited that video to remove the person's name.) Was this something S witnessed or she told him afterwards? I still believe it is a connection to her and S's hobbies.

Work colleagues? The PZ episode said only Elizabeth was absent from work that morning. BUT that does not rule out a family member of such a colleague.

I do believe it was her that was targeted and her alone. If nothing else but the killer parking where he see vehicles leave the area and left immediately after S left the neighborhood.

There is still a chance of a thrill kill by a stranger. So far from everything I read in the murders of the 4 students in Moscow ID, the killer may have not had a connection to the victims. And LE said in the beginning it was a targeted attack. I highly doubt this is anything outside of a targeted killing related to someone who knew Elizabeth, but I hope LE doesn't disregard it either.

I would say that driving by at 2 am makes this look much more like a targeted killing as opposed to a thrill kill. Also wondering if the perp had a motel room in the area? Seems to me that if they were scouting at 2 am, they may have had a room in the area. More video to request, but again this adds a lot of investigative time. If they were more local, then why use such a distinct vehicle without any apparent concern-it was as if they didn't care if they were picked up on surveillance cameras. Mexico is 5 hours away, and with a friendly chop shop or car dismantler the vehicle would go "poof".

All IMHO, and as the saying goes-better to be lucky than good.

 

[Ajs1004]

I would say that driving by at 2 am makes this look much more like a targeted killing as opposed to a thrill kill. Also wondering if the perp had a motel room in the area? Seems to me that if they were scouting at 2 am, they may have had a room in the area. More video to request, but again this adds a lot of investigative time. If they were more local, then why use such a distinct vehicle without any apparent concern-it was as if they didn't care if they were picked up on surveillance cameras. Mexico is 5 hours away, and with a friendly chop shop or car dismantler the vehicle would go "poof".

All IMHO, and as the saying goes-better to be lucky than good.

For sure that it was targeting with the 2am drive by. They knew Liz/S wouldn’t be outside at that time and breaking in their house in the middle of the night to shoot Liz doesn’t sound like this persons motive as they intentionally dodged the camera when they started shooting. They would have been picked up on the doorbell camera and their alarm would have sounded.

 

[girlhasnoname]

The plan so far !ooks pretty good for the perp-- 4years down the road and it isnt solved.
This crime was so horrific, It is so heartBreaking, one can only hope the police know more than it appears
They do. It pains me to think that this cold blooded killer would get away with it.

I agree, this was planned to the last detail and was directed at Elizabeth IMO

 

[helix527]

Two follow up questions:

1. Was the truck ever spotted on camera before the garage sale posters were posted?
2. If the couple had money issues, why did they plan a vacation? Was it determined who booked the vacation?

 

[Ajs1004]

Two follow up questions:

1. Was the truck ever spotted on camera before the garage sale posters were posted?
2. If the couple had money issues, why did they plan a vacation? Was it determined who booked the vacation?

1.Signs were posted the evening before. Truck was spotted in the neighborhood driving by the house around 2am the day of Liz’s murder.

2.S is the one that booked it, for their 5th wedding anniversary.

 

[arielilane]

1.Signs were posted the evening before. Truck was spotted in the neighborhood driving by the house around 2am the day of Liz’s murder.

2.S is the one that booked it, for their 5th wedding anniversary.

Do you know what month it was that he booked the trip? TIA

 

[NeverPersonal]

Putting all your guys' great points together before I go sleep for a bit...
The realization of what had likely occurred (in my personal opinion) slapped me in the face a few months ago. For some reason I had never considered it. You guys are on top of it.

S also mentioned issues with his dad's financials (bounced payroll check) and that Liz thought his dad's infidelity was impacting their family

Paula: Did he seem to be in a hurry to get to the hospital to check on Liz?
Detective MR: No, when I released him he’s still kind of stuck around talked with neighbors with media. If that was me and my wife was shot barely alive I would be getting to the hospital as soon as I could.

I like you question about "whose idea was it to have the yard sale, and on that specific day?

Why would someone invest the time and effort to raise extra cash on THAT weekend? Did she take the day off from work, forgoing her wages to make petty cash at a yard sale Friday? Was she pressured to have the sale? Why didn't her husband help her to set up? Why did he leave early? Why did the perp leave the school parking lot to relocate closer to the residence at the same time that the husband left early for work? Also suspect to me is, Who takes a vacation when they are strapped for cash?

Women walk differently than men, and this person looks like a man wearing drag for the first time.

S said that some of his paychecks had been bouncing so they could probably use the extra money of this sale.

(yet they're going on vacation...)

I had forgotten about the half million dollar like insurance policy or her father-in-law's infidelity.

 

[PawneeDew]

Putting all your guys' great points together before I go sleep for a bit...
The realization of what had likely occurred (in my personal opinion) slapped me in the face a few months ago. For some reason I had never considered it. You guys are on top of it.






(yet they're going on vacation...)

When does the life-insurance pay out, tho? I admit; I'm a little confused...<modsnip>

 

[Ajs1004]

When does the life-insurance pay out, tho? I admit; I'm a little confused...<modsnip>

It has not paid out yet because he has not been cleared. <modsnip>

 

[iamnotagolem]

I think establishing a rock solid alibi for SG was part of the plan. If SG had left the house 30 minutes before Liz was shot, it'd be hard not to wonder if it was SG in disguise shooting Liz in a borrowed vehicle. Whether SG was involved in the murder or not remains to be seen, but I do think there was very deliberate timing and planning.

 

[santacruztodd]

Do you know what month it was that he booked the trip? TIA

Hmmm-let's look at something here. <modsnip - not victim friendly> Perhaps the garage sale WAS a ruse and was set up to place her in harm's way. Killer is disguised in a manner that will disarm Liz ("Oh hey, the person walking up to me is into cosplay as well"). The killer HAD to know about Liz's affinity for cosplay, and the boots appear to be storm trooper boots so the perp knew of her fondness for that as well. It is obvious that the perp did not anticipate how difficult it was to run with these boots on-oops! From the beginning, I have always felt that the garage sale is primary, the vehicle secondary. It just goes back to the amateurish nature of the disguise/hit, coupled with the LIMITED number of people that knew about the yard sale, the EARLY hour of the attack (the killer knew of the sale AND knew that he/she had to strike early and before any other people showed up to the sale and before neighbors were out and about)-the window was VERY NARROW and the attack was high-risk and, for the most part, careless. The perp repositioned closer to the home at nearly the identical time S left for work. This is key-if S was home, the killer would not have driven back to scene 2 minutes later-their paths would have crossed at the crime scene when S ran out in reaction to the gun shots. Think about it from the killers view-he HAD to know that the husband was not there, but could not have actually seen him leave for work.
<modsnip - not victim friendly>

My intuition tells me that LE know what time it is.