TX TX - Elizabeth Barraza, 29, murdered setting up garage sale, Harris Co, Jan 2019 #6

[Duper's Delight]

I wonder if the gun used in this case has turned up in the gang world, with the bullets being ballistically matched to the gun

I hope so. A .380 revolver is a weird gang gun but that does make it distinct enough to be on LE radar for a ballistics match.

Gangbangers like those 9mm...blasters....but any gun in the gang/crime world is valuable: to sell.

I have wondered if there was a reason the shooter didn’t shoot Liz facing into the houses, drive by style.

I think it’s probably not significant though and the shooter just shot Liz from the angle they approached, unless that was too on purpose.

This gun is not made for a drive-by. It is a self-defense gun. That is why the gun IMO is distinct. It isn't just my opinion. Most MODERN DAY revolvers are not .380's. It is either an antique gun; a pocket pistol, or another caliber revolver that has been suited/customized to hold .380 ammo (I would not risk doing this)....but it would be smart.

I was so struck by this and I COULD be wrong but I have asked many people. I even called the HCSO Pct. 4 Public Information officer on Friday to verify it was not a typo by the news - no return call yet. Does anyone have a link to a video?

Edited to add: Does anyone with eagle eyes or better vision see how long the barrel of the gun is? A self-defense CCW weapon barrel would be mere inches.

 

[Duper's Delight]

I'm not skilled enough to multi-quote everyone....but

The phone might be the connection to the anti-gang unit

Assuming a geo-fence warrant was executed.

They would have had this number early on and have finally associated the number with an actual person: a gang member and are looking for them.

 

[lonewanderer]

I hope so. A .380 revolver is a weird gang gun but that does make it distinct enough to be on LE radar for a ballistics match.

Gangbangers like those 9mm...blasters....but any gun in the gang/crime world is valuable: to sell.


This gun is not made for a drive-by. It is a self-defense gun. That is why the gun IMO is distinct. It isn't just my opinion. Most MODERN DAY revolvers are not .380's. It is either an antique gun; a pocket pistol, or another caliber revolver that has been suited/customized to hold .380 ammo (I would not risk doing this)....but it would be smart.

I was so struck by this and I COULD be wrong but I have asked many people. I even called the HCSO Pct. 4 Public Information officer on Friday to verify it was not a typo by the news - no return call yet. Does anyone have a link to a video?

Edited to add: Does anyone with eagle eyes or better vision see how long the barrel of the gun is? A self-defense CCW weapon barrel would be mere inches.

I have wondered before if the gun was something the shooter planned to use with modifications or knowing about them, or if it was just all the shooter could get their hands on, like an older gun that they knew was left unsecured all the time, or if it was a highly knowledgeable person who did it on purpose.

That could be argued either way (with what we know) the gun was a quick grab of an older model, or was planned. I’ve also wondered if it could be one of many guns in a gun-nut bfs collection that wouldn’t be noticed missing.

 

[Bit of hope]

anti-gang unit’s recent involvement

The first thing I was thinking of reading into this case and concluding there was nothing in Liz's background or her family that was off, was mistaken identity. Someone had to be executed, but they killed the wrong person. It happens. I also think that's the reason the anti-gang unit got involved lately. Just to investigate that possibility.

 

[Sjöberg]

Most MODERN DAY revolvers are not .380's. It is either an antique gun; a pocket pistol, or another caliber revolver that has been suited/customized to hold .380 ammo (I would not risk doing this)....but it would be smart.

I have wondered before if the gun was something the shooter planned to use with modifications or knowing about them, or if it was just all the shooter could get their hands on, like an older gun that they knew was left unsecured all the time, or if it was a highly knowledgeable person who did it on purpose.

I’ve also wondered if it could be one of many guns in a gun-nut bfs collection that wouldn’t be noticed missing.

I have leaned for some time now towards the theory that this was just the most safely available gun for them:

• something their partner/parent/grandparent/etc would not notice missing OR something they knew they could buy without documentation from someone
• and something they themselves would not be so easily connected to (either other people don't really know about that gun, or the person that owns the gun has relative little contacts with their immediate circle).

I also think it is likely the killer has expressed their hatred of Liz at some point to someone. It could have been a long time ago and to someone that did not know Liz personally, but I think it is unlikely that this sort of hate never ever showed to other humans. Though it might have been only expressed online without any names, if the person in question did not really have many friends. Still, this is one of the aspects why I am very interested in keeping this story alive - maybe the right person has to hear about it again and mention their faint suspicions to LE. It matters.

All of this is just intuitive opinion and I might be totally of the track here - we have no real evidence to support any background atm.

 

[lonewanderer]

The first thing I was thinking of reading into this case and concluding there was nothing in Liz's background or her family that was off, was mistaken identity. Someone had to be executed, but they killed the wrong person. It happens. I also think that's the reason the anti-gang unit got involved lately. Just to investigate that possibility.

That’s not impossible.

There are a couple of cases like that, the Mary Morris deaths, Two Daniel Otts in one small town, Doug Johnston mistaken for Don Devereux, and a woman named Jane Martin with two of them in one place. I have my doubts if Jane Martin is 100% factual and not just a story inspired by the extremely similar Mary Morris case.

As I’ve noted in other cases (the Jane Martin episodes of true crime highly emphasize this) that hitmen are usually not as seen in the movies. The hitman is usually a total dunce and the person seeking the hit usually pays the cheapest person he can find. This also doesn’t leave a paper trail and can easily be deflected to the hitman. This usually leads to quite a few entertainingly dramatic hiccups.

 

[Ajs1004]

This gun is not made for a drive-by. It is a self-defense gun. That is why the gun IMO is distinct. It isn't just my opinion. Most MODERN DAY revolvers are not .380's. It is either an antique gun; a pocket pistol, or another caliber revolver that has been suited/customized to hold .380 ammo (I would not risk doing this)....but it would be smart.

well any gun can kill, even a starter pistol. But this wasn’t a drive by and I feel like the killer used what was available to them.

 

[Duper's Delight]

well any gun can kill, even a starter pistol. But this wasn’t a drive by and I feel like the killer used what was available to them.

Ok - I do agree on availability - I was responding to the question of why they didn't do a drive-by with this particular weapon.

Also, a lot of guns are stolen in Houston. Even from friends.

I think in the Henry Segura case, the gun was stolen from a friend and then replaced.

edited: to add think

 

[fridaybaker]

The first thing I was thinking of reading into this case and concluding there was nothing in Liz's background or her family that was off, was mistaken identity. Someone had to be executed, but they killed the wrong person. It happens. I also think that's the reason the anti-gang unit got involved lately. Just to investigate that possibility.

This mistaken identity thing does happen, and I know of a drive-by shooting where some druggies got the wrong house and killed a man just sitting in his living room watching TV on Christmas Eve. However, this seems too specific to me. Casing the place hours before; walking up to a woman doing a garage sale; and interacting with her. Seconds after her husband leaves for work.

I think Liz, specifically, was targeted. My hunch regarding the anti-gang force is that they hired either simply for their expertise, or that LE suspects someone close to Liz could have hired a killer with some gang connections, or that it’s a possibility that the gun could have been sold, subsequently, to someone with gang connections. Just my two cents.

 

[PawneeDew]

Agree. It never made sense to be so safety conscious and aware and not have your “cash box table” scooted down a few feet so the nest cam could record that area. A concerned nervous husband could go into live view and check on their wife through out the day for piece of mind. We know nothing was going to save Liz that morning and hindsight is 20/20 but it would have provided much much more valuable footage.

It is a big house but fairly typical of a suburban neighborhood on the edges of Houston. The lot/land is small. The houses are fairly close together. The map and pictures can be deceiving when you enter Princeton Place from Kuykenhahl you are right upon her house very quickly. It’s the kind of house and neighborhood a young couple can expand their family in.

Maybe there was plans to start a family/have children......Could it have been a motive? I've never really thought the insurance was a motive. moo

 

[PrairieWind]

I have not followed this case too strictly, just occasionally checking in. I am intrigues a bit by the .380 issue. Can someone show me where the police released this info? Thanks.

 

[digworms]

I have not followed this case too strictly, just occasionally checking in. I am intrigues a bit by the .380 issue. Can someone show me where the police released this info? Thanks.

In the season 25 Episode 7 of On the Case with Paula Zahn tv program (titled A Fairy Tale Ruined available on Discovery+ or Max streaming)... Harris County Sheriff's office detective Michael Ritchie states 1 round was recovered... the round was small to medium sized caliber possibly a 380

 

[PrairieWind]

In the season 25 Episode 7 of On the Case with Paula Zahn tv program (titled A Fairy Tale Ruined available on Discovery+ or Max streaming)... Harris County Sheriff's office detective Michael Ritchie states 1 round was recovered... the round was small to medium sized caliber possibly a 380

They only recovered one bullet? And no shell casings recovered, is that correct?

 

[digworms]

They only recovered one bullet? And no shell casings recovered, is that correct?

Correct, Det. Michael Ritchie states in the Paul Zahn episode "There were no fired casings from the handgun"

 

[FromGermany1]

They only recovered one bullet? And no shell casings recovered, is that correct?

Why no casings? We didn't see the killer collecting them?

 

[PrairieWind]

Why no casings? We didn't see the killer collecting them?

Unless I am mistaken the video doesn't seem to show the killer collecting casings. But right now I can't seem to find an unedited version of the video.

 

[Duper's Delight]

Why no casings? We didn't see the killer collecting them?

Unless I am mistaken the video doesn't seem to show the killer collecting casings. But right now I can't seem to find an unedited version of the video.

Revolvers don’t leave casings.

 

[PrairieWind]

Revolvers don’t leave casings.

Correct. Which leads to the assumption the killer used a revolver. But the preliminary statement (that I don't think is official yet) that the projectile recovered is a .380, leaves a relatively small number of firearms. Sure, there are various makes and models of .380 revolvers, but it is not all that common.
Why was only 1 of four bullets recovered? The others went somewhere in that driveway area.

 

[Ajs1004]

Ok - I do agree on availability - I was responding to the question of why they didn't do a drive-by with this particular weapon.

Also, a lot of guns are stolen in Houston. Even from friends.

I think in the Henry Segura case, the gun was stolen from a friend and then replaced.

edited: to add think

I don’t think it was a drive by because 1)they weren’t an expert shot given that they missed and the bullet went into the house and 2)it was personal because the last shot was to the face/mouth. The likelihood of getting a shot directly to the mouth with a drive by is unlikely.

 

[Duper's Delight]

Correct. Which leads to the assumption the killer used a revolver. But the preliminary statement (that I don't think is official yet) that the projectile recovered is a .380, leaves a relatively small number of firearms. Sure, there are various makes and models of .380 revolvers, but it is not all that common.
Why was only 1 of four bullets recovered? The others went somewhere in that driveway area.

LE has stated a revolver was used. It is not an assumption.

The recovered bullet was a through and through (her neck); recovered at the crime scene. The other bullets were recovered at autopsy.

added source:

Harris County investigators confirm murder weapon used in 2019 Tomball woman's murder

Elizabeth "Liz" Barraza was shot and killed in her driveway almost four years ago while setting up a garage sale to pay for an anniversary trip.

abc13.com