TX TX - Elizabeth Barraza, 29, murdered setting up garage sale, Harris Co, Jan 2019 #7

[DTPeke]

FYI:

I submitted a question regarding Liz's case. I wasn't sure what to ask....if you click the HOME page of WS you can submit questions at the link. Or maybe the link will be below. edit: Nope link below is his picture LOL

I never know how my posts will look or even work. I remember Mike Morford and Liz's dad mentioning an unaired show that Paul Holes participated in about her case.

POST YOUR QUESTIONS HERE FOR PAUL HOLES THURSDAY, FEB.27th at 8:00 PM EASTERN!
We are very excited to have Paul Holes, the cold case investigator who played a pivotal role in the investigation and arrest of Golden State killer Joseph DeAngelo, as our first guest on Websleuths Ask Me Anything.
Mr. Holes has retired from the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office and is now the forensic investigator for Othram.
Paul Holes will be on Websleuths on Thursday, Feb. 27th, at 8:00 PM Eastern to answer your questions LIVE!
You can post your questions in advance on the thread below and join us live with Paul Holes to ask your questions.
View attachment 564778

 

[itsdev]

FYI:

I submitted a question regarding Liz's case. I wasn't sure what to ask....if you click the HOME page of WS you can submit questions at the link. Or maybe the link will be below. edit: Nope link below is his picture LOL

I never know how my posts will look or even work. I remember Mike Morford and Liz's dad mentioning an unaired show that Paul Holes participated in about her case.

I'm so glad to hear that you asked! Nice work. I am definitely interested in hearing this as well.

 

[DTPeke]

What time did LE let Sergio know he was free to go? I’m sure it’s documented but not on the site Who Killed Liz Barraza

I've searched high and some lowly places trying to find this answer….

And all the while ringing my ear, Paula Zahn: "Did he seem to be in a hurry to get to the hospital to check on Liz?

Sgt. Ritchie: "No, when I released him he still kind of stuck around to talk to neighbors and media. If that was me and my wife shot and BARELY ALIVE. I would be getting to the hospital as soon as I could."

---

Spoiler

I still don't know the release time: only reported as Husband questioned for HOURS

But here are sources.
Matt Dougherty, local KHOU 11 quick snippet at the very end: “We know the husband of the victim was questioned by the police for hours.”

ABC13 Houston@1:28 minute mark “Her mother-in-law did come to the scene, and I have been talking to her over the last few hours…” (MIL leaves with Sergio to go to hospital)

Daily Mail From the released dashcam video, we see him detained for approximately 40 minutes dash cam cuts off at 8:12 am. You hear these officers explain to Sergio Detectives are en route and will question him further.

Daily Mail Smell misinformation headline is the 'Minute Husband finds out he's a Widower'. NOT TRUE: officers tell Sergio Liz was speaking @19:20. I do appreciate Daily M reporting the dash cam video though.

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I think Sergio was questioned for a long time, surely a GSR test was performed, phone download, consent forms to sign, etc. He's presented a potential suspect etc.

again I just go back to what Ritchie said on PZ....the way Ritchie worded it
B A R E L Y A L I V E,
I have no doubt he's told Sergio Liz's condition. That will ALWAYS stick with me. Sticking around.

 

[DTPeke]

I'm so glad to hear that you asked! Nice work. I am definitely interested in hearing this as well.

Thank you! I hope he can answer.

I remember the announcement he was part of an episode on Liz's case but the network was sold so the show never aired. I was looking forward to his take. fingers crossed

@arielilane asked some really good specific questions

 

[Bounceycat]

officers tell Sergio Liz was speaking @19:20.

Liz was speaking after she was shot?

 

[DTPeke]

Liz was speaking after she was shot?

I highly doubt it, but I hear the officer say that in the video.

It is also said she is breathing so the Daily Mail is wrong...in their sensational headline.

New footage shows moment Texas man found out he'd become a widower

Elizabeth Barraza was murdered outside her home in Tomball in 2019, in a case that has mystified investigators. New footage has shown the moment her husband found out about her death.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Members, please correct me if I am wrong. I do not want to spread anything not true. I will have a Mod edit my post.

Around 19:20 in the colorful video in the article, titled Raw Police Coverage.

 

[DTPeke]

I agree. I still feel like that early traffic stop in the area of a Nissan truck like the one in the video is the crucial piece of the puzzle. I wish investigators would go back and reexamine that. MOO.

I do too.

I hope they have but the reason the stop was initiated was due to the BOLO. So they were looking for the puzzle piece at that time. It was the reason it was stopped.

I hope they looked hard enough.

I think it was held for an hour? from Arrin Stoner's video/incident reports.

We have all seen too many cases that have let a suspect slip through their fingers.

 

[DTPeke]

Or it could be that she had an unpleasant incident with a hot headed smart azz while posting her garage sale signs in the area the day before. Just follow the signs; thats easy enough even without the address. An injustice collector or road rage kinda guy could easily cruise the streets stewing all night on rage provoking stimulants just waiting for her to open that garage door first thing in the morning.

Well, whether it be AM or PM garage sale sign placement.

Sergio has ALWAYS maintained they put the signs out together.

Hot-headed smart azz's are a dime a dozen in Houston though. They tend to collect right then and there.

 

[arielilane]

<modsnip - quoted post was removed>
The reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible is now up to $50,000.00.

If you have a tip, please call the Crime Stoppers of Houston Tip Line - all calls are completely anonymous. Only tips and calls DIRECTLY TO Crime Stoppers are anonymous and eligible for a cash reward.

+1 (713) 222-TIPS

Who Killed Liz Barraza

A website about Liz Nuelle Barraza and the details around her brutal murder on January 25, 2019 at the hands of a coward.

whokilledlizbarraza.com

 

[reasonableguess]

Was passed on the interstate by a black Nissan Frontier Pro4x going extremely fast, and thought of this case. I would never have noticed the truck if they weren't driving 20+ mph over the speed limit. I'll just say: in real life, it's a pretty identifiable model, at least from behind.
Hopeful for justice in this case.

 

[FromGermany1]

I do too.

I hope they have but the reason the stop was initiated was due to the BOLO. So they were looking for the puzzle piece at that time. It was the reason it was stopped.

I hope they looked hard enough.

I think it was held for an hour? from Arrin Stoner's video/incident reports.

We have all seen too many cases that have let a suspect slip through their fingers.

I remember the statement by police "The driver had a reason to be, where he was." (or very similar wording). For me, this sounded as vague as it can get, somehow. What, if that reason wasn't clear enough, but open to interpretation, and they failed to do a thorough investigation of the circumstances AND especially the car? For example: Not one single hair of a blonde wig in the car?

 

[lonewanderer]

The shooter drove to Liz’s home on west on Cedar Walk then made a u-turn so that the truck was facing East. His plan was to exit the neighborhood in that direction. After the shooting, the truck drove east to Princeton where, at some point they made another u-turn and returned to Cedar Walk driving west past the crime scene to Sandusky where they turned left and continued south. They proceeded on Sandusky until they reached the cul de sac where they drove across undeveloped land along the drainage ditch a short distance to Kuykendahl. That is crazy; it makes no sense unless the shooter just panicked. Was he familiar with the ditch area and knew that he could drive through it or was it just a desperate risk to avoid going back? I’m inclined to believe that he was familiar with the area and knew that the cul de sac on Sandusky was an alternate route out of the neighborhood. The only thing I can infer is that, as hitmen go, this guy was no Sammy the Bull. He did not plan his escape route and made his decisions “on the fly”. Yet he hasn’t gotten caught.

I really think the shooter knew the area very well, and knew there was some kind of major risk in heading the other direction. Possibly knowing of a home with lots of CCTV in many directions, or they knew people in the neighborhood and worried their truck would be recognized heading that way, OR I have thought it was possible one person (a female) did the shooting and driving, met with another person (a male) and swapped cars before getting the heck out of the hot zone. After all, a similar truck was pulled over with a male driver. I think the shooter was female and may have had a real child or pretend child with them to come off as a mother driving around a restless baby to sleep (story if stopped by the cops) but swapped the truck with a man as part of the plan, assuming the high likelihood that the vehicle description would be put out over the radio. It’s not impossible, a woman was pulled over in a very similar truck that morning before the shooting with “a good reason” to be driving that early. The male was pulled over in a similar truck in the area shortly after the shooting. Would love to know if it was the same license plate…

 

[Sunrise-at-9pm]

I really think the shooter knew the area very well

I'm from this area, and I have to disagree. Based on how they had to turn around multiple times, I don't think they had planned to go any deeper into the neighborhood than Cedar Walk.

I don't think that turning around to go back by Liz's house was part of their original plan, and that threw a wrench in things. They seemed to have no problem going out the same entrance at first, but then after turning around to drive by the house again, they were probably feeling the the clock ticking. Not to mention, now traveling the opposite way. And that's where the bumbling seems to start. They weren't planning on going that deep into the neighborhood, and they didn't know the rest of it very well.

Not only could they have just gone down London Way and made it back out to Kuykendahl, but they could have gone out the back side of the neighborhood to Hufsmith Rd which is considerably less busy than Kuykendahl. Going west on Hufsmith, there's a million ways they could have gone with no houses or commercial business fronts in sight.

If it was a pre-planned mastermind effort to stay away from cameras, seems like they would have avoided Kuykendahl completely that morning.

The offroad venture from Sandusky doesn't seem like a smart play, because it just lands you in front of more commercial businesses and neighborhoods with potential cameras. That was just a panic move, I think.

By the way, for those who still struggle with this, Kuykendahl is pronounced "KIRK-en-doll".

 

[itsdev]

I'm from this area, and I have to disagree. Based on how they had to turn around multiple times, I don't think they had planned to go any deeper into the neighborhood than Cedar Walk.

I don't think that turning around to go back by Liz's house was part of their original plan, and that threw a wrench in things. They seemed to have no problem going out the same entrance at first, but then after turning around to drive by the house again, they were probably feeling the the clock ticking. Not to mention, now traveling the opposite way. And that's where the bumbling seems to start. They weren't planning on going that deep into the neighborhood, and they didn't know the rest of it very well.

Not only could they have just gone down London Way and made it back out to Kuykendahl, but they could have gone out the back side of the neighborhood to Hufsmith Rd which is considerably less busy than Kuykendahl. Going west on Hufsmith, there's a million ways they could have gone with no houses or commercial business fronts in sight.

If it was a pre-planned mastermind effort to stay away from cameras, seems like they would have avoided Kuykendahl completely that morning.

The offroad venture from Sandusky doesn't seem like a smart play, because it just lands you in front of more commercial businesses and neighborhoods with potential cameras. That was just a panic move, I think.

By the way, for those who still struggle with this, Kuykendahl is pronounced "KIRK-en-doll".

Welcome to Websleuths @Sunrise-at-9pm

I appreciate the road name pronunciation help!

With you being from the area, I’d love to hear your opinion/instincts on the case if you are open to sharing.

 

[Sunrise-at-9pm]

One other thing to add. If this was a mastermind pre-planned effort to avoid cameras, it makes no sense to park at the Goddard School. If indeed the cameras were offline, the killer wouldn't have known that. Presumably the only people that would have known that would be the school staff.

 

[Sunrise-at-9pm]

With you being from the area, I’d love to hear your opinion/instincts on the case if you are open to sharing.

Sure. I've been posting on reddit with a similar username.

I did know Liz and Sergio, and was a member of the 501st there. I've recently been made aware of how big of a following there is regarding the case online, and I'm doing my best to dispel untruths.

Unfortunately there are real people whose lives have been negatively impacted by conspiracy theories, baseless conjecture, and even doxxing attempts stemming from this case.

If you ask me a question that I can respond to with actual knowledge and facts, I'm happy to do so. But I won't name any names, personal info, or conjecture about any other people that were close to this.

 

[Sunrise-at-9pm]

Another thing that comes up all the time is whether the killer had a lot of experience with firearms or not. Its safe to say I probably have substantially more firearms experience than a lot of people in this thread, let me just repost what I've said elsewhere.

I strongly believe the shooter is NOT a trained or experienced shooter, for a number of reasons. This killer had basically zero concept of trigger control or recoil control, and it appears they just did what they commonly see in movies.

The first 3 shots were from way less than even 1yd, and even then, one went to her neck and almost missed her. That round actually hit the soffit above their front door. We're talking about a .380 revolver here, and shooting maybe a 14" group at 2ft? That's not incredible shooting. Its shockingly poor shooting. If you did that at an indoor shooting range, you'd be putting rounds in their ceiling, and a range employee is probably going to come talk to you. At an outdoor range, that round would have sailed way over the backstop berm and be a huge safety violation. People saying only a man could do that, it makes me just shake my head. An 8yo kid can do that.

Also, the last round, standing over Liz, the killer shot her in the mouth. Granted, I'm not saying I'd want to be shot in the mouth. But for a murderer standing over their victim to finish the job, they essentially missed.

You can also see the shooter doing the whole cowboy movie thing of 'slinging' the bullet out of the gun with every trigger pull. Trigger control is the main fundamental of marksmanship, and this is the opposite of that.

There's nobody with actual experience or training with a handgun that will attempt the most important and high-stress shots of their life one-handed. Its just not a thing. With a double-action trigger pull? Just no.

Everything about that video tells me that this person was just doing what they have seen in movies.

 

[STLBlues]

Another thing that comes up all the time is whether the killer had a lot of experience with firearms or not. Its safe to say I probably have substantially more firearms experience than a lot of people in this thread, let me just repost what I've said elsewhere.

I strongly believe the shooter is NOT a trained or experienced shooter, for a number of reasons. This killer had basically zero concept of trigger control or recoil control, and it appears they just did what they commonly see in movies.

The first 3 shots were from way less than even 1yd, and even then, one went to her neck and almost missed her. That round actually hit the soffit above their front door. We're talking about a .380 revolver here, and shooting maybe a 14" group at 2ft? That's not incredible shooting. Its shockingly poor shooting. If you did that at an indoor shooting range, you'd be putting rounds in their ceiling, and a range employee is probably going to come talk to you. At an outdoor range, that round would have sailed way over the backstop berm and be a huge safety violation. People saying only a man could do that, it makes me just shake my head. An 8yo kid can do that.

Also, the last round, standing over Liz, the killer shot her in the mouth. Granted, I'm not saying I'd want to be shot in the mouth. But for a murderer standing over their victim to finish the job, they essentially missed.

You can also see the shooter doing the whole cowboy movie thing of 'slinging' the bullet out of the gun with every trigger pull. Trigger control is the main fundamental of marksmanship, and this is the opposite of that.

There's nobody with actual experience or training with a handgun that will attempt the most important and high-stress shots of their life one-handed. Its just not a thing. With a double-action trigger pull? Just no.

Everything about that video tells me that this person was just doing what they have seen in movies.

I completely agree with your assessment of the shooter's experience.

 

[lonewanderer]

One other thing to add. If this was a mastermind pre-planned effort to avoid cameras, it makes no sense to park at the Goddard School. If indeed the cameras were offline, the killer wouldn't have known that. Presumably the only people that would have known that would be the school staff.

Cameras being off outside are darn near inevitable somehow (See Missy Bevers, brought up with Lizs case often). After years and years of true crime, the outside CCTV is often, a kidnap/murder victim wasnt supposed to work that day but went in to cover for someone, its not a mannequin, mushroom hunters found the body.

Anyways....a potential reason they stopped off at the school is because they had a real or fake child in the car with them (I believe the shooter is female and possibly a mother) as an excuse to be out that super early/late. Parking at that school wouldn't be looked at twice in that scenario.

 

[lonewanderer]

Another thing that comes up all the time is whether the killer had a lot of experience with firearms or not. Its safe to say I probably have substantially more firearms experience than a lot of people in this thread, let me just repost what I've said elsewhere.

I strongly believe the shooter is NOT a trained or experienced shooter, for a number of reasons. This killer had basically zero concept of trigger control or recoil control, and it appears they just did what they commonly see in movies.

The first 3 shots were from way less than even 1yd, and even then, one went to her neck and almost missed her. That round actually hit the soffit above their front door. We're talking about a .380 revolver here, and shooting maybe a 14" group at 2ft? That's not incredible shooting. Its shockingly poor shooting. If you did that at an indoor shooting range, you'd be putting rounds in their ceiling, and a range employee is probably going to come talk to you. At an outdoor range, that round would have sailed way over the backstop berm and be a huge safety violation. People saying only a man could do that, it makes me just shake my head. An 8yo kid can do that.

Also, the last round, standing over Liz, the killer shot her in the mouth. Granted, I'm not saying I'd want to be shot in the mouth. But for a murderer standing over their victim to finish the job, they essentially missed.

You can also see the shooter doing the whole cowboy movie thing of 'slinging' the bullet out of the gun with every trigger pull. Trigger control is the main fundamental of marksmanship, and this is the opposite of that.

There's nobody with actual experience or training with a handgun that will attempt the most important and high-stress shots of their life one-handed. Its just not a thing. With a double-action trigger pull? Just no.

Everything about that video tells me that this person was just doing what they have seen in movies.

I have been very conflicted about the skill of the shooter. Its really hard to say.

On one hand, you could argue they look like a pro. Used a revolver which leaves no casings and is extremely likely to not jam.

On the other hand, its a revolver. One could argue that this was a weapon that a (female specifically) acquired either through snatching it from her dad/grandads stash or using it from a gun-nut boyfriend having it laying around. (*NOTE- I made a long list of people had had been shot in their front yard. With the exception of one, all victims where shot with a revolver)

FWIW Kaitlyn Armstrong (darn near identical case) practiced at the gun range before killing her victim (and driving back by the body in her distinctive Jeep, in Texas)