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

[Turkeytrot]

Is it me or are those weird audio sounds coming from the recording before the shooting? It is downright spooky sounding. I can't tell 100% on my phone but sounds like a guy's voice after Liz says "morning." Going to have to play it on my desktop.

I thought it sounded like a male voice as well. And there's a lot of strange audio on it..almost like a tv playing or music?

 

[Curiousobserver]

These interviews are excellent. Thank you so much for posting both of these video links. This gives us an answer to the warrant question also. To me, both interviews are notable in terms of what they say, how they say, it, and their expressions. The costume timing is concerning and does make me wonder about a connection there, which is always a possibility. If Liz had not been stationed where she was in the driveway - the placement of her table for conducting the sale - the shooter might have been recorded fully by the camera. The shooter driving by once again after the shooting leads me to think the shooter's state of mind at that time led the shooter to take a strangely risky / manic action, risking getting stopped, blocked, or seen by a neighbor. Having shot Liz that many times including a head wound yet still driving back on a street that was not that easy to get out without either turning around at the cul de sac or taking a roundabout path on the street perpendicular to the house, and being recorded by more possible house cameras. It's very encouraging to see how focused the HCSO is on bringing these killers to justice and Liz's father's faith that this case will be solved.

We will be thinking of Liz and her family so much especially on the 25th and 26th.

This person had absolutely no concern for being seen or having their vehicle seen. If I had just fired a gun 4 times in a quite neighborhood, I would not turn around a few minutes later to check how things were going.

 

[Betty P]

This person had absolutely no concern for being seen or having their vehicle seen. If I had just fired a gun 4 times in a quite neighborhood, I would not turn around a few minutes later to check how things were going.

Yes, it's strange. Sometimes it seems the killer who has benefited from "dumb luck". It happens, sometimes.

Yes, those gunshots were really loud. How did no one awaken and look to see what happened?

 

[Curiousobserver]

Assume for a moment that Liz was specifically targeted. The person who did this knew who Liz was, where Liz lived, and when she would be outside on what day. This person, with some connection to Liz that would allow them to know all of that, made no attempt to hide their car, or to get away unseen. With an obvious connection to Liz that others likely know about, they were not in the least worried. This is extraordinary good luck because it is extraordinarily unlikely such a person hasn't been identified yet.

 

[sl222]

Assume for a moment that Liz was specifically targeted. The person who did this knew who Liz was, where Liz lived, and when she would be outside on what day. This person, with some connection to Liz that would allow them to know all of that, made no attempt to hide their car, or to get away unseen. With an obvious connection to Liz that others likely know about, they were not in the least worried. This is extraordinary good luck because it is extraordinarily unlikely such a person hasn't been identified yet.

I agree. This makes me think of hired hit. But what baffles me is, why would a hired hit person feel the need to carry on a conversation with her and show her the gun during that conversation? Unless the conversation (and the note) was to mislead the police? Or if it was a grudge related to the Star Wars group, would it have been the husband of the person with the grudge who also felt his spouse had been wronged (since people are hearing a man's voice)? It's harder to imagine that being the case since like people have pointed out, the overkill and going this far and risking prison for revenge over a costume issue even for someone who is super-involved in cosplay. I don't know.

Both the detective and Liz's father referred to killers plural being behind this. That speaks volumes since the killer definitely seemed to know what time to show up that day.

 

[sl222]

But then again, would a hired killer drive back again? I doubt it unless they were "not a professional hit man." Just some horrible idiot who has some connection to the person who wanted Liz dead and supposedly got paid to do this.

 

[Curiousobserver]

But then again, would a hired killer drive back again? I doubt it unless they were "not a professional hit man." Just some horrible idiot who has some connection to the person who wanted Liz dead and supposedly got paid to do this.

It just doesn't make any sense to me that a person with that much inside information couldn't have been linked to the truck or electronically to the location by now. And I am assuming that LE has more video from roads and houses that they haven't showed yet.

 

[Cryptic]

It's harder to imagine that being the case since like people have pointed out, the overkill and going this far and risking prison for revenge over a costume issue even for someone who is super-involved in cosplay. I don't know.

Some people do not cosplay. Instead, they uhmm...... "cos-life".

Cosplay by its very nature creates an alternative reality that is nominal for some participoants, but very elaborate for others. As a result, some use it as an escape and derive more self esteem etc. from the cosplay world than the real world.

A forum member who participated in the sub culture (the collective experience of this forum is amazing) related that a visible minority of participants dive in deep.

Deep diving includes developing a consuming interest in the cosplay world, deriving all friends, self esteem and status from cosplay and even viewing other participants as their chosen family.

Of course, not every cos-life "deep diver" is prone to murder. Most participants stay in the recreational cosplay shallow waters. But.... mix in the themes of chosen family, sole source of friends, self esteem and perhaps a lack of other viable social options* and cosplay issues can probably get very intense for a few.

* A disproportionate number of cosplayers could be socially awkward. If so, this could limit the ability of some to start over with a new social interest if cosplay does not "work" and make them more prone to "defend" their coslife position.

 

[sl222]

Inside Edition did a segment on this case today. There is an article on their site but more interesting will be when they post the short video of an interview with the detective, the husband Sergio, and Liz's father.

 

[Turkeytrot]

But then again, would a hired killer drive back again? I doubt it unless they were "not a professional hit man." Just some horrible idiot who has some connection to the person who wanted Liz dead and supposedly got paid to do this.

I've thought the same thing. It has always seemed like a hired hit to me - but it's very risky for them to drive back by and that part doesn't seem professional.

 

[Turkeytrot]

I just remember when I first saw this story on the news. I thought that it would be solved within 2 weeks because of the video. Now it's 2 years

 

[Turkeytrot]

Inside Edition did a segment on this case today. There is an article on their site but more interesting will be when they post the short video of an interview with the detective, the husband Sergio, and Liz's father.

Did you see the video on their website? I missed it the first time because of an ad but it's at the top of their article

 

[MimosaMornings]

2 Years After Texas Woman Was Shot Dead Setting Up Garage Sale, New Video Released in Hopes of Finding Killer

 

[MimosaMornings]

Did you see the video on their website? I missed it the first time because of an ad but it's at the top of their article

I can’t watch the video because I have an app that blocks ads. Dang it.

 

[Kittybunny]

2 Years After Texas Woman Was Shot Dead Setting Up Garage Sale, New Video Released in Hopes of Finding Killer

wow, just catching up here. Is the fact that the truck was seen casing the neighborhood the night before new information? I don't remember reading that before. To me it definitely looks like a woman but it could easily be a man wearing a wig and a bathroom to disguise themselves, it's hard to tell.

Obviously, this new information eliminates the possibility that this was a random crime. She was very clearly targeted. But I also find it puzzling that somebody who knew so much about her, that knew she was married, knew she had a husband who was going to work early that morning, has not been identified or linked to Elizabeth or to her husband or anyone else in this electronic and digital age.

Being a Star Wars geek myself, hearing the Star Wars theme and seeing the lightsabers lifted and lit in her memory totally choked me up.

 

[Mind your biscuits]

That video clip seems to have been cleaned up quite a bit, much clearer now. I still think the killer is a woman. Moo.

 

[canteloupe]

I thought it sounded like a male voice as well. And there's a lot of strange audio on it..almost like a tv playing or music?

I listened a few times with headphones and volume at max (be sure to stop before 1:31 if you attempt the same, as the gunshots are deafening).

I hear the rustling sound punctuated by a voice and, later, by music. I agree that this sounds like a morning radio or television show because I hear the phrase "It's ten to seven" (~30 sec. mark) which squares evenly with the known timeline.

The rustling sounds are less identifiable. I don't have a Ring/Nest, but do have a similar device, so I took a listen to some of our previous recordings. I get a similar-ish sound when we have a large appliance running, like washer/dryer/dishwasher. Because it's not a consistent sound (it's conspicuously absent in the moments after the shooting), I think something with a timed cycle might fit. Heck, it could even be a heat pump for an HVAC system turning on and off.

Regardless of origin, this sound does make it quite difficult to make out what's said once the conversation begins. I hear a distinct and chipper "Good morning!" followed by what sounds to be a male voice. This second voice, to my ears, sounds more similar in volume and direction to Liz's voice (as in, not similar to the radio/tv). I see some movement on the video, which appears to be the shooter's left arm, then a startled gasp and "What?!" from Liz.

The last time the second voice speaks, I hear something like "you were right, it's not." The first time I listened, however, I thought the shooter said "you're going to die, today." After a few more listens, I think that was my confirmation bias at play.

I have some more general thoughts, but I'll put them in a second post to not derail this conversation.

 

[canteloupe]

Three points before concluding for the night:

1.) I'm struck that the dog didn't bark in response to the shots. Or other dogs in the neighborhood! Everything just goes silent. I also wonder where the dog was in the aftermath. From the raw footage of the news chopper, neither the husband nor his mother have it. Maybe a neighbor? In a squad car?

2.) Speaking of cars, I listened to the Dateline segment again and was struck once again about timing. Dateline's caption states that the husband was told on his way to work that he needed to get to the hospital. This caption is superimposed on video of the husband at the scene standing next to his mother and neighbors. I'm guessing from the angle of the sun that this is after 9am but before noon. It's definitely sometime after his mother first arrives, because in original news footage, she arrives with wet hair and it's had time to dry before the Dateline shot.

Dateline then cuts to the husband, who says he "was holding her hand the entire time and [he] said 'I love you. And I'll never forget you.' And [he] just...slowly let her go."

I think it's Dateline's editing that makes this moment seem odd, because it implies he went straight to the hospital and said he'd never forget her. We know this isn't accurate because he returns home and--per the news footage--is pulled aside by LE (first outside cruiser, then next to it) and later joins his mom and neighbors outside the house.

On the other hand, it is a bit odd that he wouldn't actually do what Dateline implies, which would be to race to wherever she's being medevaced. There's just not enough time for him to have had that particular encounter where he holds her hand, then return to the house.

Something is off about this whole thing, including bad edits.

3.) I'm now beginning to reassess my earlier assumption that the driver knew the neighborhood.

Until this new doorbell cam footage, I had always assumed that the shooter had driven up to the house from the opposite (west) direction. Instead, the truck comes from the east, makes a u-turn at the Smoke Lake intersection, then parks facing the wrong direction on the north side of Cedar Walk.

It's bonkers to me that someone would hazard making so many turns with lights on in a pre-dawn neighborhood, park in such a conspicuous way, then circle back once again to presumably exit from the west.

I can understand not approaching from the west, because then you'd have to wait either at an intersection or in a cul-de-sac, both of which seem riskier spots. I also understand parking on the north side of the street, particularly if we assume the shooter had knowledge of the doorbell cam. Without this knowledge, why wouldn't you just park where the husband had just departed if the guise of yard sale attendance is already set up for you? But why then pop a u-turn when you could park in the exact same place and have quick access to the driver's side door, then book it out of there by hanging a right on Smoke Lake, then another right on Sorrel Meadows?

Now, we don't know in which direction the husband left for work, but I think it's reasonable to assume most people would rather get to a main artery quickly rather than wind through a neighborhood, particularly if they are heading south. If the husband took the straight shot to Kuykendahl, he'd head east and therefore pass within inches of the shooter's truck. That's supremely more risky, especially considering the husband's age, location, and general interest make him a great candidate for owning a dash cam.

So, to quickly recap the movements, the shooter:

- idles on the northeast side of Cedar Walk waiting for the husband to leave
- drives rather aggressively to the Smoke Lake intersection after potentially passing the husband
- pops a u-turn and throws it into park on the wrong side of Cedar Walk
- gets out of the vehicle and crosses the street at almost a jog
- runs up to Liz and interacts with her for ~20 seconds
- shoots Liz three times and does not flee immediately despite the sound of the gunshots and her screams
- moves closer to her and shoots her a fourth time
- turns around and runs across the street (I think there is indeed a wig malfunction at this point)
- gets back into the truck and speeds west toward the intersection with Princeton
- pulls another u-turn OR continues in a loop back to the house via Oconee and Sandusky
- drives by the house a third and final time
- exits the neighborhood in a way that takes the truck past the intersection with Gilbough (security cam pic in color with visible dawn)

This final bullet point drives me nuts. Gilbough is the WORST possible point for the shooter to pass because--and I cannot stress this enough--a former Harris County Sheriff's Deputy resides on that street. What kind of two-bit wannabe assassin cases their victim's house ahead of time, but fails to check Google Street View to see a very visible sheriff's vehicle?

Lots more thoughts rattlin' around, but those are for another day.

 

[sl222]

Did you see the video on their website? I missed it the first time because of an ad but it's at the top of their article

It wasn't there the first time I saw it either because it was right after the show, but thankfully it's there now. Someone has posted the link above but here it is again for convenience. Those interviews. Really something.

Adding: the video on the Inside Edition website (same one on their Youtube channel) is a little shorter what was on the TV version, where they interviewed the HCSO detective and had slightly longer clips of the father and the husband. They were all brief but it was more helpful (afaic) to see the whole thing.

2 Years After Texas Woman Was Shot Dead Setting Up Garage Sale, New Video Released in Hopes of Finding Killer

 

[sl222]

Three points before concluding for the night:

1.) I'm struck that the dog didn't bark in response to the shots. Or other dogs in the neighborhood! Everything just goes silent. I also wonder where the dog was in the aftermath. From the raw footage of the news chopper, neither the husband nor his mother have it. Maybe a neighbor? In a squad car?

2.) Speaking of cars, I listened to the Dateline segment again and was struck once again about timing. Dateline's caption states that the husband was told on his way to work that he needed to get to the hospital. This caption is superimposed on video of the husband at the scene standing next to his mother and neighbors. I'm guessing from the angle of the sun that this is after 9am but before noon. It's definitely sometime after his mother first arrives, because in original news footage, she arrives with wet hair and it's had time to dry before the Dateline shot.

Dateline then cuts to the husband, who says he "was holding her hand the entire time and [he] said 'I love you. And I'll never forget you.' And [he] just...slowly let her go."

I think it's Dateline's editing that makes this moment seem odd, because it implies he went straight to the hospital and said he'd never forget her. We know this isn't accurate because he returns home and--per the news footage--is pulled aside by LE (first outside cruiser, then next to it) and later joins his mom and neighbors outside the house.

On the other hand, it is a bit odd that he wouldn't actually do what Dateline implies, which would be to race to wherever she's being medevaced. There's just not enough time for him to have had that particular encounter where he holds her hand, then return to the house.

Something is off about this whole thing, including bad edits.

3.) I'm now beginning to reassess my earlier assumption that the driver knew the neighborhood.

Until this new doorbell cam footage, I had always assumed that the shooter had driven up to the house from the opposite (west) direction. Instead, the truck comes from the east, makes a u-turn at the Smoke Lake intersection, then parks facing the wrong direction on the north side of Cedar Walk.

It's bonkers to me that someone would hazard making so many turns with lights on in a pre-dawn neighborhood, park in such a conspicuous way, then circle back once again to presumably exit from the west.

I can understand not approaching from the west, because then you'd have to wait either at an intersection or in a cul-de-sac, both of which seem riskier spots. I also understand parking on the north side of the street, particularly if we assume the shooter had knowledge of the doorbell cam. Without this knowledge, why wouldn't you just park where the husband had just departed if the guise of yard sale attendance is already set up for you? But why then pop a u-turn when you could park in the exact same place and have quick access to the driver's side door, then book it out of there by hanging a right on Smoke Lake, then another right on Sorrel Meadows?

Now, we don't know in which direction the husband left for work, but I think it's reasonable to assume most people would rather get to a main artery quickly rather than wind through a neighborhood, particularly if they are heading south. If the husband took the straight shot to Kuykendahl, he'd head east and therefore pass within inches of the shooter's truck. That's supremely more risky, especially considering the husband's age, location, and general interest make him a great candidate for owning a dash cam.

So, to quickly recap the movements, the shooter:

- idles on the northeast side of Cedar Walk waiting for the husband to leave
- drives rather aggressively to the Smoke Lake intersection after potentially passing the husband
- pops a u-turn and throws it into park on the wrong side of Cedar Walk
- gets out of the vehicle and crosses the street at almost a jog
- runs up to Liz and interacts with her for ~20 seconds
- shoots Liz three times and does not flee immediately despite the sound of the gunshots and her screams
- moves closer to her and shoots her a fourth time
- turns around and runs across the street (I think there is indeed a wig malfunction at this point)
- gets back into the truck and speeds west toward the intersection with Princeton
- pulls another u-turn OR continues in a loop back to the house via Oconee and Sandusky
- drives by the house a third and final time
- exits the neighborhood in a way that takes the truck past the intersection with Gilbough (security cam pic in color with visible dawn)

This final bullet point drives me nuts. Gilbough is the WORST possible point for the shooter to pass because--and I cannot stress this enough--a former Harris County Sheriff's Deputy resides on that street. What kind of two-bit wannabe assassin cases their victim's house ahead of time, but fails to check Google Street View to see a very visible sheriff's vehicle?

Lots more thoughts rattlin' around, but those are for another day.

Lots to discuss and think about from your post, but just to mention one thing for now. I got the definite impression that the husband had to stay there at least for part of the time because the police were talking to him. In some of the early video reports, there is at least one shot of him standing by a police car with one leg crossed in front of the other (if my memory serves) with an officer near him. In other shots as you say, he was conversing with neighbors and his mother.