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

[iamnotagolem]

Even then- Her friends have scoured their connections for that truck I am sure. If a friend of a friend of a friend had one like that we would know by now.

Im not saying it’s anyone connected to Elizabeth who the vehicle was borrowed from.

Let’s say Joe killed Elizabeth because Bob hired him to do it. Joe knows Pete is on vacation. Joe uses Pete’s truck during the commission of the crime.

All of Pete’s friends know Pete was on vacation so there is no reason to think that it was his truck. Even if neighbors inform police about Pete’s truck, Pete has an alibi.

I think there are endless scenarios for how the truck hasn’t been tied to the case even if the killer has a direct connection to Liz or Sergio.

 

[BaffleMe]

The amount might not be the issue. Rather, the right population might not be aware of the reward If so, this lack of reward knowledge could be a key difference.

For example, the family of a murder victim in the South had posted reward information on bill boards along interstates and in the city. The police tried to focus on an angry ex husband with an airtight alibi. The case then went cold for years.

Desperate, the family hired private detectives. The investigators suspected a killer hired by the ex. They also thought that the killer may have been hired from a nearby lower income, predominately black American rural area where the ex, though white, had connections going back decades.

One of the investigators was black, knew the local culture, and knew that even if the locals saw the billboards, the reward was out of sight and out of mind. He then told the family to give him the reward amount in cash.

Next, he went door to door and talked about church, local football- and the murder on porches and over kitchen tables. When leaving, he would take the cash out of the bag, show it- look, don't touch!- and promise that it would be paid and that one tipster could get it all.

With in days, the phone rang off the hook with meaningful tips. The police quickly arrested a laborer known to work for the ex on occasion. He then quickly rolled over on the ex.

In short, perhaps the reward needs to be directly shown to the right population in the right circumstances. Maybe, hit the Star Wars conventions with an attractive display?​

Totally agree. The shooter got close to her -- IMO a hired person wouldn't have gotten that close.

And I think a hired person would have used less shots, and she would be dead.

 

[Eloise]

Hired doesn't mean a professional hitman.

 

[oceanstarryeyes]

What time did the husband leave for work that morning?

Where did he work?

Did anyone see what time he arrived at work that morning?

 

[Sarahlou]

What time did the husband leave for work that morning?

Where did he work?

Did anyone see what time he arrived at work that morning?

He left for work just minutes before she was killed. So it was all very precisely timed by the killer

 

[stmarysmead]

On the local chapter”’s FB page, EB is mentioned as their “event coordinator.” Now they appeared at children’s funerals, hospital rooms, etc....extremely emotional events. Is it possible that EB turned down a request around those days that deeply hurt and infuriated a loved one of someone who was very sick or who passed?

 

[SAMS]

On the local chapter”’s FB page, EB is mentioned as their “event coordinator.” Now they appeared at children’s funerals, hospital rooms, etc....extremely emotional events. Is it possible that EB turnedcdien a request around those days that deeply hurt and infuriated a loved one of someone who was very sick or who pawed?

Great theory. So this scorn son/daughter/other walks up shows a pic of the loved one: revenge. I can see this. MOO

 

[iamnotagolem]

What time did the husband leave for work that morning?

Where did he work?

Did anyone see what time he arrived at work that morning?

I’ll go look for the link, but based on my memory, he left 4 minutes prior to the shooting.

eta: link to 4 minutes

Edit 2: I can’t find the articles where I read the other times so I deleted that part of my comment. If I come across it I’ll post and add the link.

 

[oceanstarryeyes]

He left for work just minutes before she was killed. So it was all very precisely timed by the killer

So it was someone that knew what time he would be leaving that morning and that she wouldn’t be at work but setting up for the yard sale. Someone they both knew or that one of them knew. It wasn’t a stranger.

 

[iamnotagolem]

I’ll go look for the link, but based on my memory, he left 4 minutes prior to the shooting.

eta: link to 4 minutes

Edit 2: I can’t find the articles where I read the other times so I deleted that part of my comment. If I come across it I’ll post and add the link.

I swear I’m not an idiot I thought I posted the link. Now I can’t find the one I used earlier.
Here is another The Public & Unsolved Murder of Elizabeth Barraza

 

[iamnotagolem]

So it was someone that knew what time he would be leaving that morning and that she wouldn’t be at work but setting up for the yard sale. Someone they both knew or that one of them knew. It wasn’t a stranger.

And the number of people who knew was very limited. She’d only asked for the day off work the day before. She hadn’t posted any signs, no posts on social media, very few people knew she was doing the garage sale.

 

[oceanstarryeyes]

And the number of people who knew was very limited. She’d only asked for the day off work the day before. She hadn’t posted any signs, no posts on social media, very few people knew she was doing the garage sale.

And the people the husband told about her day off and the yard sale.

 

[stmarysmead]

This is similar in ways to the Bevers murder but with one important difference IMO. Missy Bevers might have just been collateral damage, in the wrong place at the wrong time.

This murder was very carefully planned. The killer drives by the night before. He/she did not want two victims only one, so a return was made very early in the morning, and the killer watched until SB left.
After shooting EB three times, he took the time to do a kill shot to the head. After running to the car, just in the small chance she survived, he took time to drive by on last time and look.

Having EB dead is seemingly more important than his own quick escape. That’s an incredible amount of hate. Or a job that must be completed before he will get paid. But IMO I don’t imagine EB and SB m0ved in circles where someone hiring a killer could provide a paycheck worth that last drive by and their freedom.

Anyone this organized would know the car would end up 0n someone’s camera. So the car cannot be directly traced to him. But he has access at least twice to that car and I’m certain rentals were checked long ago. A killer this methodical must believe that this car cannot be connected to him.

Perhaps the car owner had no personal connection to EB at all...but shared the same motive as the killer. Maybe EB had to refuse them a visit from the Star Trek group to a funeral or sick bed of a mutual loved one. I hope LE looked into the requests in the months previous to the murder to see if all were approved,

As far as the clothes, if this is a man, his very short stature would be a real identifier. Dressing as a woman would be a great way to eliminate that risk. Again, very planned, very thought out.

I strongly believe this was intensely personal. Someone felt very wronged by EB...or felt EB alive prevented them from having something they desperately wanted.

 

[TacitusKilgore]

Hello all,

Been following this case for awhile and joined because of it. It shakes me as it is so bizarre and seemingly random.

Is there confirmation anywhere that they husband had a job to attend that day? I thought I read that he was unemployed and job searching at the time. I am sure this has been looked into, but it would be easier for everyone to be on the same page of exactly where he was headed if it was to a gig job, full time place he went everyday. etc.

 

[oceanstarryeyes]

This is similar in ways to the Bevers murder but with one important difference IMO. Missy Bevers might have just been collateral damage, in the wrong place at the wrong time.

This murder was very carefully planned. The killer drives by the night before. He/she did not want two victims only one, so a return was made very early in the morning, and the killer watched until SB left.
After shooting EB three times, he took the time to do a kill shot to the head. After running to the car, just in the small chance she survived, he took time to drive by on last time and look.

Having EB dead is seemingly more important than his own quick escape. That’s an incredible amount of hate. Or a job that must be completed before he will get paid. But IMO I don’t imagine EB and SB m0ved in circles where someone hiring a killer could provide a paycheck worth that last drive by and their freedom.

Anyone this organized would know the car would end up 0n someone’s camera. So the car cannot be directly traced to him. But he has access at least twice to that car and I’m certain rentals were checked long ago. A killer this methodical must believe that this car cannot be connected to him.

Perhaps the car owner had no personal connection to EB at all...but shared the same motive as the killer. Maybe EB had to refuse them a visit from the Star Trek group to a funeral or sick bed of a mutual loved one. I hope LE looked into the requests in the months previous to the murder to see if all were approved,

As far as the clothes, if this is a man, his very short stature would be a real identifier. Dressing as a woman would be a great way to eliminate that risk. Again, very planned, very thought out.

I strongly believe this was intensely personal. Someone felt very wronged by EB...or felt EB alive prevented them from having something they desperately wanted.

I strongly believe this was intensely personal.

And someone had been told what time he the husband was leaving that morning and that she the wife would be outside setting up for a garage sale. It was well planned.

 

[spivey]

I’ve been thinking about several recent cases where the perp was caught on video either before or during the crime. I can’t help but wonder if the video footage in any of them has had the unfortunate effect of hindering the identification of a perpetrator rather than assisting in their capture. Perhaps the popularity of surveillance cameras over the past few decades has led to criminals using surveillance to their advantage.

While I’m sure LE would love to have video evidence in every case, it may not always serve the intended purpose. If the perp were to successfully disguise themselves on video to the point that LE/viewers form an inaccurate opinion about their appearance, or gender even, no video may be preferable to misleading video.

 

[Loudestbough]

Honestly, I haven't seen a map of the subdivision or a direction of travel, but has anyone considered that maybe that 3rd and final pass by the house, AFTER the shooting, wasn't to check to see if she was dead, but was because they were lost?

I know my subdivision is easy to get turned around in, and there aren't a whole lot of ways in and out. If you aren't familiar or my cars are in the garage, my house looks just like a lot of the other houses near me, and you could drive by it a few times trying to find the one street nearby that leads out.

 

[BaffleMe]

The amount might not be the issue. Rather, the right population might not be aware of the reward If so, this lack of reward knowledge could be a key difference.

For example, the family of a murder victim in the South had posted reward information on bill boards along interstates and in the city. The police tried to focus on an angry ex husband with an airtight alibi. The case then went cold for years.

Desperate, the family hired private detectives. The investigators suspected a killer hired by the ex. They also thought that the killer may have been hired from a nearby lower income, predominately black American rural area where the ex, though white, had connections going back decades.

One of the investigators was black, knew the local culture, and knew that even if the locals saw the billboards, the reward was out of sight and out of mind. He then told the family to give him the reward amount in cash.

Next, he went door to door and talked about church, local football- and the murder on porches and over kitchen tables. When leaving, he would take the cash out of the bag, show it- look, don't touch!- and promise that it would be paid and that one tipster could get it all.

With in days, the phone rang off the hook with meaningful tips. The police quickly arrested a laborer known to work for the ex on occasion. He then quickly rolled over on the ex.

In short, perhaps the reward needs to be directly shown to the right population in the right circumstances. Maybe, hit the Star Wars conventions with an attractive display?​

Totally agree. The shooter got close to her -- IMO a hired person wouldn't have gotten that close.

And I think a hired person would have used less shots, and she would be dead.

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.

I am on my laptop, volume up high and hear nothing. Video is not on mute. Do I need my headphones to hear what you heard? TY

 

[Cryptic]

And I think a hired person would have used less shots, and she would be dead.

In the end, truly professional hitman are extremely rare. As a result, a hired person, whether hired through romantic entanglement of cash, could well have led to nearly the same type of encounter.

 

[stmarysmead]

The “discussion” between the killer and EB leads me to believe that the killer was not hired, but that this murder was something he wanted to personally experience. The degree of preparation IMO indicates that the killer knew this was EB and did not have to ask that question. But he took time to say a few things. I think he wanted her to know who HE was and why she was about to die.

I do believe she was shown something. The killer needed her to understand his motive. He did not want to just pull out the gun and kill her before she understood her “crime.”

The fourth shot tells me that hurting her would not suffice. The fourth shot was done to ensure she died. The killers goal required death. I think one reason that this remains unsolved, is that there seems to be no reason that anyone could hate EB to this awful extent.

I’m wondering if the owner of the car isn’t an accomplice in another state...far enough, as suggested above, that owning that car doesn’t make anyone associate them with this crime. He and the killer switch cars for a day or two. Or he may just not associate his truck with a crime in another state. Maybe it is someone who was asked to loan a friend a truck, and he’d leave his car.

IMO The killer lives fairly close. But the truck owner may be from much further away. But that truck was parked somewhere in the area over night. In someone’s driveway, at their workplace. Of course, if it’s a rural home...that would confound the situation unfortunately.