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

Status
Not open for further replies.
Statistically, how many murders of random white women setting up a garage sale in a suburban environment gang initiations?

I don't mean that sarcastically. I do mean, how likely is that, versus being killed by (even by proxy) someone she knows? How often are 'gang initiation' killings done within gangland itself (the norm)?
 
Last edited:
I suggest looking them up on youtube to see how they put on a show!
The closest I've come to anything like this is some co-workers who are 'reenactors'. Some reenact Civil War battles and some Revolutionary or War of 1812 battles.

But the reenactor's seem to be a tight knit group with little competition within the group. This cosplay stuff is still very new to me.
That was my impression of the civil war and mountain man reenactors that I have come in contact with as well. The primary focus seemed to be on historical interests and socializing with not a lot of personal drama.

That aside, one seeming big difference in Legion co-splay is the tremendous costume requirements.

I imagine recreating an ultimate WWII German paratrooper with all the cool gear or the ultimate furry mountain man can get time consuming and expensive.

But many re-production historical uniforms etc. can be bought commercially. $300-350 dollars seems to buy a lot of gear easily and quickly. Surplus rifles, reproduction muskets cost more. But, I imagine many military reenactors like guns anyways.

In contrast, Legion cosplay seems to be is a different animal in regards to gear and personal invovlement:

- 501 uniforms and gear is hand made and individually tailored. Likewise, gear is hand cast, hand carved or hand machined.

- A You Tube video of costume building in Dallas looked like a movie set. Another video had a member saying that basic custom storm trooper costumes were $1,200 plus time. Another guy described working on his costume for months.

More time, sweat and money spent on costumes can increase the emotional buy in of participants. This increases the chance of a bad reaction if cos play does not work out for somebody "in deep".

Likewise, there are plenty of reenactment groups for Allies, Germans, Union or Rebels etc. I wonder if a "deep diver" getting booted from the cosplay 501 Legion has alot of other options to find the same experience?
 
Last edited:
That was my impression of the civil war and mountain man reenactors that I have come in contact with as well. The primary focus seemed to be on historical interests and socializing with not alot of personal drama.

That aside, in addition to perhaps more personal drama in fandom, the costume requirements of the cosplay 501 Legion are tremendous.

I imagine recreating an ultimate WWII German paratrooper with all the cool gear or the ultimate furry mountain man can get time consuming and expensive.

But many re-production historical uniforms etc. can be bought commercially. $300-350 dollars seems to buy a lot of gear easily and quickly. Surplus rifles, muskets etc. cost more. But.... I imagine many historical reenactors like guns of all sorts anyways.

In contrast, 501 uniforms and gear is hand made and individually tailored. Likewise, gear is hand cast, hand carved or hand machined. A You Tube video of costume building in Dallas looked like a movie set. Another video had a member saying that basic custom storm trooper costumes were $1,200 plus time.

More time, sweat and money spent on costumes can increase the emotional buy in of a Legion cos player. Thus, seemingly more chance of a bad reaction if cos play does not work out for somebody "in deep".

Likewise, there are plenty of reenactment groups for Allies, Germans, Union or Rebels. I wonder if a "deep diver" getting booted from the cosplay 501 Legion have alot of options to find the same experience?


Great post, Cryptic. I think that after such an investment...which could be onerous and require other sacrifices for some people...being booted out could be infuriating.

Do the other reenactment groups also appear at hospitals and funerals? Somehow I do not think so. So being part of this group has its ‘hero’ side and I don’t mean that disparagingly. But that can be a tremendous loss to a fragile ego if those heroic moments are taken away.

I believe EB’s group also attended the Star Wars movie opening, They become local celebrities with appearances like that. I wonder if EB chose who got to attend the special events in her role as Event coordinator? I imagine there was a selection process because the group was so large. Did someone feel repeatedly slighted?

This is an expensive hobby. I read some of the questions and answers online and it does seem rather competitive in regard to the costumes.

EB was selling a Star Wats costume helmet at the sale. I believe it’s in one of the pictures. I wonder if she sent an email 0r posted on their South Texas Star Garrison private blog the day before...about the garage sale. Would have certainly made that helmet more likely to sell.
 

Attachments

  • 97FA8018-32E3-4384-BD86-9A76D3BA4457.jpeg
    97FA8018-32E3-4384-BD86-9A76D3BA4457.jpeg
    100.1 KB · Views: 50
Last edited:
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.

[bbm]

owner of what car?
 
According to this article: greed, lust, and pursuit of power are the motives for murder.

Why do people become killers? There are only three reasons -- Here they are

Did someone benefit financially from Liz’s death? Did she have life insurance? Did someone get a promotion that would have gone to Liz?

We’re Liz or Sergio having an affair? Did someone have an obsession with either of them?

The power one seems least likely, unless she was some leader in their cosplay world.

I feel profoundly skeptical about this article. I think his claim of ‘only three reasons for murder’ can only succeed by redefining everything that isn’t one of the three as ‘pursuit of power.’ Not going to be helpful in thinking about motives. For that matter, he could simplify even more and say that there’s only one motive/reason: ‘evil.’
 
Bolding done by me

As she lay dying in her driveway, the suspect drove away, but then circled back and drove past the crime scene.
“I feel they contacted somebody and said, ‘Hey, the job’s done,’” Harris County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Michael Ritchie says in this week’s issue of PEOPLE. “And then that person said, ‘Are you sure?’ And they turned around and drove by the scene one more time.”
After 18 Months, Police Still Seek Clues on Who Fatally Shot ‘Star Wars’ Fan at Her Own Garage Sale
 
Bolding done by me

As she lay dying in her driveway, the suspect drove away, but then circled back and drove past the crime scene.
“I feel they contacted somebody and said, ‘Hey, the job’s done,’” Harris County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Michael Ritchie says in this week’s issue of PEOPLE. “And then that person said, ‘Are you sure?’ And they turned around and drove by the scene one more time.”
After 18 Months, Police Still Seek Clues on Who Fatally Shot ‘Star Wars’ Fan at Her Own Garage Sale

This theory would eliminate SB and any number of people. LE would have long ago looked at their phone records and seen if a call came in around the early morning at the time the truck turned around and went back.
 
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.

The killer approached the house from the west. When they left they proceeded East then turned around and went back west. The exit to the subdivision is to the east and not far from Barraza’s house.

I have to wonder which direction Sergio drove when he left that day. If he left 4 minutes prior how was the killer certain he was gone? Clearly he knew about what time he’d be leaving and that Elizabeth was home. The killer must have parked a couple of houses down until Sergio left, right? Because of the direction the killer came from he didn’t wait at the front of the subdivision for Sergio to drive by.
 
Last edited:
The killer approached the house from the west. When they left they proceeded East then turned around and went back west. The exit to the subdivision is to the east and not far from Barraza’s house.

I have to wonder which direction Sergio drove when he left that day. If he left 4 minutes prior how was the killer certain he was gone? Clearly he knew about what time he’d be leaving and that Elizabeth was home. The killer must have parked a couple of houses down until Sergio left, right? Because of the direction the killer came from he didn’t wait at the front of the subdivision for Sergio to drive by.
Good point. We assume the killer waited and timed it for after Sergio left. But maybe it was just coincidental. Maybe they both would have been shot? The shooting was loud and brazen. Maybe Liz was not even the intended target? Oh I am slipping down a rabbit hole. Outside the box. Anyways, food for thought and MOO.
 
Good point. We assume the killer waited and timed it for after Sergio left. But maybe it was just coincidental. Maybe they both would have been shot? The shooting was loud and brazen. Maybe Liz was not even the intended target? Oh I am slipping down a rabbit hole. Outside the box. Anyways, food for thought and MOO.

"The truck was seen in the neighborhood the night before and the morning of the murder, waiting for Barraza’s husband to leave. After the murder, it left and then passed back by the house again."

She was the target

Father of slain Tomball woman hopeful new clues help | khou.com
 
The killer approached the house from the west. When they left they proceeded East then turned around and went back west. The exit to the subdivision is to the east and not far from Barraza’s house.

I have to wonder which direction Sergio drove when he left that day. If he left 4 minutes prior how was the killer certain he was gone? Clearly he knew about what time he’d be leaving and that Elizabeth was home. The killer must have parked a couple of houses down until Sergio left, right? Because of the direction the killer came from he didn’t wait at the front of the subdivision for Sergio to drive by.

‘Great post. Thank you! So is there any way to exit the subdivision from the west? If not, that’s a big deal. Why wouldn’t the killer get out of the subdivision as soon as possible? Did the truck belong to someone in the neighborhood and he had go back over there to change cars?

I believe that the truck was parked on a street that was perpendicular to EB’s street. I think he could watch the driveway from there and see when SB left. Would SB have turned right...in front of him to exit the subdivision on that perpendicular street? Did we ever have a map of the subdivision?

I feel that the killer was extremely comfortable with that truck. He/she needed a disguise just in case he was caught on camera...but he wasn’t worried about the truck leading LE back to him.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
164
Guests online
1,602
Total visitors
1,766

Forum statistics

Threads
589,947
Messages
17,928,053
Members
228,010
Latest member
idrainuk
Back
Top