Elizabeth Barraza

On the morning of 25 January 2019, 29-year-old Elizabeth Barraza was gunned down in her own driveway. In the two years since, investigators have publicly theorized that this was might have been a professional hit. However, there seems to be no ascertainable motive for anyone to have targeted Elizabeth...

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On the morning of Friday, January 25th, 2019 a woman was setting up a garage sale in the driveway of her home. This was an annual event that she held every year, in her sleepy neighborhood in southeastern Texas. The sun was still rising at around 7:00 that morning when trouble began to rear its ugly head.

As she was setting up for the garage sale, a dark truck parked across the street. The engine was kept running while an unknown individual wearing light clothing stepped out of a driver's side door and walked across the street towards the woman's driveway. There, for a handful of seconds, the two seem to converse, with the unknown individual having produced an item from within their jacket or robe (whatever they were wearing) while pacing the driveway and leveling it towards the woman as they speak.

After talking for about five seconds, the mysterious individual fires a series of shots at the woman from point-blank range; with all three hitting her in the chest, causing her to stumble backward and fall to the ground. The unknown subject then lurches forward and steps over the fallen woman, before firing a final round into her head as she lays helpless on the ground. Then, not skipping a beat, this person turns tail and runs back towards their black truck parked across the street, fleeing the scene just seconds after the shooting.

This entire sequence would be captured by surveillance cameras in the neighborhood. But after more than two years, this bizarre shooting death remains unsolved.

This is the story of Elizabeth Barraza.

29-year-old Elizabeth Barraza lived in Tomball, Texas, a small town in Harris County. About 12,000 people currently live in Tomball, which is a suburb of the Houston area, with it being roughly 30 miles northwest of the city itself. There, Elizabeth lived along the 8600 block of Cedar Walk Drive in the Princeton Place neighborhood, just a stone's throw away from Kuykendahl Road, one of the town's major throughways, which leads straight to Highway 99 (and then, about 6.5 miles away, to Interstate 45).

Elizabeth lived at this 2600-square-foot home with her husband, Sergio, to whom she was reportedly happily married. Friends and coworkers of both recall them speaking highly of the other through January of 2019, rarely ever bringing up any issues that the couple might have been facing. Elizabeth and Sergio had been married for approximately four years (having tied the knot in 2014) and had purchased the home along Cedar Walk Drive in April of 2016. While the two did not have any children, they did have a dog, whom they would pose with for several pictures that they posted online. They were also pretty huge geeks (which I can safely say, being one myself).

Elizabeth and Sergio were huge fans of the Star Wars and Harry Potter franchises, and often attended events like Comic-Con, which allowed them to cosplay as different characters. They had become members of the local 501st Legion, which is a group of Star Wars fans that dress up as different characters (primarily, stormtroopers), and has become known as a fan club with a positive purpose. Members of the 501st are often sent out to children's hospitals to boost the spirits of sick kids and can be requested to attend charity and other events. Through this, Elizabeth had become acquainted with the Make-A-Wish foundation, allowing her kind-hearted nature to touch the lives of even more children.

On the morning of January 25th, 2019 - a Friday - Elizabeth's husband, Sergio, left their home at around 6:48 AM. He was heading out to begin work at his flooring job, where he installed carpets. Just minutes after Sergio drove away from their home in this quiet suburban neighborhood, a mysterious individual would pull up and park across the street. However, the vehicle would be seen driving through the neighborhood beforehand... as if they were waiting for the perfect time to strike.

Elizabeth had spent the morning setting up a garage sale in her front yard; the proceeds of which she was hoping to use for an upcoming trip. Elizabeth and Sergio's fifth wedding anniversary was just days away, and the couple had already planned a trip to Florida, to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Orlando's Universal Studios. They were actually planning to leave on January 27th - just two days later - and according to Elizabeth's father, Robert Nuelle:

"Her suitcase for the anniversary trip was packed... She was ready to walk out the door."

While Elizabeth had held garage sales every year she lived at the home along Cedar Walk Drive, she had decided to put together this garage sale the night prior. Because it had come together so quickly, she had not advertised it anywhere, having not posted anything about it online. She had put up some signs throughout the area but had only done so that morning. She had called out from work that day, as well - from her job as a data reporter for a pipeline inspection company, Rosen Group - with only a few coworkers, family members, and friends knowing about her plans that Friday.

Just minutes after Sergio pulled out of the couple's driveway and headed off for work - four minutes, to be precise - the mysterious driver of the black truck pulled into Elizabeth's neighborhood and parked across the street. They left the engine running and exited the truck through a driver's side door, making a beeline for where Elizabeth was standing at the top of the driveway by crossing the street and a section of the Barraza yard. As this individual strode up the driveway, they appeared to be pulling out a handgun from inside of the jacket or robe they were wearing.

Elizabeth, who had been preparing things for the garage sale, seemed to pause at around the same time that the truck stopped across the street. It's unknown if she might have recognized the vehicle, or if she might have paused for another reason entirely, but she took a visible step back when the mysterious individual produces their firearm, near the top of the driveway. The two conversed for a handful of seconds before the silence of the morning was broken.

Candy Ellis, a neighbor of the Barrazas who phoned 911 immediately after the shots were fired, described them as:

"Three gunshots, rapid-fire, then wait another second or two, and then another gunshot."

Authorities would arrive at the scene quickly and would find Elizabeth Barraza lying in the driveway of her home, having been shot four times: three times in the chest and once in the head. She would be sent via medevac to Memorial Hermann Hospital... the same hospital that she had spent hours volunteering at with the 501st Legion, attempting to brighten the spirits of sick children. There, just hours later, she would succumb to her injuries.

Even after her death, however, Elizabeth would continue to make a difference in this world, with her being listed as an organ donor. Her heart, liver, kidneys, and corneas were given to those that needed them, saving and/or bettering their lives for years to come.

The impact of Elizabeth's loss would be felt immediately and immensely by those that had known her, with everyone being shocked that she had been targeted by this unknown killer. Even those that didn't know her were horrified that such a crime had happened like this in the quiet suburb of Tomball, Texas. And not just anywhere: this crime had taken place in her own driveway, as she prepared for something as mundane as a garage sale. It made the entire community feel like anyone else could be at risk, simply because Elizabeth was not known as the type of person to attract enemies.

Friends, family members, coworkers, and other acquaintances of Elizabeth's would gather in the Barraza's front yard days later to attend a vigil; during which, each brought a toy wand or lightsaber, which they lifted into the air in her honor.

Elizabeth's father, Bob Nuelle, would state:

"My daughter, Liz, spent her life healing and spreading love and cheer to all of those around her, even total strangers."

He would share a similar sentiment days later, at a press conference held by Houston Crime Stoppers.

Elizabeth's husband, Sergio, would speak at the same press conference.

The investigation into the shooting death of Elizabeth Barraza would be handled by the Harris County Sheriff's Office, who responded to the crime scene the day of. There, they would cordon off the area around the crime scene for several hours, and question Sergio, Elizabeth's husband, inside of their home. They would also begin to question those close to the couple, theorizing that the killer might have been someone that either Elizabeth or her husband knew.

Speaking to the press, Harris County Lt. Jeff Stauber would state:

"Our victim was laying in the driveway with multiple gunshot wounds. Looks very deliberate to me."

A homicide detective with Harris County, Michael Richie, would state:

"It was very quick, it was very calculated, very cold-blooded (in) how it was done... I do believe that more than one person (was) involved in this, and I do believe that there are some people out there that maybe have a suspicion that somebody they know might have been involved in this."

However, as police officials began their investigation, they had a hard time identifying any potential motive related to either Elizabeth or Sergio. Almost everyone that knew the couple described them as "normal," and described Elizabeth, in particular, as a kind and caring person; not the type of person you'd expect to see caught up in a story like this, in any capacity.

No shell casings would be found at the crime scene, which led investigators to believe that the weapon used had been a revolver. However, this would prove to be one of the major setbacks for the investigation, with the culprit leaving behind almost no forensic evidence: no shell casings, no DNA, no hair fibers, etc.

It has been reported over the past two years that the shooter handed Elizabeth an item before shooting her; an item that was supposedly found at the crime scene, and may or may not have been a note. Investigators have not spoken publicly about this rumor - so this has not been confirmed, mind you - but this may be one facet of the investigation that authorities are withholding.

However, police would quickly learn that there were several surveillance cameras in the neighborhood, which was able to establish a timeline for the shooter's vehicle, which had been driving throughout the neighborhood both before and after the crime took place. This appeared to be a dark, older-model Nissan Frontier Pro-4X, which was identified by a decal on the truck, which police were able to make out from the grainy camera footage. Based on the footage, police believed that this was a 2013 (or newer) model with four doors, which should have stood out because Nissan Frontiers aren't very common in the area: most trucks in the Houston area are either Fords or Chevies. It was reported early on that this truck had been seen in camera footage the night prior, perhaps canvassing the area ahead of the shooting.

From this security footage, police would also be able to compile a description of the individual that walks up to Elizabeth and shoots her in her driveway. This appeared to be a woman, based on their relative size - in comparison to Elizabeth - as well as their gait, which appears feminine. However, this is anything but definitive, and I'll explain why in just a few minutes.

Early on - within hours of the shooting - investigators would begin releasing footage of it to the public, in the hopes that someone would recognize either the vehicle involved or the shooter.

During a press conference held just days after the murder, Houston Crime Stoppers would announce a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Elizabeth's killer, which had been compiled by her friends and fellow Star Wars cosplayers from the 501st Legion. At this press conference, investigators and family members of Elizabeth would also speak to the press in a public forum for the first time.

From the surveillance footage released by the Harris County Sheriff's Office, there are a few things that we can surmise about the unknown subject that killed Elizabeth Barraza.

For starters, they were driving a 2013 (or newer) Nissan Frontier, which was caught by multiple cameras in the Barraza's neighborhood. In the original footage released by police, you can see this individual park across the street from Elizabeth and Sergio's home, and leave the engine idling as they exit to commit the heinous act in the driveway. You can see them run in front of the idling truck's headlights, indicating that they got in and out through a door on the driver's side (likely the driver's door). This leads us to believe that they acted alone, without an accomplice, because they undoubtedly would have exited out the passenger side for a quicker getaway.

It's also worth pointing out that this vehicle was seen driving through the Barraza's neighborhood both before and after the crime took place (the latter of which we'll discuss in a bit). Investigators have told the public that this vehicle was spotted on surveillance footage driving by Elizabeth and Sergio's home the night before the shooting, and was also spotted driving throughout the region before Sergio headed off for work at 6:48 AM. Perhaps they were simply waiting for him to leave before acting; or, in the case that this was a random shooting, maybe they were just looking for a victim alone that morning.

As far as the actual shooter is concerned, though... that is where things start to get a bit shakier.

Because of the shooter's ability to quickly sprint away from the crime scene, back towards the waiting vehicle, we can surmise that they are in good shape. Their quickness is something that an elderly or out-of-shape individual would have a hard time accomplishing, so this indicates that the shooter was physically fit. But beyond that, it's hard to get a good description of them because of the clothing that they were wearing.

As I hinted at earlier, the shooter appears to be wearing a large robe or jacket (or perhaps a large dress or trenchcoat of some kind). For this reason, many believe that the shooter was a woman, which would be rather odd, simply because female killers tend to kill their victims in more personal ways. Using a gun to shoot and kill Elizabeth in such a quick manner - speaking to her for just 5-10 seconds before pulling the trigger - seems to be incredibly impersonal. I know I'm using more traditional, potentially-antiquated beliefs about lady murderers when I say this, so take what I've just said with a grain of salt.

While the individual appears to look feminine while approaching Elizabeth in the driveway, their actions afterward seem more masculine. They use their right hand to grip the handgun, and - from zoomed-in footage - don't seem to face much recoil after firing each round. To me, this indicates that it was likely a smaller-caliber revolver (because there were no shell casings found at the scene) and the shooter was likely pretty experienced with it since they seem to shoot Elizabeth pretty casually with one hand.

After shooting Elizabeth three times in the chest, the unsub then steps forward and fires a final shot into her head. It is here that their actions take a turn for the masculine, as they quickly turn and run back to the idling truck, where they make their escape. Their running motion appears to be somewhat masculine to me, with them taking rather long strides, and potentially raising a hand to their head as they run, which leads some to believe that they might have been wearing a wig during the commission of this crime.

Many believe that the outfit this individual was wearing might have been a costume: an outfit meant to distract from their actual identity. Some believe that this might have been a man dressing up in a feminine-looking outfit and adopting more feminine traits to hide their actual purpose or motive; while others believe that this might have just been a woman wearing a flashy outfit. This has been one of the major points of contention in online discussion forums and is likely one of the reasons that this individual remains unidentified more than two years later.

It also doesn't help that this individual parked across the street, in the ultimate blind spot for cameras throughout the neighborhood; far enough from the security cameras to avoid being identified, and not close enough to be picked up on the Barraza's doorbell camera. They seemed to park in the perfect position to avoid being seen, and then take the quickest route to reach Elizabeth, all the while remaining out of the sight of the doorbell camera just feet away from the crime scene itself.

In the months after this bizarre and tragic shooting, authorities would scour the local area for any clue of the truck that the offender had been driving that morning: a dark Nissan Frontier Pro-4X. They would attempt to pull footage from every camera in a radius around the crime scene, hoping to track where the vehicle had gone after the shooting. It was even reported - months later - that the Harris County Sheriff's Office had been in contact with the Texas Rangers, hoping their knowledge would assist in their investigation.

In August of 2019 - approximately six months after Elizabeth's murder - it would be reported that investigators were awaiting the results of a warrant that, according to Elizabeth's father, would "possibly break the case." But by January of 2020 - the first anniversary of the shooting - the results of this warrant were still pending, and investigators would not divulge which aspect of the investigation it pertained to. Many believe that this might have been related to cell phone location data, perhaps attempting to track who had been in the area at the specific time of the shooting. But I also find it likely that this could be footage from local traffic cameras, which would take a decent amount of time to analyze.

Speaking about this warrant, Harris County homicide detective Michael Richie would state:

"I feel that the results of that warrant will be critical in the investigation and most likely will expose a suspect and who's responsible for this."

Investigators would soon begin speaking about one of the more unnerving details in the case: the fact that the shooter had circled back around to the crime scene after originally fleeing. It was believed that they had done so to make sure that Elizabeth was actually dead, and did not get back up. If they were a hitman - as has been theorized by some - maybe they needed to drive back around to take a picture of Elizabeth's body lying in the driveway.

Referring to this, Elizabeth's father Bob Nuelle would tell reporters in 2020:

"Them circling back and driving back by the house, literally a few moments later is proof there's something bigger at work here."

While talking to reporters with People last year, Detective Michael Richie would also state:

"I feel they contacted somebody and said, 'Hey, the job's done.' And then that person said, 'Are you sure?' And they turned around and drove by the scene one more time."

From the onset of this story, something that investigators have struggled with is the motivation behind this seemingly-senseless act of violence. While many believe that this was a premeditated act (included many police officials, who postulated this very early on), some believe that this might have been a random act of violence, perpetrated by someone simply prowling for a potential victim. While the latter might explain why the crime has taken years to solve, it doesn't explain the actions of the shooter that morning, which point to this crime being premeditated and targeted.

We already know that the shooter had been driving throughout the Barraza's sprawling suburban neighborhood on the morning of the shooting, before Elizabeth's husband departed for work. Within minutes of Sergio leaving, this individual seems to have made a beeline for Elizabeth, who was still at home preparing the garage sale; a garage sale that she had not advertised ahead of time, nor posted about online. While she had posted signs up for the garage sale that morning, she had only done so shortly before Sergio left for work, meaning that there is a slim-to-none chance that this individual targeted her because of the garage sale.

What makes this detail incredibly fascinating to me is the knowledge that Elizabeth would have normally been gone at that time of the morning, having already headed off to work in the early AM to avoid the Houston traffic. So to me, this seems to give credence to the theory that the unsub was aware of her plans that morning and knew where she would be, with Elizabeth having called out of work that morning and having only told a handful of people about the garage sale ahead of time. Them waiting for Sergio to leave before acting also seems to indicate some intimate knowledge of their personal lives... knowing that nobody else would be home at that time.

At the time the unsub carried out this shooting, they also appeared to be speaking to her for a few seconds. This may or may not indicate some level of familiarity, and it is possible for the two to have known each other... although, in what context, we can only guess at.

Some websleuths have theorized that this shooter might have been someone that either Elizabeth or Sergio was having an affair with, but there's been no evidence of that in the two years since. Investigators have stated that they've thoroughly investigated the digital lives of both Elizabeth and Sergio in the hopes of finding a potential motive, but have not been able to find anything incriminating: no emails, no messages through social media, no phone records, etc. Nothing indicates either having an affair or being threatened before or after the shooting, so there seems to be no apparent reason for this crime tied into their relationship.

Much of the discussion online seems to be centered around Elizabeth and Sergio's work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the 501st Legion, the group of Star Wars fanatics that cosplay and volunteer at hospitals and events. While it's possible that someone in this group carried out the crime - perhaps someone infatuated with either Elizabeth or Sergio - it's just as likely that the killer was someone else from their social group (a friend, colleague, or acquaintance).

Regardless, the shooting itself seems to be incredibly personal, with the unsub shooting Elizabeth three times in the chest and once in the head (with the final shot alleged to have been fired in the direction of her mouth). This indicates some level of aggression towards her, personally, and makes me believe that this was either an incredibly personal murder or a professional hit. The motivation, however, remains a complete enigma.

Speaking to ABC 13 in January of 2020, Elizabeth's father (Bob Nuelle) would state:

"The shock and horror of it makes no sense. We know it's not random. So the family waits, and when we learn who did it, we may learn why, but the why will never make sense."

The most recent developments in this story came just weeks or months ago (depending on when you're reading or listening to this) in January of 2021. Police officials would release a third piece of footage, which showed the crime unfolding from a new vantage point: the doorbell camera of Elizabeth and Sergio's home.

Unfortunately, the angle of the home obscures the driveway, so not much of Elizabeth or the shooter can be seen. However, this provided some audio of the shooting which had been previously undisclosed, which reveals that Elizabeth greeted the unsub as they approached her in the driveway, telling them "good morning" before getting shot.

This greeting leads investigators to believe that Elizabeth did not know her killer, and might have believed them to be a potential garage sale customer as they approached. This gives oxygen to the theory that this might have been a hitman hired to carry out this murder, since it seems to be incredibly premeditated. Also, robbery was not a motive; nothing in the Barraza's driveway was touched by the killer, including the valuable possessions for sale and approximately $100 withdrawn for the garage sale. However, it's also possible that Elizabeth had simply not recognized this individual from afar, which may also indicate that this person - if they had been known to Elizabeth beforehand - might have been wearing a disguise.

As I mentioned, this audio came from the Barraza's doorbell camera, which was unable to capture more than a brief, partial glimpse of Elizabeth's shooter. It's theorized that the killer might have known about this camera, and parked where they did to avoid being seen by it.

Speaking to the press about this update, Detective Wallace Wyatt - the newest detective assigned to the case - stated:

"You see Liz in the video notice the gun and she jumps, it scares her. I think Liz then, may have known that person.

"Liz reacts, scared. There is some muffled something going on there. We're not sure what was said by the suspect, and then, shoots her three times. She falls to the ground. This horrible, calculated, premeditated and pitiless murderer steps over her and shoots her again in the head.

"About two minutes later, the suspect drives back to look at their work, seeing what they've done, to make sure Liz is dead."

The home that Sergio and Elizabeth Barraza lived in now belongs to another family, with Sergio selling it in the year after Elizabeth's murder. When speaking to the press, he would make comments about him being concerned for his own safety, which makes sense when you consider that Elizabeth was senselessly murdered in the front yard by a still-unidentified killer. That, paired with the emotional trauma of this mysterious incident, gives him more than enough reason to move.

Many people in the online sleuthing community believe that he was (partially) responsible for this crime, even though he has been incredibly cooperative with investigators and they have reportedly found no evidence indicating him having an affair or any kind of untoward relationship with anyone at the time of the murder. A lot of people point to his behavior immediately after the crime as proof of his guilt, but I would just like to remind them that everyone deals with grief differently, and it's irresponsible to judge how someone acts after such a public and tragic loss.

That being said, police continue to insist to this day that they have not ruled out any suspects, and anyone is still on their radar.

In the two years since Elizabeth's death, Sergio has attempted to move on with his life and remains in close contact with Elizabeth's family. He has been working on a Star Wars replica R2 unit with her dad, which they are creating and dedicating to Elizabeth. On a personal note, I'd like to say that it's nice to see something positive coming out of such a tragic loss, which is something that I'm sure Elizabeth would say if she were here.

An endowment has also been set up at the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Elizabeth's honor, which was established by the Peter Mayhew Foundation: the giant of a man who portrayed Chewbacca in the Star Wars films. This helps ensure that Elizabeth's legacy will carry on long after her death, which remains clouded in doubt more than two years later.

The $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a killer, in this case, continues to stand, and anyone with information is encouraged to contact Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

Based on my research for this episode, this case seems to be incredibly solvable, and I do believe that investigators have long-known who the killer(s) are, but have been unable to prove it due to a lack of evidence. Likely, they may just need one tiny piece of evidence to figure everything out, so if anything sounds familiar in this episode - the description of the shooter, the truck they were driving, anything - please reach out to Harris County Sheriff's officials or Houston Crime Stoppers.

Until such a time, the story of Elizabeth Barraza will remain unresolved.

Episode Information

Writing, research, hosting, and production by Micheal Whelan

Published on on February 28th, 2021

Producers: Roberta Janson, Ben Krokum, Gabriella Bromley, Steven Wilson, Quil Carter, Travis Scsepko, Laura Hannan, Bryan Hall, Damion Moore, Scott Meesey, Amy Hampton, Scott Patzold, Marie Vanglund, Astrid Kneier, Aimee McGregor, Jo Wong, Sara Moscaritolo, Sydney Scotton, Thomas Ahearn, Marion Welsh, Patrick Laakso, Rebecca O'Sullivan, Meadow Landry, Tatum Bautista, Sally Ranford, Kevin McCracken, Ruth Durbin, Michele Watson, Jared Midwood, Teunia Elzinga, Ryan Green, Jacinda C., Stephanie Joyner, and Cherish Brady