Crime Junkie - Her Murder Was Caught On Camera: Who Killed Liz Barraza?
The murder of Elizabeth Barza in 2019 remains unsolved despite having video footage of the crime. Elizabeth was shot outside her home during a garage sale, and the incident was captured on a neighbor's security camera. The footage shows a person in a disguise approaching Elizabeth, engaging in a brief conversation, and then shooting her multiple times. The suspect's vehicle, a black Nissan Frontier, was seen in the area before and after the murder, but no clear identification has been made. Investigators have explored various leads, including Elizabeth's husband Sergio and his father Oscar, but no evidence has linked them to the crime. The case is complicated by the fact that Elizabeth's murder appears targeted, yet no clear motive has been established. Despite extensive investigation, including geofencing and analyzing surveillance footage, the case remains unsolved. Elizabeth's family continues to seek justice, offering a reward for information leading to an arrest.
Key Points:
- Elizabeth Barza was murdered in 2019 during a garage sale, with the crime captured on video.
- The suspect, wearing a disguise, drove a black Nissan Frontier, but has not been identified.
- Investigators have explored various leads, including family members, but no evidence has linked them to the crime.
- The murder appears targeted, yet no clear motive has been established, complicating the investigation.
- A $50,000 reward is offered for information leading to an arrest, as the family continues to seek justice.
Details:
1. Introduction to the Case of Elizabeth Barraza 🎙️
- The murder of Elizabeth Barraza is unsolved despite having video evidence of the crime.
- Investigators were initially confident the case would be solved quickly, but it remains unsolved after six years.
- The complexity of the case is highlighted by the lack of a coherent theory that explains all the evidence.
- The family's hope is that public engagement, such as listeners or viewers, might provide new leads or insights.
2. The Day of the Incident: A Horrific Discovery 🚨
- Bob and Rosemary Nelly received a notification from their daughter's alarm system around 7:20 AM on January 25th, 2019, which initially seemed accidental due to a planned garage sale.
- Despite thinking it might be a false alarm, Bob and Rosemary felt a growing sense of unease as they were unable to reach Liz via phone.
- The alarm company's inability to contact Liz prompted them to alert the police, adding to their anxiety.
- Bob and Rosemary's immediate decision to drive to Liz's home, approximately 15 minutes away, highlighted their escalating concern.
- Sergio Barazza, Liz's husband, was informed of the situation through an alarm alert at work and upon seeing police activity via the Nest doorbell camera, he urgently returned home.
- Their emotional turmoil intensified when they arrived to find their daughter's street filled with emergency vehicles and a young woman being airlifted to the hospital.
- A trail of blood from the driveway, amidst garage sale items, underscored the severity of the situation, confirming their worst fears.
3. Examining the Crime Scene: Footage and Theories 📽️
3.1. Crime Scene Discovery and Initial Observations
3.2. Investigation and Evidence Gathering
4. Unraveling the Timeline: Key Observations 🕒
4.1. Key Observations
4.2. Implications of Shooter's Actions
5. Exploring Liz's Life: Personal and Professional Connections 🔍
- Sergio mentions a disagreement Liz had with a woman from their Star Wars fan group, but insists it was petty drama, not serious.
- Sergio suggests the incident might have been a robbery gone wrong, but police find no evidence of theft; $100 in a lockbox was untouched.
- Deputy Richie approaches the case by focusing on those closest to Liz, indicating they need to start their investigation there.
- Despite claiming the couple's marriage was perfect, investigators are likely to scrutinize Sergio's statements and their relationship closely.
6. Scrutinizing Relationships: Family and Friends 👪
- Sergio, the prime suspect and Liz's husband, is cooperating with the investigation by allowing access to their house, electronics, and phones, and sharing information about a life insurance policy where he is the beneficiary.
- Despite his cooperation, investigators find Sergio's behavior odd; he remains calm and displays a lack of urgency, particularly when listening to doorbell camera audio of the shooting, which raises suspicions.
- Sergio expressed concern for Liz's safety, advising against holding a garage sale alone and setting the house alarm for her protection, though there was no history of related crimes in the area.
- Although Sergio inquired about Liz's condition and showed interest in visiting her at the hospital, detectives remain wary of his actions and motivations.
- Liz's parents, Bob and Rosemary, trust Sergio and do not question his love for their daughter, choosing to focus on Liz's critical condition instead.
- Liz was declared dead on January 26th but her organs were donated, exemplifying her generosity even after death by keeping her on life support to preserve them.
- The footage of the shooting, while not a definitive breakthrough, aids police in narrowing down suspects by analyzing the shooter's physical characteristics, estimated to be 5'4" to 5'8" with an athletic build.
7. Investigative Challenges: Leads and Dead Ends 🕵️
7.1. Timeline and Surveillance Analysis
7.2. Potential Suspects and Motivations
7.3. Professional Life and Job Examination
8. Theories and Speculations: Inside and Outside Perspectives 🧩
- Liz and Sergio only informed a small circle about the garage sale: family and co-workers. No online postings were made, and only two signs were put up, without listing an address, indicating limited public awareness.
- The garage sale was planned to run from Friday to Saturday, customary in their area, suggesting routine planning rather than spontaneous or suspicious activity.
- Police believe Liz was specifically targeted, as the crime did not appear random, leading to a focused investigation on Sergio, her husband, due to their close relationship.
- Despite thorough investigation, including checking phones and bank records, no evidence was found linking Sergio to the crime, highlighting the complexity of proving involvement without direct evidence.
- Controversy exists over using cell tower dumps, which complicates tracking phone activity, including potential burner phone usage by Sergio, indicating challenges in technological evidence gathering.
- Financially, Sergio is an independent contractor while Liz managed their joint accounts. No suspicious transactions were found, but this does not eliminate the possibility of a hired hitman, as payments could be made discreetly, emphasizing the difficulties in tracing financial motives.
9. Sergio and Oscar: Deeper Investigations 🔍
9.1. Investigation into Sergio
9.2. Investigation into Oscar
10. Public Involvement: Searches and Appeals for Information 📢
10.1. Initial Public Appeal and Reward Announcement
10.2. Key Evidence: The Shooter's Truck
10.3. Challenges in Identifying the Vehicle
10.4. Investigative Efforts and Complications
10.5. Possibilities and Speculations
10.6. Geofencing and Surveillance Footage
10.7. Final Theories and Investigation Gaps
11. Life After the Incident: Moving Forward 🏡
11.1. Sergio's Life Transition
11.2. Public Reaction, Investigation, and Efforts to Solve the Case
11.3. Legacy and Community Involvement
11.4. Life Insurance and Financial Matters
12. Ongoing Mystery: Unresolved Questions 🔍
- Speculation arises that the shooter might have accessed the victims' Nest doorbell camera system. However, no digital footprint or records have been confirmed by the police, suggesting the theory remains unverified.
- The possibility of hacking into the camera system was discussed, but security-conscious behavior from the victims' family makes it unlikely they shared access. Lack of police investigation into digital records leaves this aspect unresolved.
- The idea that the murder was a gang initiation is considered, partly due to the involvement of the Texas anti-gang unit, but this theory lacks substantial evidence and doesn't align with the non-random nature of the crime.
- Despite extensive investigations involving the Texas Rangers, FBI, and leads followed into Mexico, the case has not been solved, indicating the complexity and challenges faced by law enforcement.
- Law enforcement remains focused on core questions such as who knew about the garage sale and who had the motive and means to commit the murder, highlighting the ongoing nature of the investigation.
13. Conclusion and Call for Help: Seeking Justice 📞
- A $50,000 reward is available for information on Liz Barza's case, and can be collected anonymously.
- Contact Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS or the Harris County Sheriff's Office at 713-274-9100 with any information.
- All source material for the episode is available on crimejunkiepodcast.com.
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