If you go to WhoKilledLizBarraza.com, you’ll see a big tracker at the top of the page: 2,396 days waiting for justice.
That’s how long it’s been since 29-year-old Elizabeth “Liz” Barraza was gunned down in her driveway. On the morning of Friday, January 25, 2019, she was setting up a garage sale in the driveway of her home in the 8600 block of Cedar Walk in Tomball, Texas.
Around 6:45 a.m., Liz’s husband, Sergio, left for work. Just minutes later, while en route to work, Sergio got word that something horrible had happened to his wife.
Three neighbors called 911 to report what they had seen and heard.
By 6:58 a.m., officials arrived on the scene. When EMS arrived, they called for Memorial Hermann Life Flight, a critical care air medical transport organization in Houston. At 1:40 p.m., after hours in the E.R. and the Shock Trauma ICU, Liz was officially pronounced dead. She had been shot four times. An organ donor, Liz saved four lives that day and provided another person with the gift of sight.
Dateline spoke with Sergio Barraza in 2020 about his wife’s murder. He said he initially assumed it had been a robbery gone wrong. “But then they didn’t — there’s nothing that was taken,” he said. The cashbox with $100 inside for the garage sale was left untouched.
Police reviewed the security camera footage from their neighbors. On the footage, the killer was captured approaching, shooting Liz, and then fleeing the scene.
It is unclear from the footage if the killer was a man or a woman. “The way the person moves and stuff, I believe it’s a woman, but it’s hard to tell, honestly,” Sergio said. “We just don’t know, and I can’t understand it. So I just want somebody to come help us.”
From the footage, police came to believe the shooter was driving a black 2013 Nissan Frontier truck with a “Pro-4x” decal attached.
On the 5-year anniversary of the shooting, Sergeant Michael Ritchie of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office gave NBC’s Houston affiliate KRPC an update on the investigation. “I was the original lead investigator on this, so I do remember getting the call that morning and heading out to the scene,” he said. “When I was watching the surveillance video that was provided by the neighbors, I really felt like we could actually have this solved that day. But that has definitely not been the case.”
He noted that the investigation has been a collaborative effort with the Texas Rangers and the FBI.
“We definitely thought that it wasn’t random,” Ritchie told KRPC. “Through interviews, talking with family, talking with friends, the -- the timeline of what transpired that day, and just the -- the -- the actions and the behavior of the shooter, I don’t feel it was random. But is it possible? Yes.”
The sergeant also confirmed that Sergio Barraza has been cooperative with authorities over the years. “The husband has been totally cooperative with us and myself throughout the entire investigation,” he said.
No one has been arrested or charged in connection with the shooting.
Dateline recently spoke with Houston Crime Stoppers Director of Victim Services and Advocacy, Andy Kahan, about the case. “The only thing that I’ve been able to describe what happened to Liz Barraza — it’s kind of like if you saw an episode of The Sopranos,” he said. “Six-plus years later, the fact that we’re still trying to find the person responsible for a murder is troubling. It’s disturbing. We all thought this case was gonna be solved before I could snap my fingers.”
But, as it would turn out, it is taking a lot longer than that. “You know, obviously, the suspect was in disguise — went to great lengths to try to cover up their appearance. And the fact that it wasn’t even a robbery was just, you know, even more –. I mean, this was a direct hit,” Kahan said.
The other thing that stands out to Kahan is the timing. “It was like five minutes after [Sergio] left. So this was well-planned, well-orchestrated,” Kahan said. “You know, there wasn’t, like, advance notice of the garage sale, so somebody inside had to know what was happening and what specific time. And they had to know specifically when Sergio was leaving the house, as well.”
Kahan told Dateline that over the past few years, Houston Crime Stoppers has been dedicated to getting the word out about the case. “There’s certain cases that stick out to you,” he said. “This is one of them — that sticks out to Crime Stoppers.”
According to Kahan, Houston Crime Stoppers is more than a tip line. “We’ve done everything humanly possible to get this case out there,” he said. “The public is our best eyes and ears out there. They’re the ones who basically know what happened. They know what happened to this particular victim. They know who the offenders are, so I like to reach out to them and say, ‘You know what? You’re our eyes and ears out there,’” Kahan explained. “I like to tell the public that, ‘Look, grief is intensified when justice is lacking, and sadly, justice is lacking for so many families. Help us get justice for these families.’”
Helping get justice is something Houston Crime Stoppers has been able to do in many cases. “We’ve solved over 37,000 cases in the Greater Houston area,” Kahan told Dateline. “Keep in mind, all these are felonies, and the majority of these cases are murders. We’ve also apprehended 28,000-plus fugitives. We have spent— we have paid out over $12 million to tipsters.”
Liz’s father, Robert Nuelle Jr., recently recorded a quick video for Crime Stoppers. He shared the news that he received a cancer diagnosis in June, and would be fighting it hard. “I am extremely positive and hopeful,” Bob told the organization. “You guys are family to us. I am going to fight this thing as hard as I can for as long as I can.”
Over the past few years, Bob and his wife, Rosemary, have been running the website for their daughter. They have a page dedicated to facts about Liz — like the fact that she loved Harry Potter and the Chicago Cubs, and adopted a dappled dachshund puppy named Diesel in college. They showcase photos of Liz over the years. They also share a timeline of events in the case and links to all the press it’s gotten. They remain more determined than ever to get answers in Liz’s case.
In his video message, Bob had one other thing to say to the team at Crime Stoppers: “I am so grateful for all the support you’ve given us over the years,” he said. “Just keep this in mind: We ain’t done yet.”
Andy Kahan agrees. “Six years have gone by, and technology has improved. So there’s been the detectives that — that I’ve worked so closely with this. This — again, this is so near and dear to their heart. We meet regularly, and they’ve been able to use some of the advances in technology,” he said. “The bottom line is there’s somebody out there that knows who did this. And so we’re hoping that-- that you get a bolt, that you get a conscience, and you want to unburden yourself.”
“We actually now have an — up to a $50,000 reward for any information leading up to the arrest of the suspect and/or suspects responsible,” he said. “I’m giving you 50,000 good reasons to reach out to Crime Stoppers. And the beauty of Crime Stoppers is if you reach out to us, you are anonymous.”
“I’ve made a vow to Bob and Rosemary,” Kahan told Dateline. “You know, I’m — I’m never gonna leave what I’m doing until this case is solved.”
If you have information about the case, you can call 713-222-TIPS to contact Houston Crime Stoppers, or you can submit a tip online.
If you have a story to share with Dateline, please submit it here.
