Overview of Elizabeth Barraza
Elizabeth Barraza was setting up for an early morning garage sale at her Texas home when she was killed standing in her driveway. The murderer was captured on multiple Ring cameras, but they have never been identified.
Avid sci-fi and Harry Potter fans, Elizabeth and her husband were about to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary, and she was lovingly planning a fun-filled vacation to the new Harry Potter World in Orlando for them to enjoy together. To offset some of the expense, the couple decided to have a garage sale at their Tomball, Texas home (outside of Houston) on the morning of January 25, 2019.
Elizabeth Barraza, better known by friends and family as Liz, had a big heart. She loved friends and family fiercely and even extended love and kindness to people she didn’t know. Liz was a Star Wars enthusiast and when she wasn’t working as a data reporter, you could find her making elaborate costumes for her and her husband, Sergio. They both loved cosplaying at theme parks as well as conventions. Her hobby was not solely for her own enjoyment—she used these same costumes in her role as a volunteer with the 501st Legion; a group of volunteers who dress up in costumes from Star Wars and visit children in hospitals in the Houston area.
The day Elizabeth was murdered
Sergio left for work on the morning of January 25th around 6:48 am. Liz quickly got to work setting up for the yard that she would host later that morning. Four minutes later at 6:52 am, a neighbor's surveillance camera shows a dark-colored, 2013 or newer, Nissan Frontier Pro 4X Crew Cab pulled up in front of the Barraza home. An unknown individual with long hair—or a wig-wearing what looks like a robe, is seen getting out of the truck and walking toward Liz. A doorbell camera captured a brief conversation between the two of them and then four shots rang out, and the individual escaped back into their truck and left the scene quickly.
Then, eerily, the shooter’s vehicle is captured on a neighbor's Ring camera, returning to Liz's home to drive past, seemingly to make sure that she was dead. An ambulance was called and Liz was rushed to the hospital after neighbors heard the gunshots. Unfortunately, she was declared dead the following morning at the same hospital where she was a beloved volunteer. 29 years old at the time of her murder, Liz, an organ donor, was able to save the lives of four individuals in her tragic and untimely death.
Where the case stands today
Liz’s family is still searching for answers, diligently sharing the case and the images of her murder in hopes that someone will come forward with information. Her family announced an increased reward of $50,000 in hopes that the public can come forward with details to help solve her case. If you have any information regarding Liz’s case, please contact Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).
