Original subtitles

Elizabeth Barraza, known to her family and friends as a fiercely compassionate

and imaginative woman, was creative, resourceful, and sought to live life to

fullest. Her deep -rooted passion for charity work, as well as her

dedication to bringing joy to the world around her, was cut short by an

unexplainable, unsolved murder.

in the early morning hours of January 25th, 2019, leaving all who knew her

across northwest Harris County, Texas, and the entire state at large, grasping

for answers in a sea of evidence that drowned us all in doubt.

As a hope to provide more substantial reasoning built upon observable evidence

and situational analysis, this is an examination of the murder of Liz

and the gut -wrenching video captured that fateful morning, giving us a

window into her final moment of life.

This is Cold Case Detective.

I believe that everyone on Earth has the potential to do wonderful things.

But there are undoubtedly those who exemplify the absolute brightest version

humanity, who go out of their way to bring peace to others, to bring a smile

the faces of everyone they meet, seemingly without any effort. People who

after their friends and families, and even strangers before themselves, who

that the only way to push us forward as a society is to surround ourselves with

happiness, selflessness, and charity.

People who were quick to encourage, slow to judge, and effervescently authentic.

Everyday heroes.

Elizabeth Barraza was one of these people. A shining star and great

all she met.

A child of the 1990s and native of Southeast Texas, Elizabeth, called Liz

who knew her, grew up infatuated with fantasy, storytelling, and pop culture.

Her love of imagination and specifically science fiction fandom was nurtured by

her father, Robert Jr.

She was particularly fond of Star Wars, growing up with the movies and later

exploring the rich worlds provided in television series, comic books and

If there weren't any new expanded universe books to pick up, Liz would

her other escapist entertainment, Harry Potter.

Liz was a self -described potterhead, an expert in all things witchcraft and

wizardry. She was first in line to grab a copy of every new release, and, like

Star Wars, spent endless hours of childhood wrapped up in the comforting

confines of their creativity, her own imagination moulded by the adventures

was so absorbed with.

Alongside her love of the premier pop culture lexicon, Liz also discovered a

strong skill set in arts and crafts.

She was a meticulous costumer, able to construct complex designs and outfits

matching her favorite movie and comic book characters.

As she grew older, she discovered there was an entire community of hundreds of

thousands of fellow costume fanatics and creatives. This turned Liz onto comic

conferences around the United States, where fans would come together dressed

head to toe in homemade costumes and show off their intricate creations, a

known as cosplaying.

It was through cosplaying and a love of Star Wars that Liz became quite close to

Sergio Barraza, a fellow Texas native, and entranced by the escapist pastime

himself.

In the winter of 2014, the pair got married and combined their love of Star

and cosplaying together.

The newlywed couple would travel to various Comic -Cons around their home

and America at large, showcasing Liz's expert crafting capabilities.

When they weren't dressing up for comic conventions, Liz and Sergio were taking

part in the 501st Legion, a world -renowned group of the biggest Star Wars

who dress up in screen -accurate replicas of Star Wars' most notorious

and their costumes.

This wasn't just any old hobby, however.

The 501st Legion consists of over 14 ,000 volunteers who use their costumes

cosplaying skills to attend charities and hospitals.

visiting sick children and adults alike, raising money for research efforts,

medical fundraisers, and the fight against countless diseases.

These charitable contributions were a linchpin in Liz's vision for her life.

went above and beyond to attend these visitations and events, bringing joy to

many people whose very lives were in jeopardy. And most importantly, Liz

think twice. It was just her nature to give hope.

to those who needed it.

Through their five years together, Liz and Sergio were an immeasurably happy

couple. Their tireless work ethic at both their jobs and their recreation did

not push them apart, but drew them closer together.

To celebrate their five -year anniversary, Liz planned a magical

Orlando, Florida, where Universal Studios awaited them.

The couple was excited to visit the new immersive Harry Potter attractions, and

Liz prepared specially homemade costumes for the pair to wear during their

travels. To make things easier on their finances and enjoy the upcoming

anniversary without a worry, Sergio and Liz got together some old things from

around their house to sell at a garage sale.

However, things swiftly took a tragic turn, when this innocent attempt to make

ends meet resulted in a terrifying murder.

Let's now turn to a timeline of events that led to the unsolved murder of Liz

Barraza.

It's just after New Year's Day in the year of 2019.

Liz and Sergio Barraza celebrate another year of love and success together, and

prep for their upcoming fifth year anniversary.

The two plot out the perfect celebration, deciding that the new Harry

fantasy attractions at Universal Studios Florida would be their dream locale.

They chart a course for an end of the month departure, and begin preparations.

As January progresses, Liz and Sergio realize all of their expenses for the

anniversary trip will push them to the max of their budget.

also hopes to buy Sergio a couple of gifts herself, and the pair decide to

a garage sale right before they leave, selling a few odds and ends, and items

they no longer need from around their house, hoping to raise some spending

for the trip.

The end of the month nears, and Liz and Sergio finalize the garage sale details.

They schedule it mere days before they leave for Florida, and inform their

friends, families, and co -workers of their plans.

They do not broadcast it on social media or around the town, however, keeping it

close -knit until the day arrives.

The final full week of January arrives, and Liz requests time off work for both

the vacation and the garage sale.

Employed as a data reporter for a pipeline inspection company, Liz is able

get the extended dates approved.

On the night of January 24th, Liz and Sergio make their final preparations.

Sergio is to go into work as per usual, and Liz says she'll get up early with

him to start putting up signs advertising their sale before the sun

The two go to sleep, excited at the prospects that await them, unknowing of

horrors lurking as well.

The rooster crows the following morning on Friday, January 25th, 2019.

It is barely dawn, and Sergio Barraza gets ready for work while Liz gathers

signage supplies.

She goes outside with her husband as he climbs into the truck.

Concurrently, security and CCTV cameras capture a 2013 or newer four -door, dark

-colored Nissan Frontier Pro 4X drive around the Barraza's Tomball suburb, a

vehicle not recognized by the neighbors and never seen driving around the area

at such an early time of day.

At around 6 .48 a .m., Sergio kisses Liz goodbye and departs in a truck of his

own. captured by CCTV cameras leaving the housing complex heading towards his

place of employment.

Over the next four minutes, Liz takes the signage and begins setting them up

her front lawn for any passers -by to notice their pending garage sale.

She works alone and seemingly doesn't expect a visitor or anything particular

happen.

At around 6 .52am, the same Nissan Frontier truck seen driving around

captured once more on a security camera set up on the doorbell of a neighbouring

house in the Tomball suburb, facing the front yard of Liz Barraza's home, where

she continues working outside.

The dark coloured truck passes the house, and parks in another home's

from the driver's seat.

A person with either long hair or a wig exits the vehicle and walks towards the

spot where Liz places a sign.

The pursuant, wearing what could either be a trench coat or a long robe,

conceals something as they walk up to Liz.

Liz looks up, startled, but doesn't run away.

Only eight seconds pass of what appears to be a quiet conversation before the

figure in the long garment pulls out a gun and shoots Liz three times at point

-blank range.

The killer then steps over Liz's body, seemingly checking for something, before

firing off one final point -blank shot.

As the clock ticks forward to 6 .53am, the shooter sprints from Liz's body back

to their truck. They hop inside, back out of the driveway, and drive up and

the street once more, almost as if observing the crime scene, before

from the neighbourhood, away from the cameras, and forever into anonymity.

At the same time, a male subject who heard the gunfire and saw the truck

runs outside and calls 911 to report both the shooting and ask for an

medical response.

Meanwhile, another neighbor who comes outside in response to the commotion

quickly understands what has happened and personally calls Sergio to inform

Liz has been shot.

Not even ten minutes go by, and Sergio returns to the neighborhood to tend to

his critically injured wife.

Medical and emergency response personnel join him, and Liz is rushed to the

hospital. Meanwhile, police begin interviewing neighbors to try and find

exactly what transpired. Liz makes it to the hospital, still breathing with a

heartbeat. However, after surviving through the night, The following day, on

Saturday, January 26th, she succumbs to the gunshot wounds and passes away.

Soon after, on the investigation side of the ordeal, authorities are quick to

label the death a murder, as the crime scene suggests an execution -like

shooting combined with the eyewitness testimony of the male subject who saw

killer flee.

Within a matter of weeks, police canvass the Tomball suburbs for any and all

security footage that may give them a better glimpse.

of what happened on January 25th at 6 .52am.

One of the Barraza's neighbours then gives law enforcement a copy of their

doorbell cam tape from that morning, the now infamous recording of Liz's final

moments. In the coming days, detectives study the security footage and release

it to media outlets, hoping someone will come forward to identify either the

truck or the shooter.

Tips pour in, but nothing substantial rises to the forefront of the case.

A case growing colder by the minute.

It wouldn't be for another year until the Barraza family finally receives a

major update in the investigation.

During a one -year memorial held by family members, community members, and

members of the 501st Legion in honor of Liz's life at the tail end of January

2020, reporters hear from a lead detective on the case that police have

a warrant that could lead them directly to the party responsible.

There are no other details given, and the exact type of warrant is not

whether it be an arrest warrant or an evidentiary warrant.

Again, however, the leads stop there, without any major announcement until

30th of 2020. A breaking news bulletin reveals that police unveiled an

additional nugget of information stemming from the CCTV footage capturing

murder. Authorities announce after analysing discernible audio from the

recording, it can be said confidently that as the suspect approached Liz at 6

.52am, Liz could be heard saying good morning in response.

It is not a major clue, but it does make detectives wonder if Liz didn't

actually know the suspect, as opposed to earlier theories.

Sadly, that news alert on June 30th is the last piece of evidence the public

received in Liz Barraza's case.

As of today, Liz's brutal murder remains unsolved.

The investigation did undergo a change in top leadership, so that must be

considered as to why there are apparently no sizable leads despite

years of sleuthing, as well as the global pandemic slowing down the world

general beginning in March of 2020.

All that being said, police maintain that this case is still very much

and will continue to pursue any and all leads provided by the public or

otherwise.

Without a doubt, the biggest and really the only case point in the Barraza

investigation is the CCTV security footage procured from around the crime

by police in the direct aftermath of January 25th. senseless murder the video

shows the murder take place albeit from a distant and grainy point of view

however it also shows the suspect flee and most importantly the side profile of

the nissan frontier pro 4x driven by the shooter before i play the video in its

entirety as first released by authorities i want to be upfront about

disturbing nature of the footage the shooting depicted is real And if you,

understandably, wish to avoid seeing any sort of extreme violence, it would be

best to fast forward or turn away for the next few minutes.

I want to give you fair warning, so please be advised, what you're about to

witness may be hard to watch.

What you have just seen is the murder of Liz Barraza.

As you saw, a figure with long hair, a long coat or robe, and what could be

boots, parks across the street from the Barraza residence, walks over to the

front yard where Liz works on the garage sale sign, confronts her with eight

seconds of unknown dialogue, then shoots her four times at point -blank range

before standing over her body and running off.

The most contested part of the video, is whether or not the shooter is a woman,

as it might seem at first glance, or a man dressed to appear as a woman.

It truly is hard to tell.

Some point to the end of the video, where the killer runs away, stating that

gait is most often attributed to the form of a female run.

However, it is also widely believed that the killer was wearing boots as a part

of their peculiar getup, and that may have changed the appearance of their

movement.

Nevertheless, we don't share this video to determine whether or not the killer

was male or female or disguised or in plain clothes.

It's meant to spread awareness and hopefully catch the eye of someone who

seen it before, recognizing something that could be game -changing, a vital

clue. If anything in this video rings a bell, even the slightest memory in the

back of your mind, whether it be the identity of the shooter or the origin of

the Nissan Frontier truck, contact Crimestoppers at 713 -222

-TIPS.

Let us now turn to the most prominent theory that attempts to explain the

unsolved murder of Liz Barraza.

Because of how recent the Liz Barraza murder case is, the theories surrounding

it are few and far between.

Both its recency and a withholding of most case details by law enforcement are

to blame for this.

But that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Police usually keep important clues and even pieces of evidence that don't seem

relevant close to their chest in order to avoid tipping off the real suspects

their findings or threatening their chances of making an arrest.

It's why studying cold cases within their first few years of investigation

so tricky.

There simply isn't enough yarn to thread together a solid board of theories.

At least, not yet.

However, there are still some ideas.

One of the very early hypotheses speculated by case followers was that

Sergio or Liz was involved in a secret love triangle, and the shooter from the

video is an enraged lover, or person who was intimately involved with one of the

members of the couple.

However, we don't believe this is the case.

Personal and melodramatic gossip often circulates after a murder, and it can be

harmful to the Barraza family and disrespectful to the memory of Liz

presented without any real evidence.

In fact, there is a very simple and straightforward observation regarding

theory that helps delegitimize it from rampant belief.

If there was indeed a love triangle and a secret partner involved, There would

be a paper trail, or at least a digital one. There would be emails or texts or

some sort of communication remaining on a phone or a computer, a forgotten

voicemail or letter, or something left over to make a connection.

The absence of any evidence of this nature speaks for itself.

It also shouldn't have to be said, but Sergio himself has been very clear and

concise with police.

and has fully cooperated with both law enforcement and the media. He has shown

no signs he has something to hide, and until police uncover something to the

contrary, we must focus on other possibilities than those that likely end

a tabloid magazine.

Of course, the shooter could be connected via a close relationship to

or her husband, but to immediately point fingers towards a scandalous

extramarital affair would be jumping the gun.

Another commonly held belief about who the killer could be is that they met Liz

somewhere at a comic book convention or similar cosplaying event, and for

whatever reason, fixated on her with the intent to murder.

But why or how could this happen?

One explanation is the passion behind fan -based activities such as Comic

and other global events is normally brought to the absolute extreme.

It regrettably doesn't take long when investigating some pastimes such as

to find there is a history of toxic fandom, misogyny and elitism. Certainly

in the majority, but that 1 % is known to exist.

Of course cosplaying and passionate fandoms are a good thing, full of good

people with good intentions and are meant for escapism and passion.

but there are cases where people have taken their favorite pop culture

iconography a little too far, and that bad blood has been known in the past to

spill over into nefarious and criminal territory.

Thus, it is suggested that somewhere along their travels, or even in an

community, Liz met someone who became overly jealous of her or Sergio, made

advances, and when they didn't get what they wanted, went after her in the most

horrific way possible.

Now, while this is also somewhat unlikely to not have a trail of

somewhere on the internet for police to track, it's possible this connection was

made in person, and the killer was an unknown stalker, following Liz around

waiting for her to be alone.

There have been confirmed cases of women being stalked at comic conventions

before, and has even led to abuse and assaults.

It is not a common occurrence, but it has happened frequently enough for some

consider it in connection with Liz's case.

The biggest criticism to the cosplay -related stalker theory is how out of

the subject was in Tomball itself.

The neighbors never reported seeing the Nissan Frontier truck in the housing

complex prior to that night, and it wasn't recorded on CCTV cameras in the

or days leading up to the murder.

For the stalker to have been following Liz leading up to the shooting, they

would have had to stalk her discreetly, using another vehicle and tracking her

every movement to confirm that she would be alone when she... she was.

Because the garage sale was not widely broadcast or marketed to the public, the

stalker wouldn't have known to go out to the neighborhood that morning.

Coincidentally showing up would require an intense amount of dumb luck, and by

all accounts, this was a calculated assassination, beyond the odds of pure

fortune. We must also remember that the stalker was wearing what some believe is

a disguise in the security footage.

with a long robe and possible wig hiding their true identity.

It is possible that the stalker was going an extra mile to hide who they

are, but that also goes against what a stalker typically is, someone in the

shadows, undetected, a disguise not necessary.

That is unless the shooter wasn't a random stalker, but someone with a more

personal relationship to Liz, who somehow knew about the garage sale.

Again, this is banking on the idea that detectives did not obtain a list of

everyone who knew about the garage sale and clear them of involvement.

If they did, which frankly should have been routine investigative work, it

be immensely difficult to slip through the cracks.

This is unless the friend or co -worker rented a car, or better yet, borrowed

one from a friend or family member.

This way, if the cops searched car rentals from around the area for that

model of a Nissan Frontier Pro 4X, the subject would sneak through the cracks

without a public or even private record connecting them with anything.

And while it seems perhaps overly elaborate for a killer to rent a car for

in a murder plot, keep in mind that many think the shooter was also wearing a

disguise, the longer hair appearing more like a wig than a natural hairstyle.

Of course, this is impossible to discern on such a low -quality camera feed, and

can neither be confirmed nor denied.

But if the killer dressed up, they may also have used a car under someone

name, knowing there could be many prying eyes identifying the make and model of

their getaway vehicle.

Overall, however, the idea that the killer was a personal friend is hard to

sense of when considering the most recent update from law enforcement

the first words spoken by Liz when the shooter approached her.

An unexcited good morning.

that was described by law enforcement as a greeting someone would extend to a

stranger or passerby doesn't give much credence to the thought that Liz knew

killer. Again, this loops back to the disguise theory.

Liz simply may not have recognized her killer at first glance.

We also must remember that it was just 6 .50 in the morning.

In the very early phases of daylight, the shadows of twilight may have cloaked

the face of the perpetrator. We also don't know what exactly the killer and

spoke about in the eight seconds between good morning and gunfire. Once the

killer got close, Liz may very well have realized who it was.

The CCTV footage doesn't reveal any sign of alarm or attempt to flee by Liz, but

the gunman also drew their weapon quickly, allowing very little time to

There are admittedly many holes with this theory, but it is also only one

breakthrough or piece of evidence away from explaining everything.

Sadly for now, it is too vague to be counted on.

The final theory most discussed by sleuths so far is that the shooter is a

contract killer. Someone who was hired by an associate or even a stalker of

Liz's to kill her that fateful morning.

This would explain all the irregularities of the video and the

large as we currently see them.

A contract killer who has no connection to the Barraza household wouldn't be

identified by Liz herself.

The vehicle would not be traced to any of her family and friends, and they

have been given the garage sale information by whoever hired them or

to do such a terrible thing.

Obviously, this depends on the idea that it was someone who knew about the

garage sale that sealed Liz's fate.

But the way that the perpetrator's truck drove around the neighborhood that

morning... makes us believe that they knew Liz would eventually be alone that

day, understanding Sergio would go to work while Liz set up the supplies.

There's even a hypothesized conversation to go with this theory, with some

thinking that the 8 second conversation before the muzzle flashes consisting of

the killer asking if Liz was who she really was, if her garage sale was

garage sale, and then firing the gun when Liz confirmed this.

It should be noted that if the killer was hired by contract, they were by no

means a professional assassin or had much experience in violent crime.

Someone who murders with intent per contract surely wouldn't have been so

obvious, would have used silencing techniques for maximum stealth, and most

certainly wouldn't have done it wearing a pair of boots and a long flowing robe.

There are of course thousands of characters around the country that might

that bill, but a hired gunman...

likely isn't one of them. Is this, by design, another way to camouflage intent

with ridiculousness?

It can't be ruled out, but at this point everything is still in play.

Before we divulge our hypothesis of Liz Barraza's unsolved murder, we want to

make known that our conclusions presented in Cold Case Detective are

logical speculation based on evidence

We simply observe, research, and report.

In the case of Liz Barraza, we believe that she was, in fact, murdered by an

associate, whether it be a co -worker or someone she met at either a cosplaying

convention or other fandom -related events.

Who this could be, whether it was a male or female, is impossible to specify.

However, we are confident that whoever it was committed murder due to an

unsolved confrontation with Liz.

It was someone who was silent in their wrath, but instead of sorting out

whatever differences they may have had, turned into a cold -blooded murderer to

try and solve their problems.

Whether the long hair was a wig or the robe and boots the disguised can't be

proven at the moment, but it can be assumed that in those eight seconds

Liz cautiously greeted them with a good morning, the killer laid out what they

were about to do before firing the gun four times at point -blank range.

Whoever the killer was then ran off, got rid of their vehicle when its

description hit the rounds of local news, and either seamlessly embedded

themselves back into society like nothing ever happened, or dropped off

completely. We also believe that whoever it was did know about the impending

garage sale, and used that to their advantage.

They probably canvassed the Tomball suburbs previously, and maybe even

the Barraza residence prior to January 25th to decode Sergio's movements and

know the window in which to strike.

It's all additional support to the fact that this was premeditated murder, not a

whimsical dark fantasy born from someone's nightmare.

Nobody just woke up one morning and decided to drive to southeastern Texas

kill an innocent young woman.

This was no serial killer. This was no escaped convict.

This was someone who chose, with every fiber in their body, to commit an evil

act. They picked the red paint for the walls. They were not forced or held at

gunpoint themselves.

And therefore they shall be pursued as such, as the cold -blooded killer they

are, deserving of all the justice that is awaiting to befall them.

There are not a lot of details to pour out into the world, but there is always

the chance for more to come in.

If you have absolutely any connection to Liz or Sergio, or may know something

not yet expressed in this episode or other case coverages, we implore you to

the proper authorities know, so that the offender out there, who is still

running around in the dark, is thrust into the light.

Until then, let us return to the moments mentioned in the opening of this

episode, about the brilliant and beautiful way Liz Barraza lived her life

her final breath.

It may sound cliché, but Liz truly embodied the idealistic lifestyle of

and goodness.

She never lost her will to make the world around her the best version of

impacting each and every person she came into contact with and ensuring their

lives would be improved as well.

She tackled issues with the utmost dignity, helping those in need with

charity. Her tireless work in the 501st Legion was a testament to creative

empathy and passionate imagination, a reminder for everyone that it doesn't

matter about outside opinions or how the world will view you.

If you love something that brings you boundless joy undiscovered anywhere

hold onto it with all of your heart.

In the end, doing what we love and surrounding ourselves with things that

us hope will bring upon the same atmosphere for others.

Liz was the best of her community, and of the community ourselves.

We owe it to her memory to preserve the goodness she spread.

We will remember Liz Barraza.

and all the while continue working tirelessly to solve the question of why

was taken away from the world to begin with, making the Tomball terror unsolved

no more.

This is Cold Case Detectives.