Shooting of Liz Barraza

Shooting of Liz Barraza
LocationTomball, Texas (Houston)
DateJanuary 25, 2019 (2019-01-25)
Attack type
Shooting
WeaponsRevolver
Deaths1
VictimsLiz Barraza
Websitewww.whokilledlizbarraza.com
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120m
131yds
3
2
1
Locations
1
06:47-06:50 CCTV footage of suspicious vehicle circling school parking lot
2
06:52 Shooting location, garage sale, Barraza home
3
06:57 the suspicious dark pickup vehicle flees turning into Sandusky Drive
Black 2019 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X similar to the suspicious vehicle that was recorded on video fleeing the scene

On the morning of January 25, 2019, Elizabeth Nuelle Barraza was shot at her home in Tomball, Texas, part of Houston Metropolitan Area. She died of her injuries a day later on January 26 after being transferred to hospital.[1] As of 2026, the case remains unsolved garnering international interest.[2]

Background

Unrelated 501st Legion cosplayer dressed as stormtrooper

Liz Barraza was born Elizabeth Nuelle to parents Bob and Rosemary Nuelle[3] and married to Sergio for nearly 5 years.[4] Barraza had been arranging a garage sale on the driveway of her home.[5] She had been a member of 501st Legion and a stormtrooper helmet was among the items she was selling. She had taken the day off from her job as a data reporter for a pipeline inspection company.[2]

Murder

She visited Starbucks at 06:08, and at 06:48 her husband left for work via Princeton Place Drive. Local surveillance video footage recovered showed a suspect approaching her at 06:52, apparently shooting her, then sprinting away.[6] Poor quality audio was also recorded via her Google Nest doorbell camera which appeared to record a conversation between her and the suspect. Shots appeared to have been fired at point blank range and before fleeing, the suspect stood over her momentarily.

Investigation

Harris County Sheriffs,[7] Texas Rangers and the FBI have investigated the case and found no evidence against her husband. Nothing was stolen but a vehicle of interest resembling a black (or dark) 2019 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X (or possibly Nissan Titan) was recorded on video first around 02:00 driving by the Barraza home, then at 06:48 at a nearby school parking lot. A few minutes later, Barrazas husband passed by on his way to work, then the vehicle traveled somewhere for a few minutes then to the scene. The suspect on video has never been officially positively identified but appeared to wear a loose robe and long hair down. The vehicle sped away after the shooting and was also then sighted on surveillance footage (from another camera) traveling south on Sandusky Drive at 06:57-06:58.

Aftermath

A memorial bench was placed in nearby Burroughs Park in 2025.[8] In May 2025 police investigators confirmed life insurance had not been paid out.[9]

The case remains unsolved and a $50,000 reward is offered via Crime Stoppers USA Houston.[10] In May 2026, Liz's father passed away and was posthumously honoured in a service at the aforementioned bench.[11] Nuelle was also an active member of Parents of Murdered Children and Crime Victims United.

Media

In 2022, Paula Zahn covered the case in On the Case with Paula Zahn - "A Fairy Tale Ruined" (Season 25, Episode 7)[12] A short report also appears on NBC.[13] In 2026, it will feature on Unsolved Mysteries.[14] It is also scheduled to be the subject of season 1 episode 6 of Somebody Knows Something (with Kara Robinson) on ABC on September 7.[15]

Podcasts

In 2026, a three part podcast was also produced by The Consult (Real FBI Profilers).[16] It has also been an episode of Crime Junkie in 2025[17] and True Crime Broads.[14]

See also

  • Killing of Missy Bevers – Murdered American fitness instructor in 2016. Another unsolved early morning killing of a woman in 2010s Texas (before Barraza) where the suspect appears on camera potentially in disguise.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "Father of Woman Killed Before Garage Sale Says 'We Will Never Give Up' as Reward Increases". Newsweek. 25 January 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Elizabeth Barraza Was Murdered While Setting Up a Garage Sale 7 Years Ago. But Who Killed Her?". People. 2026.
  3. ↑ "Was Liz Barraza killed in murder-for-hire plot? Her father tells ABC13 he believes she was". ABC13 Houston. 24 January 2024.
  4. ↑ Martinez, Daniela Sternitzky-Di Napoli, Jonathan (7 February 2019). "'I love you, Liz:' Garage sale shooting victim was about to celebrate 5th anniversary". KPRC. Archived from the original on 25 August 2025. Retrieved 20 February 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ Wallace, Randy (26 January 2026). "Liz Barraza murder: 7 years after Tomball garage sale shooting, family still waiting for justice". FOX 26 Houston. Archived from the original on 13 February 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  6. ↑ "Father's dying wish renews urgency in unsolved 2019 Liz Barraza murder". ABC13 Houston. 24 January 2026. Archived from the original on 11 February 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  7. ↑ Jordan, Jay R. ""I want justice for Liz" Detectives search for wife's killer". Chron. Archived from the original on 2026-04-20. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
  8. ↑ Peel, Holly Galvan Posey, Corley (30 January 2025). "6 years later, investigators continue to pursue leads in Tomball woman's killing". KPRC. Archived from the original on 16 December 2025. Retrieved 20 February 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ Peel, Holly Galvan Posey, Corley (30 January 2025). "6 years later, investigators continue to pursue leads in Tomball woman's killing". KPRC. Archived from the original on 16 December 2025. Retrieved 20 February 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ Staff, KWTX (25 January 2022). "Reward for information on Elizabeth Barranza murder raised to $50k". KWTX. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  11. ↑ Peel, Corley (30 May 2026). "Father who fought for justice in daughter's unsolved 2019 murder honored at Harris County memorial". KPRC. Archived from the original on 18 June 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "Watch On the Case with Paula Zahn | Season 25 Episode 7 | HBO Max". 2009.
  13. ↑ "What Happened to Liz Barraza?". NBC News. Archived from the original on 2026-01-12. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
  14. 1 2 3 "The Liz Barraza and Missy Bevers Murder Cases - Looking at the Similarities". "True Crime Broads - Apple Podcasts".
  15. ↑ https://abcnews.com/US/brings-renewed-attention-unsolved-cases/story?id=135324987
  16. ↑ https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/122-the-unsolved-murder-of-liz-barraza-part-3/id1586909557?i=1000747969230
  17. ↑ Shreve, Paul (20 January 2025). "MURDERED: Elizabeth Barraza". Crime Junkie Podcast. Archived from the original on 12 May 2026. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

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