All language subtitles for The Unsolved Murder of Elizabeth Barraza_ Tomball Terror _ True Crime Documentary

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.