All language subtitles for Cold.Case.Detective.S02E02.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP.2.0.H.264-deadorbit_track3_[eng]

(calm music)

- [William] Elizabeth
Barraza, known to her family

and friends as a fiercely compassionate

and imaginative woman
was creative, resourceful

and sought to live life to the fullest.

Her deep rooted passion for charity works

as well as her unparalleled 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 Barraza.

And the gut wrenching video
captured that fateful morning,

giving us a critical window
into her final moments of life.

This is "Cold Case Detective."

(calm music)

I believe that everyone
on earth has the potential

to do wonderful things,
but there are undoubtedly

those who exemplify the
absolute brightest version

of humanity, who go out of
their way to bring peace

to others, to bring a smile to the faces

of everyone they meet
seemingly without any efforts.

People who look after
their friends and families

and even strangers before themselves,

who know that the only
way to push us forward

as a society is to surround ourselves

with happiness, selflessness and charity.

People who are quick to
encourage, slow to judge

and effervescently
authentic, everyday heroes.

Elizabeth Barraza was one of these people,

the shining star and great
influence on all she met.

A child of the 1990s are
native of Southeast Texas,

Elizabeth, called Liz by all
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 novels.

If there weren't any new
expanded universe books

to pick up, Liz would turn

to her rather escapist
entertainment, "Harry Potter."

Liz was a self-described Potter head,

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
molded by the adventures

she was so absorbed with.

Alongside her love of the
premiere 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 hobby 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 Wars"

and cosplaying together.

The newlywed couple would travel

to various Comicons
around their home state

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" fans

who dress up in screen accurate replicas

of "Star War's" most notorious
villains on their costumes.

This wasn't just any old hobby, however,

the 501st Legion consists
of over 14,000 volunteers

who use their costumes
and 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.

She went above and beyond
to attend these visitations

and events, bringing joy to so many people

whose very lives were in jeopardy.

And most importantly,
Liz didn't think twice.

It was just her nature to
give hope to 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
vacation to 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 innocence 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.

(calm music)

It's just after new year's
day in the year of 2019.

Liz and Sergio Barraza
celebrates 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
Potter" 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 budgets.

Liz also hopes to buy Sergio
a couple of gifts herself,

and the pair decide to hold 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 money for the trip.

The end of the month nears
and Liz and Sergio finalize

the garage sale details.

They schedule it mid days
before they leave for Florida

and inform their close 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 to 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 comes up.

The two go to sleep,
excited at the prospects

that are wait them,

unknowing of the 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 the 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 AM,
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 in 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 to happen.

At around 6:52 AM, the
same Nissan Frontier truck

seen driving around earlier
is captured once more

on a security camera
set up on the doorbell

of a neighboring house
in the Tomball suburb,

facing the front yard
of Liz Barraza's home,

where she continues working outside.

The dark colored truck passes the house

and parks in another home's driveway.

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 her sign.

The pursuant, wearing what
could either be a trench coat

or a long robe, conceal
something as they walk up to Liz.

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

Only eight seconds pass of what appears

to be a quiet conversation

before the figure in the long garments

pulls out a gun.
(gun banging)

And shoots Liz three times
at points 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 6:53 AM,

the shooter sprints from Liz's
body back to their truck.

They hop inside, back out of the driveway

and drive up and down
the street once more,

almost as if observing the crime scene

before peeling out from the neighborhood,

away from the cameras and
forever into anonymity.

At the same time, a male
subject who heard the gunfire

and saw the truck escape runs outside

and calls 911 to report both the shooting

and asked for an emergency
medical response.

Meanwhile, another neighbor
who comes outside in response

to the commotion quickly
understands what has happened

and personally called
Sergio to inform him,

Liz has been shot.

Not even 10 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 out
exactly what transpired.

Liz makes it to the hospital,

still breathing with a heartbeat.

However, after surviving
through the nights,

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 the killer flee.

Within a matter of weeks, police
canvas the Tomball suburbs

for any and all security footage

that may give them a better glimpse

of what happened on
January 25th at 6:52 AM.

One of the Barraza's neighbors
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 minutes.

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,

the police have obtained 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 revealed

whether it be an arrest warrant
or an evidentiary warrant.

Again, however, the leads stop there

without any major announcement
until June 30th of 2020.

A breaking news bulletin
reveals that police unveiled

an additional nugget
of information stemming

from the CCTV footage
capturing Liz's murder.

Authorities announce after
analyzing discernible audio

from the recording, it
can be said confidently

that as the suspect
approached Liz at 6:52 AM,

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 alerts on
June 30th is the last piece

of evidence the public has
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 almost two years

of sleuthing, as well as the
global pandemic slowing down

the world in general,
beginning in March of 2020.

All that being said, police
maintain that this case

is still very much solvable
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 scene by police

in the direct aftermath of
January 25th's 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 the 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 wanna give you fair
warning, so please be advised

what you're about to witness
may be hard to watch.

(gun banging)

What do 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 streets

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 the gate
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 get-up

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 hasn't 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 theories

that attempts to explain the
unsolved murder of Liz Barraza.

(intense music)

Because of how recent the
Liz Barraza murder case is,

the theory surrounding it
are few and far between.

Both its recency and the
withholding of most case details

by law enforcements 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

of their findings or
threatening their chances

of making an arrest.

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

of investigation are 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
hypothesis speculated

by case followers was
that either 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 herself,

if presented without any real evidence.

In fact, there is a very simple

and straightforward observation
regarding this theory

that helps deal legitimize
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
up in a tabloid magazine.

Of course, the shooter could be connected

via a close relationship to
either Liz 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 cost playing events,
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 Comicons

and other global events
is normally brought

to the absolute extreme.

It regrettably doesn't take long

when investigating some
pastimes, such as these

to find there is a history
of toxic fandom misogyny

and elitism, certainly
not 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 online
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
communication 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 and
waiting for her to be alone.

There have been confirmed
cases of women being stalked

at comic conventions
before and as even led

to abuse and assaults.

It is not a common occurrence,

but it has happened frequently
enough for some to consider

it's in connection with Liz's case.

The biggest criticism to the
cosplay related stalker theory

is how out of place 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 hours or days
leading up to the murder.

For the stalkers who
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 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 really 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 involvements.

If they did, which frankly should

have been routine investigative work,

it would be immensely difficult
to slip through the cracks.

This is unless the friend
or coworker 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 exact model

of a Nissan Frontier Pro-4X,

the subject would sneak through
the cracks without a public

or even private records
connecting them with anything.

And while it seems
perhaps overly elaborate

for a killer to rent a car
for use 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 else's 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 make sense of

when considering the most recent update

from law enforcement regarding
the first word 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 passer-by,
doesn't give much credence

to the thought that Liz knew her 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 Liz 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 react.

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 is 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 situation at large

as we currently see them.

A contract killer who has no connection

to the Barraza households,
wouldn't be identified

by Liz herself, the
vehicle would not be traced

to any of her family and friends.

And they would have been given
the garage sale information

by whoever hired them or asked them 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 eight second conversation

before the muzzle flashes
consisting of the killer

asking if Liz was who she really was.

If her garage sale was
really a 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 contracts,

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 rope.

There are of course,
thousands of characters

around the country that
might fit 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 purely logical
speculation based on evidence,

circumstance and factual subtext.

We are only privy to the
same information presented

in each episode, and we do not
attempt to promise certainty

or an expert guarantee on the
findings we reach in closing.

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 coworker
or someone she met

at either a cosplay in 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 rough,

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 are disguise,
can't be proven at the moment

but it can be assumed that
in those eight seconds

after 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 the map completely.

We also believe that whoever it was,

did know about the impending garage sale

and used that to their advantage.

They probably canvas the
tumble suburbs previously

and maybe even visited 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 and
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 employ you to let the
proper or 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

until her final breath.

It may sound cliche,
but Liz truly embodied

the idealistic lifestyle
of charity and goodness.

She never lost her will to
make the world around her

the best version of itself, 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 endless 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 else, hold onto it

with all of your heart.

In the end, doing what we
love and surrounding ourselves

with things that give
us hope will bring upon

the same atmosphere for others.

Liz was the best of her community.

And as a 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 she was taken away
from the world to begin with,

making the Tomball
terror unsolved no more.

This is "Cold Case Detective."