Was Liz Barraza killed in murder-for-hire plot? Her father tells ABC13 he believes she was

Jessica Willey Image
Thursday, January 25, 2024
Daughter killed in driveway was murder-for-hire victim, dad claims
Five years after a Tomball-area woman was gunned down in her own driveway, her father is talking about who he thinks the killer is.

TOMBALL, Texas (KTRK) -- Five years after a Tomball-area woman was gunned down in her own driveway, her father is talking about who he thinks the killer is.

Elizabeth "Liz" Barraza was shot four times as she was setting up for a garage sale on Jan. 25, 2019, at her home in the 8600 block of Cedar Walk Drive.

Liz's husband, Sergio Barraza, had just left for work. It was just before 7 a.m.

Surveillance video shows a person walking up to Liz, shooting, and then running off.

She was 29 years old.

"That was the worst day in my life, by far. Nothing will ever come close, I pray," Liz's father, Bob Nuelle Jr., said in an interview with ABC13's Jessica Willey.

Harris County Sheriff's Office detectives believe the shooting was planned. The shooter was in disguise and used a revolver, which does not discard shell casings.

Nothing was stolen from the Barraza's driveway or home.

The best leads have been videos from several neighborhood cameras that show the suspect's vehicle, a dark-colored Nissan Frontier. It was caught on the Barrazas' doorbell camera before and after the shooting.

So far, nothing has led to an arrest.

"No, it's not a random thing," Nuelle said. "The person who shot her, we believe, was paid to shoot her. That makes the case ever so much difficult to deal with because we have maybe two parties, and we don't currently have the names or addresses of either of them. There's no such thing as a perfect murder."

But why was Liz killed?

She was a member of the Star Wars charity group, the 501st Legion. Her father said she had no known enemies and lived to serve others.

In December, ABC13 reported on a newly released police dashcam video that showed the raw moments after the shooting. Liz's parents arrived first. Sergio, her husband, followed. They are all distraught.

"And that was brutal. The only thing in my mind that was worse was walking into the hospital room because there was no denying it when we did that," Nuelle said.

The FBI and Texas Rangers have joined the investigation, HCSO said. No one has been ruled out as a suspect.

Liz's parents continue to update a website, WhoKilledLizBarraza, dedicated to the case.

They are committed to preserving her legacy and reminding the public about the $50,000 Crime Stoppers reward that could be a tipster's with the right information.

"Someone somewhere knows what happened," Nuelle said.

"Do you think it will be solved?" Willey asked.

"Yes," he replied.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers by calling 713-222-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online or through the Crime Stoppers mobile app.

A news conference is scheduled with family members and investigators at Crime Stoppers on Thursday.

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