53: Murdered In Her Driveway: The VERY Suspicious Case of Liz Barraza
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Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.

Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations. Hey, True Crime Besties. Welcome back to an all-new episode of Serialistly.

Hey everybody, welcome back to an all-new bonus episode of Serialistly. It's me, Annie, your true crime bestie, here to talk all things true crime with you. Now, the reason why I had to jump on here and drop this bonus episode outside of the normal release schedule is because I need to talk to you about this case.

It is so wild. There is so much to talk about, so we got to get right into it. Before we do, please take a quick second, just make sure that you are following along on the podcast so that you don't miss any future episodes and bonus episodes like these that drop, and also follow along on the Serialistly Facebook page where we drop episodes

All information regarding giveaways, behind the scenes information, guest episodes, Q&As, all sorts of good stuff. All right, now let's get into today's case.

We are talking about a case today that is one of the cases that I hate this expression, you know I do, but that is a true whodunit type case. It is extremely puzzling. I have my own theories, which I will share with you, but there are a lot of weird details in it that...

give me a little bit of pause and feel, you know, like a red flag is going up, which, you know, we love our red flags here on this channel. So guys, let's jump right in. Elizabeth Maria Barraza was born on June 26th, 1989 in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. Elizabeth is the youngest child in her family and has an older brother named Robert III. While growing up, her parents moved a few times and she lived in Illinois, Missouri, Florida, and Texas.

Now, Liz loved the Harry Potter books and always read them in her free time. She also enjoyed listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks and watching Harry Potter movies. She was like a Harry Potter fanatic. Now, don't come for me in the comments and don't cancel me, but I've never seen Harry Potter. I've never seen anything Harry Potter related.

And I don't know what the expression is, but isn't it like you're a, you know, like a Hogwarts person? Or what is it if you would like a true Harry Potter fan? Because that is what Liz was. So Liz graduated high school in 2008 and went to college at Stephen F. Austin University in Texas.

After her first year, she transferred to Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. And during her time at Sam Houston State, Liz met a guy, a guy named Sergio, who was two years older than her, and they began dating. Together, they adopted a puppy, a dappled dash hound, and named him Diesel.

Liz successfully graduated from college in 2012, where she received a bachelor's degree in psychology. After a few years of dating, on February 1st, 2014, Liz and Sergio took the plunge and got married. They were so excited to start their lives together and really live this fairytale marriage. Liz worked as a data reporter for a pipeline inspection company called The Rosen Group, and Sergio worked with his father as a crew chief at a flooring installation company.

Liz and Sergio didn't have children, but lived a very active and fun life together. They loved fantasy, they attended Comic-Con conventions, they enjoyed attending Renaissance festivals, and dressed up in costume, really, whenever possible. They were also huge Star Wars fans and members of the 501st Legion, Star Garrison South Texas Squadron. So the 501st Legion is an international costume organization dedicated to celebrating Star Wars.

The Legion promotes interest in Star Wars, facilitates the use of costumes for Star Wars-related events, and contributes to the local community through costume charity and volunteer work.

So Sergio and Liz spent countless hours volunteering at hospitals where they would wear their Star Wars gear, they would put it up and wear it to cheer up the sick children, the patients throughout the hospital, and really just spread kindness. Liz's dad Bob said that Liz spent her life healing and spreading love and cheer to all of those around her, even strangers. In 2016, Liz and Sergio purchased their first home together in Toon Bowl, Texas.

Toombo is a small suburb south of Houston with around 12,000 people. Liz and Sergio were each other's perfect match. Same hobbies, same interests, and just same zest for life. And they were just absolutely over the moon for one another.

In January 2019, Liz and Sergio planned to go to Universal Studios and Disney in Orlando, Florida on January 27th to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. Liz was so excited about this anniversary trip. She was already packed and even had a new suitcase that resembled the ones that Harry Potter took with him to Hogwarts Castle.

remember, Harry Potter fan, so she was ready. On Thursday, January 24th, Liz had an idea to have a garage sale at the house before their trip to get extra spending money for tours, souvenirs, etc. that they could use on their vacation in Orlando. They were scheduled to leave that Sunday, so she planned to have the garage sale at their house the two days leading up to their trip, on Friday and Saturday.

Since the garage sale was super last minute, it wasn't advertised on social media. But Liz and Sergio felt like they would get good enough local traffic if they just put up some signage and flyers in the neighborhood. So on Thursday night, Sergio and Liz set up garage sale signs all throughout their neighborhood. Posters, flyers, all along, you know, on the poles everywhere around so that all of the local neighborhood would see it. On the day of the garage sale, Liz woke up early and went to Starbucks around 6 a.m. She quickly returned home and immediately began setting up for the garage sale. Sergio

Sergio came outside to help Liz, and they spent about 30 minutes preparing everything together. And then at 6:48 a.m., Sergio left for work, and Liz continued her preparations before, you know, you opened up shop to everybody. But just a few minutes later, three different neighbors heard gunshots and immediately called the police. When first responders arrived at the scene, they found Liz lying in her driveway. They quickly secured the scene and went to help Liz to see what was going on.

She was taken via life flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital at 7:21 a.m., just a little over 30 minutes after Sergio left for work and when the garage sale was supposed to begin. After getting an alert from their home security system alarm that was tripped by authorities, Sergio returned home at 7:51 a.m. He drove up to a scene that he would never forget, haunting him forever.

Sergio was initially detained by police for questioning, as we can pretty much expect in situations like this one. However, he was later cleared of any involvement in his wife Liz's death. Liz's injuries were critical, and she stayed in the hospital overnight on life support. Unfortunately, due to the severity of her injuries and the condition, Liz passed away just one day later, on Saturday, January 26th, with her husband and family by her side in her final moments.

Liz was just 29 years old, and she died at the same hospital that she volunteered at so frequently with that 501st Legion. Elizabeth was also an organ donor, so even in her death, she was able to save the lives of four individuals and gave one the gift of sight.

The news of Liz's death devastated everybody who knew her and, frankly, scared the entire community. Everyone wanted answers for her senseless murder. On February 1st, a candlelight vigil was held for Liz outside her home. Along with candles, attendees brought light-up lightsabers to honor Liz's love for Star Wars. They also, of course, brought Harry Potter wands. Over 100 friends, family, neighbors, and members of the 501st Legion joined in honoring her life.

Sergio also gave a very heartfelt message, saying that he was glad that the last thing he got to do was kiss her goodbye and tell her he loved her. Liz's private celebration of life was held the following day. Behind the scenes, police quickly obtained a neighbor's surveillance footage, giving them more clues about what happened that fateful morning.

That morning, just minutes before 7 a.m., a dark-colored truck approached Liz's driveway, parking just past her house. The suspect parked and then walked up the driveway. Liz talked to the suspect for a few seconds before the suspect pulled out a gun and shot her multiple times at point-blank range. The suspect then fled the scene. However, after fleeing the scene, the suspect drove past Liz's house again,

Police initially thought that this might be to make sure that she was, in fact, dead. They also found footage of the truck circling the neighborhood at 2 a.m. on Friday, hours before the shooting. And we begin tonight with a shocking crime with a mystery motive. A woman shot several times in her own driveway.

The victim in this was setting up for a garage sale when she was ambushed this morning. The shooter took off. As the investigation progressed throughout the day, deputies were seen going inside the home and removing items. This all played out on Cedar Walk Drive near Tomball. Victim, a woman in her late 20s is said to be in very critical condition tonight. She was taken by Life Flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital. This investigation, though, is moving forward right now. In fact,

In just the last hour, we saw a couple of investigators out here in the neighborhood canvassing the area for more clues. It was three gunshots real fast, one after the other. Then I'll wait a couple seconds, and then it was another gunshot. Candy Ellis dialed 911. Margarita Barraza says the victim is her daughter-in-law, Liz. She says her son, Liz's husband, left the house for work moments before the shooting. I'm cold.

I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD TO GO BACK AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED. I HAD MY SON ON THE PHONE AND I ASKED WHAT HAPPENED WITH LIS OR WITH YOU. HE JUST TOLD ME SOMETHING HAPPENED IN MY HOUSE SO I HAVE TO GO BACK AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. WE HAVE SO MUCH WORK TO DO ON THIS CASE TO REALLY DETERMINE MOTIVE AND SO FORTH. NEIGHBORS OFFERING THEIR SUPPORT TO HER HUSBAND.

Kind of shocked. I'm still trying to process all of it. Cindy Greist remembers how Liz and her husband welcomed her with open arms when she first moved into the neighborhood. Very cordial people. Very, very nice. I said hi all the time. One of those wave kind of things.

Now, deputies did talk to the woman's husband. Investigators say they plan on reviewing that surveillance video, hoping to get some insight on as to who this shooter is. Reporting live in northwest Harris County tonight, Andy Sirota, KPRC Channel 2 News. Law enforcement released a video of the truck asking the community's help in identifying this man or woman driving this dark-colored Nissan Frontier 4x4.

Besides the neighborhood ring doorbell cams, the truck was tracked by several traffic cameras. However, weirdly enough, the traffic cams didn't capture a license plate number. The truck eventually got lost in an area without any cameras. After researching this case further, I found something very peculiar online, but I can't verify its accuracy 100%. So here is the report so you can read it for yourself.

A be on the lookout, also known as a bolo, was issued at 7 a.m. At 7.05 a.m., a deputy radioed that he was traveling southbound on Kai Kendall Road and was right behind a vehicle that matches the description of that gray slash black Nissan truck.

Just before 7:10 a.m., Deputy George Henson pulled this vehicle over. The officer got the driver's license, the insurance, the registration, and ran the vehicles of a number through their database. But what's crazy is that the outcome of this traffic stop wasn't released. So online communities have even made public record requests regarding this, and nothing was ever released about it in the public version.

And if this isn't weird enough for you, there was an additional peculiar item in the released police reports. A deputy said that the Nissan truck was seen on January 26th at 1230 a.m., the day after Liz was murdered.

Now, I genuinely hope that that was maybe just a clerical error and maybe the deputy meant 12:30 a.m. on the 25th, hours before Liz was killed, because we know that the vehicle was captured on surveillance at 2:00 a.m. that Friday. So maybe this was the sighting that the report was referencing, but one sighting was at 2:00 and the other was 12:30, but the same morning. So which is it?

If the report is accurate and the vehicle was caught on surveillance on the 26th, I mean, how creepy is that? What kind of sicko needed to drive by yet again to revisit the crime scene? I mean, a serial killer? I mean, what else are they trying to do here? Just watch the house? I don't get it. And it's even creepier to think that if this killer used another vehicle to drive at any time, nobody would even know.

Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy, and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.

Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

Hey guys, it's me, your true crime bestie Annie, and I am so excited to share with you that Serialistly is officially hitting the road and coming to you live in a city near you. That's right, we are going on tour. We've got shows planned in Orange County, California, San Diego, California, Salt Lake City, Denver, Colorado, Phoenix, Arizona, and...

and more. We're going to be discussing all new exclusive cases. I have some surprise guests planned, but I can't tell you who. It's a surprise. At the end, we'll do a meet and greet so I finally get to meet so many of you. We've got exclusive merch and just so much more. It is going to be a show that you definitely do not want to miss. But space and tickets are very, very limited. So grab your friends, grab your co-workers, or come on your own and hang with me while we talk all things true crime together.

All of the information, including dates, cities, and links to purchase tickets, can be found at AnnieElise.com and then just toggle over to the events page. So grab them now before they're gone. I can't wait to meet all of you, and I will see you on the stage.

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Liz's close friends and family described Liz as generous, caring, kind, and said that she didn't have any enemies. So it's hard to imagine someone she knew could be so mad at her. So perhaps it was someone random, or maybe even mistaken identity. However, from the video, it appears to be extremely personal.

Wouldn't this require somebody to know Liz or Sergio's schedule? Or know that there was a garage sale planned and Liz would be outside early? Also, they spoke for a few seconds, almost as if they knew each other. So unless this was just someone randomly cruising the neighborhood, the garage sale was only advertised with signs in the neighborhood.

Also, it looks like the shooter is wearing either like a robe or a muumuu or a trench coat. Online there was a ton of debate whether this person walked like a man or a woman and honestly it's kind of pretty hard to tell. So police still needed to find out if this was a man or a woman in this video. Even though it looks like a woman to me, a lot of people wondered if it could be a man wearing a disguise and a

wig. The video was just too grainy and made it incredibly difficult to identify details that would point to who this could possibly even be, or really even a clear direction for that matter. But I don't think that it's random if they were also seen driving by at 2 a.m. hours before the shooting. The Harris County Sheriff's Office held a press conference on February 6th,

where detectives gave details and we heard from Liz's dad and Sergio. We have received several tips helping us in the investigation, giving us possible suspects or possible suspect information, different things about the vehicle. One thing I do want to bring to light again was the suspect vehicle. We are almost certain that, again, it's a black four-door Nissan Frontier truck.

These trucks are not very common, as you would see a Chevy or Ford truck. We did have numerous citizens call in stating the same thing that they thought it was the Nissan Frontier. We did have a witness at the scene also saying that he believed it was a Nissan Frontier. So that is one thing we know for sure. So

Again, asking for the public's help in this situation with thinking about a Nissan Frontier is helpful in our investigation. Again, like I said, it's not a common vehicle that you see all the time. Looking at the vehicle, looking at numerous different videos that we did recover during our investigation from different homes and businesses, it's, again, four-door.

And it's possibly not going to be a newer Frontier. It could be maybe older, maybe mid to late 2000s. Again, anything's possible. It also possibly has some type of badge or tag number that they put at the rear quarter panel near the tailgate. There was a possible model number or something like that as well.

And again, with the suspects, looking at the video that we did review from the incidents, right now it is possibly female, it is possibly male. We cannot determine right now whether it is male or female.

So again, I do not want to 100% say that we're looking for a male, we're looking for a female. It could be either or. Due to the time, the distance, and the quality of the video, again, we're just uncertain. It can't be for sure whether it was male or female. There's a...

Things on the video that could point towards it being a female also could point towards it being a male. So again, we can't be for sure. But one thing we are for sure about is the suspect vehicle. I do want to say too...

Elizabeth's family, both sides of their family have been very cooperative. A lot of their friends and family have reached out to me trying to help in any ways, which myself and the rest of our homicide team have really appreciated. So since this occurred on the 25th, we've been working every day on this case, looking at new leads. We do have other leads that we're investigating right now.

But what I can tell the public today is the best thing right now that we can go off of, they can help with, is that vehicle. Again, we're focusing on a black-colored, dark-colored Nissan Frontier, possibly some type of older model. And again, they've been pursuing many leads over the course of this time and working very diligently. These are really top investigators, and so we have full confidence that we'll

get a resolution but we always need the public's help. Somebody out there knows something. It was early in the morning so many times there's people walking their dogs or up to a troll or whatever. Anybody that saw something suspicious or disconnected their dogs around that time, we ask them to please contact us and to continue to research their surveillance in the area in case they saw something that we may have missed or different footage that maybe we haven't obtained yet. So I want to encourage folks to call in.

At this time, I'll introduce Elizabeth's parents. We have Bob and Rosemary. I want to thank everyone for coming today. We so greatly appreciate your interest in this and the information that you put out there. I have a short statement that I've written. I'm going to try to read it. The family is very appreciative of the Sheriff's Office and Mr. Ritchie for everything that they've done for us. We stand here before you today because our beautiful daughter, Liz, was murdered.

She was a simple, kind, and generous person, happily living an amazing life of service. She was blessed with an incredible marriage to an amazing man. She spent her adult life spreading love and cheer to all of those around her. Sergio Barraza and Liz, they were good people before they met, but they made each other better, and together they were awe-inspiring. Through their involvement with the 501st Legion and similar groups,

They converted a passion for Star Wars into countless smiles on the faces of sick children and the adults desperately in need of them. They had so much fun together and brought laughter to those who met them, never once asking for anything in return. On Friday, January 25th, our daughter Liz set up her garage sale at her home in Combo. She was just hoping to sell a few things

to make a little extra spending money for their fifth anniversary trip that they planned to leave on Sunday. In the early morning, hour of the morning, minutes after Sergio left for work, a coward drove up, approached my daughter, and forever changed our lives. That unknown statement shocked and killed an unarmed and defenseless young woman in a brutal act that demands justice.

Someone within the sound of our voices can help us be sure that this murderer pays the price for their actions and never takes another innocent life. We believe that someone can help guide law enforcement for the perpetrator responsible for this atrocity. And if you are that person, please come forward. Houston Crime Stoppers will preserve their anonymity and they are offering rewards for information that leads to the filing of felony charges or arrest of the suspect in this case.

We are here to seek justice for Liz. We are Liz's family. We never imagined a life without her. We still can and we never will. Thank you. Thank you everyone for letting us be here today. Thank you to everyone for their love and support for this extremely tragic moment for us. My wife Liz was an amazing person. She was a beautiful person with the kindest of souls. She had such a big heart. Tragically someone stole it away from us on

the morning of the 25th. I had just left for work that morning and I'm just so happy that the last words I got to say to my beautiful wife was, "I love you." And she said, "I love you too." She's going to be dearly missed by so many people she affected in her life. We devoted, Liz devoted, and I devoted so much time to charity with the 501st Legion. She helped the kids in hospitals. We volunteered for community events.

So many. It's just so sad that my wife passed away in the same hospital that we did so many hours of volunteering at. I don't understand how someone could do this to her. She didn't deserve to pass away like this. Why someone would be so monstrous to commit an act like this to my innocent wife? I just really can't understand. I had to trade our fifth anniversary for a funeral.

I ask you, if anybody knows anything, please come forward. Please come forward. We need justice for Liz. I need justice for Liz. I love you. Thank you. The Crime Stoppers Division announced a $5,000 reward as well.

Liz's family, with the help of Peter Mayhew, best known for his role as Chewbacca, contributed an additional $15,000, totaling the reward at $20,000. Many community members and neighbors were really freaked out and scared because it seemed to be a random killing.

They wondered if they were next or if there was a reason to avoid being outside of the home in the early hours of the morning. Could they be at Target as well? Who knows? Who was this crazy person? They were surprised also that there wasn't an immediate arrest following Liz's death.

or for months after. There was also speculation that the shooter used a revolver because there weren't any shell casings on the ground. So without any DNA, with no shell casings, without anything left behind, nothing taken, it made things extremely difficult for law enforcement to find answers here. There was also a lot of speculation regarding when Sergio left at 6.48 a.m. and the time that the shooting happened, which was just 4pm.

four minutes later at 6:52 a.m. To some, the timing seemed way too close together to be a coincidence. And honestly, that's a fair point. How did this person arrive so quickly after Sergio left?

Did the shooter know his schedule? Was the truck parked past the home to avoid the door camera? And if so, how would the killer know it was even there? Did the shooter expect Liz to be outside? Did they wait to watch Sergio drive away before they pulled up? It also makes me wonder what would have happened if Liz had been inside of the home or if Sergio had still been outside with her. It was just a four minute gap.

So were Liz and Sergio involved in a love triangle, or maybe an affair was happening of some sorts? Interestingly, the lead detective investigating the murder told sources in the media this quote, I feel they contacted somebody and said, hey, the job's done. And then that person said, are you sure? And they turned around and drove by the scene one more time.

Now, I can't stop thinking about how personal this seemed because Liz was shot three times in the chest before the killer stood over her and shot her in the head. I'd imagine that there must be a deep hatred behind that or this shooter just wanted to make sure that the job was done, which is why they finished her off by shooting her in the head.

The whole exchange is just a few seconds, not enough to have said much, but the shooter again appeared to say something to Liz, at least for a couple of seconds. The shooter, whether it's a guy or a girl, didn't just walk up and start shooting, though that was clearly the intention of their visit. So did the shooter want Liz to know something? Was there something that they had to say to her?

But if there was a connection through a love triangle or even an affair, why hadn't the police put this together? This was 2019. There would certainly be enough digital evidence and tech of an affair if either Liz or Sergio were involved in one, and the police had cleared Sergio at this point, remember. On the other hand, was there an enemy or someone else with a motive that wanted to kill Liz and maybe even rob her?

perhaps somebody random, some unhinged or drug fueled person that was scouring neighborhoods for garage sales. I don't know. I mean, aside from being unhinged or something, I know people do randomly go looking for garage sales. So maybe this person wanted to get an early start to find some hidden garage sale treasure. I don't know. Maybe they had seen the signs that were put out the night before then drove up and were, you know, pissed off that it wasn't open for business yet and decided to do something extreme. I have no idea.

But that doesn't make sense either because nothing was taken from the garage sale and they were driving around at 2 a.m. hours earlier. So who did this? Was the killer somebody she knew? A team of two maybe working together? A brazen stranger? Or someone that's just completely deranged and insane? Detectives and Liz's family were adamant that this could not be random and they were hopeful that they would soon have some answers. Liz's dad Bob stayed in close contact with the detectives working on Liz's case.

In August of 2019, six months later, they finally had a lead. Bob said, Unfortunately, that lead was a dead end. So over the next 18 months, all of the questions regarding Liz's case remained unanswered.

In an interview, Bob said,

This was not a robbery. This was not a gang initiation. This was somebody that wanted to kill my daughter and did it. That's crazy. It's just unimaginable. Eventually, Sergio sold the home that he and Liz once lived in in an attempt to heal, and honestly, understandably so. In January of 2021, two years after Liz was brutally murdered in her own driveway,

law enforcement released new surveillance video from a different Ring doorbell camera than was previously released.

This video showed the suspect driving past the house before turning around, coming back, and parking in front of Elizabeth's house. Police hoped that this would help somebody in the community better identify this suspect's vehicle. This was a Hail Mary, but at this point they had nothing to lose. So the truck passes by once, then parks.

And I just want to note in several articles, the new surveillance is reportedly from a neighbor's ring doorbell camera. But you can see on the left side that there is a sign that says Barraza. So am I crazy or is this not the view from Liz's front door? Apparently she says good morning, but I couldn't really hear it. I tried to listen really closely with my ear to my laptop speaker with my AirPods and everything. You can see the truck speed off.

Some online sleuths enhance the audio in an attempt to make it more clear, and some believe that they can hear a male voice. Others say they can hear Liz say "good morning" and a few seconds later you can hear someone say "morning" back to her. Many people also believe that the way Liz said "good morning" was in a tone that you would have when talking to a stranger, rather than somebody that you knew. The audio is super manipulated and it's hard to tell if that's actually what you're hearing though.

You can also hear something playing in the background. Maybe, you know, a Bluetooth speaker playing music or maybe even a TV that was in the garage. I don't know. I was hesitant to even include this, but it's just really odd. So I want to see what you guys think and what you can hear. And the video cuts off right before the shots are fired. ♪♪

*Horror*

Three years later, in January of 2022, Liz's family still hadn't given up hope that they would find their daughter's killer. This is a case that stuck with us. It's been three years since Elizabeth Barraza was murdered, and it's still unsolved. This year, her parents are hoping her case will get new attention. These are high school friends of hers. Looking back at their daughter's life, Bob and Rosemary Nully still can't believe she's gone. I think that's the hardest part.

not knowing why someone would want to do this. Since the new year, Elizabeth Barraza's parents have been raising money to increase the reward. It's a daily retelling of her story. It's lots of outreach. How did they know that she would be standing on that driveway alone at 6:50 in the morning on Friday, January 25th? That to me is like really, I think that might be the key. They were there early in the morning, hours before she was out of bed.

driving by to see what truck Sergio was driving that day so they could know when he had left the subdivision and she was by herself. That's my daughter. It's the little things her parents hang on to. Harry Potter shoes she drew herself. A coin made in her honor. Reminders to keep fighting for their daughter. I don't know how long it'll take, but you know what? For as long as it takes, we're going to be out there.

And we're going to be fighting for it because somebody does know something. The increased reward will be announced at a press conference next Tuesday. Her parents hoping the money will encourage someone to come forward. Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance.

Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance. It's easy, and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average.

And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.

Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

Hey guys, it's me, your true crime bestie Annie, and I am so excited to share with you that Serialistly is officially hitting the road and coming to you live in a city near you. That's right, we are going on tour. We've got shows planned in Orange County, California, San Diego, California, Salt Lake City, Denver, Colorado, Phoenix, Arizona, and

and more. We're going to be discussing all new exclusive cases. I have some surprise guests planned, but I can't tell you who. It's a surprise. At the end, we'll do a meet and greet so I finally get to meet so many of you. We've got exclusive merch and just so much more. It is going to be a show that you definitely do not want to miss.

But space and tickets are very, very limited, so grab your friends, grab your coworkers, or come on your own and hang with me while we talk all things true crime together. All of the information, including dates, cities, and links to purchase tickets, can be found at AnnieElise.com and then just toggle over to the events page. So grab them now before they're gone. I can't wait to meet all of you, and I will see you on the stage.

Would you believe us if we told you our podcast is haunted? We didn't intend for this to happen. No, we did not. But apparently spirits like listening to ghost stories too. We bring you the creepiest, most unusual, and sometimes heartwarming encounters with the paranormal. Stories so chilling and so shocking that even the spirits can't help but hop on our mics and give us an occasional EVP. But we aren't the only haunted ones. Listeners of this podcast report increased levels of paranormal activity.

Our podcast brings all the ghosts to the yard, and hopefully it brings you too. Tune in to Two Girls, One Ghost wherever you listen to podcasts. It's the most haunted podcast in America. Very spooky. 145 donors joined the family's cause and raised $30,000, bringing the reward total to $50,000.

Bob said, "That is 50,000 reasons for someone to come forward and do the right thing. Provide an anonymous tip to Crimestoppers, get this coward off the street, do something." And then Liz's family planned to continue to spread the word about her case and reach new audiences in 2022 on TikTok, YouTube, and TV networks even for specials. Sergio ended up remarried to a woman named Amber. And obviously, the couple has been on the receiving end of a lot of speculation and accusations.

and whether Amber had a role in this. Sergio spoke to an online blogger who came to Amber's defense and said, I appreciate you taking up for my wife Amber on how people are accusing her. We're both very hurt and sad that people think this about us. I still care deeply for Liz, and Amber knows this and respects it too. Amber and I met online in 2020, so I have no idea how people are making these connections, but it's out of our control. We both just want this case solved and justice for Liz.

Now, some people believe that and some don't. Meanwhile, Liz's father, Bob, got a tattoo as a reminder of Liz and a pledge that he won't stop trying to find justice for his daughter. Now, here's the kicker. Even though the reward is now $50,000, Liz's killer still remains a mystery. Liz's death was absolutely tragic and horrifying. And there is still a brutal, sick, sadistic murderer on the loose in Texas.

It's hard to believe that all of the surveillance footage and maybe even pulling the vehicle over, if that was the right one, hasn't led to any answers. Liz deserves justice, and luckily she has a family that will not give up until the scumbag responsible is arrested. Now, I want to know what you guys think. I have my theories.

I personally do not believe that this was random. I think that the fact that the car was seen driving in the area at 2 a.m. is a bread flag. When they didn't shoot her until minutes before 7 a.m., why drive around for hours in the same area unless you're waiting for something? I think it's odd that if he was seen on camera or she was seen on camera, whoever, at 12.30 a.m. too, whether it was the same day or even the day after, either.

equally a huge red flag because that means they were literally driving around for six hours before they shot Liz or that they revisited the crime scene the following day. I also think it's very odd and I know Sergio's been cleared, but I gotta just say it. I think it's really odd that within four minutes of him leaving for work, the killer approaches

parks and kills Liz. It's just such a tight window of opportunity that to me from an outsider looking in, it would make way more sense that this killer either knew Liz and knew Sergio or was hired possibly

possibly, was parked on a street over, knew Sergio was going to be leaving for work, and that he would have the all clear to go and shoot Liz once he saw his car pass. So he sees Sergio pass. He pulls out right as he passes and then parks and then gets out, says hello to Liz, whether she knew him or not,

possibly was a stranger because she was expecting strangers that morning anyway, and then guns her down. Then remember, this person drives by immediately after that, almost to verify that the job has been done. Now I would think, if this is a hit, that's why the shot to the head in addition to the shots to the chest, to make sure that it is final and it is finite. Also then to double check his

his work, so to speak, and drive by the house again. And I would imagine probably 9 out of 10 times and 99% of people watching this, which you tell me if I'm wrong, would think that once you shoot somebody in the head, they're deceased.

I bet you there was no, this person was not planning on her surviving. Now, even though she only survived for 24 hours or, you know, and she was on life support, I still believe that they probably imagined it would be final. That is a very final thing to do. You don't shoot somebody in the head to injure them. You shoot them in the head to kill them. Everything in my mind kind of points to like, whoa, this feels very set up. It feels very odd. It feels very, you know, timed right and personal. However, Sergio has been cleared.

It doesn't appear that he was having an affair that we know of. We don't know what was really recovered digital evidence wise from his tech. And I'm not trying to say he is involved if he has been cleared. I'm just saying something here does feel personal. Possibly hired. I don't know. I don't know. Maybe it was completely random and this person was just driving around for hours and then finally saw, you know, a sliver of human life outside and then, you know, went up and shot her for whatever reason that was.

But I want to know what you guys think. So let me know in the comments below. It's still unsolved. And I know right now that Liz's family is going on a massive campaign to try to generate more awareness so that hopefully new leads and tips come in. So I believe that there's going to be a special on this case on, I don't know if it's 2020, Dateline, ID, wherever it is. And I know other people are covering it. So please...

Do your part in this. And all you got to do is click share right below. Get the link and share it on either your Facebook, in your group text thread, on your TikTok, on your Instagram, wherever. Because the more people who see this and who have eyes on Liz's case and who see the videos and the footage of this truck and this situation,

the suspect, the more likely that a tip will come in that is credible and that hopefully people can be held accountable and Liz can get justice. And we all know that when we get justice for a victim, that's when the family can start

to begin their long healing journey. So please, it just takes one second to share the link wherever you can, and it will hopefully ultimately help her family get closure and get answers. All right, guys, thank you so much for tuning in to another bonus episode with me. Like I said at the top of this episode, make sure you're following the podcast so that you don't miss any more bonus episodes in the future. And if you would be so kind as to just quickly rate this podcast,

review it. It takes 30 seconds max to leave a review and it really does help the algorithm and help push this podcast out to more people so that these victims stories get heard which we know is the goal. So thank you guys so much for tuning in to another bonus episode and I will be talking to you again very very soon. All right it's me Annie signing off.

Hey guys, it's me, your true crime bestie Annie, and I am so excited to share with you that Serialistly is officially hitting the road and coming to you live in a city near you. That's right, we are going on tour. We've got shows planned in Orange County, California, San Diego, California, Salt Lake City, Denver, Colorado, Phoenix, Arizona,

and more. We're going to be discussing all new exclusive cases. I have some surprise guests planned, but I can't tell you who. It's a surprise. At the end, we'll do a meet and greet so I finally get to meet so many of you. We've got exclusive merch and just so much more. It is going to be a show that you definitely do not want to miss. But space and tickets are very, very limited. So grab your friends, grab your co-workers, or come on your own and hang with me while we talk all things true crime together.

All of the information, including dates, cities, and links to purchase tickets, can be found at AnnieElise.com and then just toggle over to the events page. So grab them now before they're gone. I can't wait to meet all of you, and I will see you on the stage.

Would you believe us if we told you our podcast is haunted? We didn't intend for this to happen. No, we did not. But apparently spirits like listening to ghost stories too. We bring you the creepiest, most unusual, and sometimes heartwarming encounters with the paranormal. Stories so chilling and so shocking that even the spirits can't help but hop on our mics and give us an occasional EVP. But we aren't the only haunted ones. Listeners of this podcast report increased levels of paranormal activity.

Our podcast brings all the ghosts to the yard, and hopefully it brings you too. Tune in to Two Girls, One Ghost wherever you listen to podcasts. It's the most haunted podcast in America. Very spooky.