Five years after the tragic shooting death of Tomball-area resident Elizabeth “Liz” Barraza in her own driveway, her father, Bob Nuelle Jr., is breaking his silence about his beliefs regarding the identity of the killer. Liz Barraza, a 29-year-old Star Wars charity group member, was gunned down on January 25, 2019, while setting up for a garage sale at her home in the 8600 block of Cedar Walk Drive.
The assailant, caught on surveillance video, approached Liz, shot her four times, and quickly fled the scene. The shooting, deemed a planned attack, occurred just before 7 a.m., as Liz’s husband, Sergio Barraza, had left for work. The suspect, disguised and wielding a revolver, left no shell casings, and nothing was stolen from the Barraza residence.
Harris County Sheriff’s Office detectives have been investigating the case, relying on video footage from neighborhood cameras that captured the suspect’s vehicle, identified as a dark-colored Nissan Frontier. Despite the leads, an arrest has not been made.
In an interview with ABC13’s Jessica Willey, Nuelle revealed his belief that the shooter was hired, making the case more challenging as the investigators may be dealing with two unknown parties without names or addresses. Nuelle described the day of Liz’s murder as “the worst day” of his life and emphasized the absence of known enemies for his daughter, who dedicated her life to serving others through the 501st Legion charity group.
The FBI and Texas Rangers have joined the investigation, and no suspects have been ruled out. Liz’s parents maintain a website, WhoKilledLizBarraza, to keep the public informed and highlight the $50,000 Crime Stoppers reward for information leading to an arrest.
A news conference is scheduled at Crime Stoppers on Thursday, where family members and investigators will provide updates on the case. Nuelle remains optimistic that the mystery surrounding Liz’s murder will eventually be solved. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online or through the Crime Stoppers mobile app.
