HOUSTON — Bob Nuelle, father of murder victim Liz Barraza, passed away in May 2026 after a battle with cancer and was honored at a memorial in Burroughs Park in Harris County. A tree and bench at the park have served as a memorial for Liz Barraza since her 2019 murder.

Liz Barraza was shot and killed in 2019 while setting up a garage sale. Surveillance video captured an unknown person in disguise exiting a Nissan Frontier truck, shooting her, and driving away. Investigators with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office describe the killing as calculated, though the motive remains unknown. The case remains open.

Harris County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Michael Ritchie has been the lead investigator on the case since it occurred. Ritchie recalled that during one of their conversations, Bob Nuelle said: “Hey, Michael, when I pass, I’m going to get up to heaven. I’m gonna see Liz. I’ll talk to God. I will try to reach out to you from beyond and give you that tip you need to solve this case. So I’m waiting.” On the way to Nuelle’s memorial service, Ritchie saw a Nissan Frontier truck in front of him—a detail that echoed the vehicle seen in the surveillance footage of Barraza’s killing.

Bob Nuelle was an active member of Parents of Murdered Children and Crime Victims United. In a 2025 interview, he said of Burroughs Park: “This is a place for peace for us. When we’re struggling, when we’re trying to find what’s necessary to go forward, this is where I come.” In one of his final recorded interviews, he added: “I would tell her (Liz) we will never stop preserving your legacy. We will never stop helping people. We will never stop get the message out that if you’re affected by a murder, there are resources, there are people who can help you.” The public is encouraged to contact the Harris County Sheriff’s Office or Crime Stoppers of Houston with tips about Liz Barraza’s murder.