In a tragic turn of events on August 13, 2010, 20-year-old Sheila Paulette Shurz, a White / Caucasian female, lost her life in her Mesa, Arizona apartment. What was initially reported as a suicide soon unraveled into a homicide investigation, placing her 21-year-old boyfriend, Bernardo Barraza, at the center of the inquiry. The young mother's life was cut short by a fatal gunshot wound to the neck.
Barraza initially contacted emergency services, claiming Shurz had taken her own life and
that he was in another part of the residence when he heard the gunshot. However, inconsistencies in his account raised red flags for investigators. Under further questioning, Barraza's story changed. He admitted that the shooting occurred during a heated argument the couple was having about a recently acquired handgun.
According to Barraza's revised statement to the police, the argument escalated, and in an attempt to demonstrate his expertise in safely handling the firearm, the weapon discharged. The bullet struck Shurz as she sat on the couch, inflicting the fatal injury. In light of his admission and the circumstances surrounding the shooting, Bernardo Barraza was taken into custody and subsequently charged with second-degree murder. At the time of the incident, it was noted that both Shurz and Barraza had children from previous relationships, though none were present when the shooting occurred. Sheila Shurz was later laid to rest at the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Cemetery.
