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    One of 3 attacks on women

    New Year's night murder shakes Austin: Killing happened right by University ofTexas

    Caitlin M. Ryan
    Jan 3, 2012 | 11:50 am
    • Courtesy photo
    • Sketch of the suspect released from the Austin PD

    Early New Year's morning, a great portion of young Austinites' Facebook feeds and email inboxes were flooded with the terrible news that one of their own, Esme Barrera, had been murdered.

    A mentor to young girls via Girls Band Camp, a teacher at Casis Elementary School and an avid music-lover, Barrera died in her home on King Street at the hands of a predator who has yet to be identified or found in the West Campus neighborhood that's close to the University of Texas and is home to many of UT's Greek organizations .

    It's believed by the majority of Barrera's friends that the murder was random and occurred after she walked home from celebrating the new year with a host of friends at 29th Street Ballroom, just a few blocks away from her home.

    Austin's NBC station KXAN reports that three individual attacks (all against young women) happened on the same block and in the early morning hours during which the 29-year-old Barrera was killed. A suspect sketch has been released. Anyone with information about the identity of the suspect in the composite or about any of the three incidents occurring in the area of W. 31st and King Street during the early morning hours of January 1, 2012 is asked to call the Homicide Tip Line at 477-3588 or Crimestoppers at 472-TIPS.

    Barrera was reportedly found still alive by a friend around 2:45 a.m. Jan. 1, but she later died of the injuries suffered in the attack.

    "Esme's infectious smile, her kindness, and her incredible sense of boundless encouragement touched us all," Girls Rock Camp said in a statement.

    Her loved ones have sprung to action on a variety of social media platforms, most recently on reddit where one user pleaded for anyone with information regarding Barrera's murder to come forward.

    "Esme's infectious smile, her kindness, and her incredible sense of boundless encouragement touched us all," Girls Rock Camp said in a statement.

    Another, Dave Stripling, started a blog on which he states: "I know so many people got to share stories and music with Esme. If you can, post your photos, your stories, and your mixtapes she sent you here . . . I personally want to play as many Esme mixes as I can, so please share. She filled my heart with love."

    Alyx Vesey wrote a tribute on Feminist Music Geek: "Esme was a teacher and gave the gifts of listening, improvising, and problem-solving to her friends. She was an amazing Girls Rock Camp counselor and became a model for how I present myself in front of students and run a classroom. She was hilarious — always quick with a joke, a story about her mom, or a day-after reel about a night out on the town."

    A fund was established to help Barrera's family in El Paso with the coming services and arrangements. Anyone is invited to donate in an effort to demonstrate that Austin will continue to support Barrera and her legacy.

    Barrera's death comes as a shock to those living alone or in the well-trafficked West Campus area and serves as a tragic reminder that all must be extremely vigilant about personal safety. Another young woman revealed to investigators that she was attacked on the same street on the same night — but escaped. Another woman was attacked in her home in the area hours later.

    It's unknown if the crimes are related. Authorities have not released further information about cause of death.

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    eyes on the road

    5 Houston highways rank among deadliest roads in America, per report

    Amber Heckler
    Jun 12, 2025 | 9:30 am
    I-45 Houston downtown
    Photo courtesy of TXDOT
    I-45 is in the hotseat again.

    Heads up to Houstonians commuting on the city's freeways: Five busy Harris County highways were just deemed among the deadliest roads in the country, with I-45 in Houston ranking as the deadliest road in Texas. That's according to a new study based on the latest National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data.

    The study, commissioned by Santa Ana, California-based company Future Bail Bonds, compared fatal crash data across 96,000 U.S. roads from 2019-2023. The top 150 "deadliest" roads were ranked by the total number of fatal crashes that occurred during the five-year period.

    The No. 1 deadliest road in America is I-15 in San Bernardino County, California, the study found. The interstate, which runs from Southern California to Las Vegas, experienced the highest rate of deadly car crashes from 2019-2023 with 196 crashes.

    For comparison, I-45 in Houston had 88 fatal vehicle wrecks during the same time period to rank as the 16th deadliest U.S. road and No. 1 deadliest in Texas. Considering that tens of thousands of people drive the road every day, a fatal crash is relatively unlikely, but the data underscores the need for drivers to remain aware of their surroundings at all times.

    The crowded highway stretches from Dallas to Galveston, and the I-45 North Freeway earned its own spot on the list as the 124th deadliest U.S. road. I-45N experienced 44 deadly crashes between 2019 and 2023, the report said. I-45's controversial expansion project between downtown Houston and the north Sam Houston Tollway (and portions of connecting freeways) also earned it a new reputation as a "freeway without a future" by the activist group Congress for the New Urbanism.

    Elsewhere in Harris County, I-10 ranked as the 22nd deadliest U.S. highway on the list with 76 fatal crashes during the five-year span. It was dubbed the third most fatal Texas highway, with I-35 in Austin splitting up the two Houston roads as the second deadliest statewide.

    "From 2019 to 2023, motor vehicle crashes claimed 186,284 lives across 96,257 roads in the United States, underscoring the persistent danger on American roadways," the report said.

    Two more Houston highways ranked much farther down the report, but still remained among the top 150 deadliest U.S. roads: FM 1960 ranked 114th on the list with 45 fatal crashes, and I-610 ranked No. 131 with 43 fatal crashes.

    Nine other Texas roads that were deemed the deadliest in America with the highest rates of fatal vehicle crashes from 2019-2023 include:

    • No. 23 – I-30 in Dallas County (76 crashes)
    • No. 27 – I-410 in Bexar County (73 crashes)
    • No. 32 – I-10 in El Paso County (69 crashes)
    • No. 63 – I-20 in Tarrant County (56 crashes)
    • No. 66 – I-820 in Tarrant County (55 crashes)
    • No. 115 – SR-12 in Dallas County (45 crashes)
    • No. 130 – I-35 in Bexar County (43 crashes)
    • No. 132 – I-635 in Dallas County (43 crashes)
    • No. 141 – I-10 in Jefferson County (42 crashes)
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