Maria Collazo, a 34-year-old Hispanic woman, was found dead in her Waco, Texas, home on March 30, 2004. She had suffered multiple gunshot wounds, and the Waco Police Department treated the death as a homicide from the start.

Investigators identified a co-worker, 51-year-old Travis Lee Merrill, as a suspect. On the day of the killing, Merrill reportedly followed Collazo during her lunch break, ambushed her in her cubicle when she returned and shot her multiple times. He was arrested at the scene and later confessed, telling police he wanted Collazo to feel the pain he believed she had caused him.

At trial the prosecution presented evidence of premeditation, obsession and the confession; the defense argued a mental health crisis. The jury found Merrill guilty of first-degree murder and he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Collazo’s family, friends and colleagues describe the loss as profound; her death has been cited as an example of workplace violence and the need to take reports of threatening behavior seriously.

Did anyone who knew Maria or worked with her recognize warning signs in Merrill’s behavior that could help others prevent similar tragedies?