Police still seeking clues in killing

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The yard outside Esme Barrerra's North Central Austin home became a memorial to the woman killed early on New Year's Day.

Bouquets of flowers and mementos of music lined the fence and rested in the grass.

Austin police, meanwhile, were asking for help from the public to find the person responsible for the the year's first homicide.

Monday evening, they released a sketch of a man who may have attacked at least one other woman in the same block where Barrera, 29, was killed.

About 30 minutes before police found Barrera's body, another woman walking in the 3100 block of King Street said she was walking and felt someone following her. The man, whose description was used in the police sketch, ran away when the woman screamed. The alleged victim spoke to KXAN News on Sunday, but did not want to share her name.

"Suddenly he was behind me, he grabbed me, wrestled me to the ground and hit my head against the ground," the woman said.

Austin police also said a third woman was attacked in her home two hours after the Barrera killing. The woman awoke around 5 a.m. to a man attacking her. She did not get a good look at him before he ran away.

According to several social media sites, Barrera was an El Paso native and active in the Austin music scene. She worked part time at Waterloo Records, where employees and friends were grieving her death on Monday.

Barrera was also a teacher's assistant at Casis Elementary where she worked with special needs children for the last five years.

"I am just shocked beyond words," said friend Heidi Knape, who worked with Barrera at Casis. "She was just the most energetic, fun girl that would help anyone out on campus."

She was also volunteer for Girls Rock Austin, a camp for young female musicians.

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

"She embodied all of the values of the girls rock movement. We all knew that she rocked, and when she said `You rock!' to any of the campers, volunteers, or anyone in our community, you believed it because she believed it. "

The group called Musicians for Equal Opportunity for Women also posted a tribute to Barrera on its website.

At 3 a.m. Sunday, police were called to a home in the 3100 block of King Street between Lamar Boulevard and Guadalupe Street and found a woman's body. Officers did not disclose how the woman died but did say they were investigating the year's first homicide.

A friend of Barrera who asked not to be identified said the woman had celebrated New Year's at the 29th Street Ballroom, w few blocks from her home

The ballroom is just two blocks away.  It is unclear if she ended up walking home alone.

A blog has been set up for friends who want to help defray her family's expenses.