1991 Austin yogurt shop murders

1991 quadruple murder in Texas, United States December 2025 September 2025 Austin yogurt shop murders December 6, 1991; 1991 12 06 years ago 2947 West Anderson Lane, Austin, Texas, U.S.https://www.kvue.com/article/news/crime/true-crime/austin-yogurt-shop-murders-address-i-cant-believe-its-yogurt/269-0754ae55-5cca-40f3-8e99-c222d80663b1 A nail salon now stands where Austin's Yogurt Shop Murders took place KVUE 11:00 p.m. CST Mass shooting, mass murder, rape, arson, femicide, quadruple murder 4 * .22-caliber revolver .380 AMT Backuphttps://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Police/Yogurt%20Shop/Austin-Yogurt-Shop-Murder-for-press-conf-FINAL.pdf Austin Yogurt Shop Murders austintexas.gov https://web.archive.org/web/20250929184339/https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Police/Yogurt%20Shop/Austin-Yogurt-Shop-Murder-for-press-conf-FINAL.pdf September 29, 2025 dead September 28, 2025 Robert Eugene Brashers Unknown The 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders were a quadruple homicide that took place at an I Can't Believe It's Yogurt! shop in Austin, Texas, United States, on December 6, 1991. The victims were four teenage girls: 13-year-old Amy Ayers, 17-year-old Eliza Thomas, 17-year-old Jennifer Harbison, and Jennifer's 15-year-old sister, Sarah. Jennifer and Eliza were employees of the shop, while Sarah and her friend Amy were in the shop to get a ride home with Jennifer when it closed at 11:00 p.m. About one hour before closing time, a man was permitted to use the public restroom in the back. He waited there and may have propped a rear door open.March 2026 No mention of this in the article body. A couple who left the shop just before closing time reported seeing two men at a table acting furtively.March 2026 No mention of this in the article body. However, these alleged sightings were never confirmed to be connected to the crime. Around midnight, a patrolman reported a fire in the shop, and first responders discovered the bodies of the girls inside. The victims had been shot in the head; at least three of them had been raped. A .22 firearm and a .380 pistol were used to commit the murders, and the perpetrator likely exited through a back door that was found unlocked. The organized method of operation, ability to control the victims and destruction of evidence by arson pointed to adults experienced in crime rather than teenagers, according to one of the original detectives on the case. Instead, the Austin Police Department (APD) arrested four teenagers; the District Attorney kept three in custody for years before dropping charges against one and successfully convicting two others, one of whom received a death sentence. In 2006 the appeals court overturned the convictions, but the District Attorney kept the two in prison until a court dismissed all charges against both men in 2009. At the time of the murders, the APD collected DNA from an unknown male suspect as a result of three of the rapes. In 2025, the APD matched that DNA to serial killer and serial rapist Robert Eugene Brashers, who had committed suicide in 1999 while in a police standoff for a different crime.http://kxan.com/2016/12/05/25-years-later-looking-for-a-match-in-the-yogurt-shop-murders/ 25 years later: Murder of 4 Austin teens still unsolved December 6, 2016 KXAN.com December 1, 2017 en-US December 1, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20171201182355/http://kxan.com/2016/12/05/25-years-later-looking-for-a-match-in-the-yogurt-shop-murders/ deadSlifer Stephanie September 26, 2025 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/suspect-identified-in-infamous-texas-yogurt-shop-murder-case-48-hours/ Suspect identified in infamous Texas yogurt shop murder case, original investigator says CBS News September 26, 2025 en-US Murders Shortly before midnight on Friday, December 6, 1991, a patrolman from the Austin Police Department (APD) contacted his dispatcher to report fire coming from an I Can't Believe It's Yogurt! shop.Smith Jordan Scene of the Crime https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2011-12-16/scene-of-the-crime/ December 27, 2023 The Austin Chronicle December 16, 2011 After the fire was extinguished, firefighters discovered four nude bodies.Palmer Emily More than 30 Years Later: Inside the Unsolved Yogurt Shop Murders of 4 Teens https://people.com/more-than-30-years-inside-unsolved-yogurt-shop-murders-4-teens-7693495 December 27, 2023 People August 21, 2023 Each had been shot in the head "execution style" with a .22 caliber lead bullet. Sarah, Eliza, and Jennifer were all gagged and bound with their own underwear. All three had been severely charred and shot in the back of the head.Lowry Beverly Beverly Lowry Who killed these girls? cold case: the yogurt shop murders 2016 Alfred A. Knopf 978-0-307-59411-2 1st New York Unlike the others, Amy's body was found in a separate part of the shop. She was not charred but she had received second- and "very early" third-degree burns on 25–30% of her body. She was found with a "sock-like cloth" around her neck.Pettaway Taylor Rape, murder of four teen girls in Austin yogurt shop remains unsolved 31 years later https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Austin-yogurt-shop-killings-17648880.php December 27, 2023 San Antonio Express-News December 12, 2022 She had been shot in the same way as the others; however, the bullet had missed her brain. She also had a second bullet wound that had caused severe damage to her brain, exiting through her lateral cheek and jawline.True Crime Society – The Yogurt Shop Murders https://truecrimesociety.com/2019/08/18/the-yogurt-shop-murders/ August 19, 2019 True Crime Society May 13, 2020 June 4, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200604124209/https://truecrimesociety.com/2019/08/18/the-yogurt-shop-murders/ live The second bullet was .380 caliber and had been fired from an AMT Backup.SCOTT v. STATE (2005) https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/tx-court-of-appeals/1451804.html FindLaw Third Court of Appeals of Texas, Austin March 22, 2026 March 24, 2005 Victims Amy Ayers, aged 13 Eliza Thomas, aged 17 Jennifer Harbison, aged 17 Sarah Harbison, aged 15 Investigation and false convictions At the time of the killings, a known serial killer, Kenneth McDuff, was in the area. He had a history of multiple murders involving teenagers but was soon ruled out. He was executed on November 17, 1998. Austin police admit that over 50 people, including McDuff on the day of his execution, had confessed to the yogurt shop murders.Kirk Walsh S. Scott Blackwood's 'See How Small' https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/01/books/review/scott-blackwoods-see-how-small.html December 27, 2023 The New York Times January 30, 2015Smith Jordan Somebody Has to Die https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2001-06-15/82088/ December 27, 2023 The Austin Chronicle June 15, 2001 A confession in 1992 by two Mexican nationals, held by Mexican authorities, was soon disputed and finally ruled false.http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1998/09/14/48hours/main17462.shtml Deadly Encounter, A Brutal Murder, Still Unsolved CBS News September 14, 1998 October 26, 2008 March 9, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090309175514/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1998/09/14/48hours/main17462.shtml dead Investigators initially identified a significant number of potential suspects, among them a 16-year-old caught with a weapon of the same caliber as that used in the killings in a nearby shopping mall a few days later. Although the teenaged suspect initially gave promising information, after tough questioning the detectives decided that he was trying to get himself out of the gun charge; they eliminated him and three petty criminal friends whom he had implicated, none of whom was older than 17 at the time.Prosecution doles out crime scene details http://www.news8austin.com/content/special_coverage/yogurt_shop_murders/?ArID=25232 González Christian R. News 8 Austin https://web.archive.org/web/20080629150051/http://www.news8austin.com/content/special_coverage/yogurt_shop_murders/?ArID=25232 June 29, 2008 October 26, 2008http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/051101/upd_075-2337.shtml More testimony expected in yogurt shop murder trial Lubbock Avalanche-Journal May 11, 2001 August 25, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20120303193138/http://lubbockonline.com/stories/051101/upd_075-2337.shtml March 3, 2012 dead Several years later, a new detective on the case theorized that the four teens from 1991 were credible suspects. By that time, they were in their twenties. In a string of interrogations conducted by various detectives, confessions were obtained from some of the suspects. They said all four – Robert Springsteen, Michael Scott, Maurice Pierce, and Forrest WelbornPossley Maurice December 22, 2016 National Registry of Exonerations https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=3658 live February 3, 2022 National Registry of Exonerations https://web.archive.org/web/20121016190353/http://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=3658 October 16, 2012 – had participated in the murders. Since there was no record of what was said to the men in the 1991 interrogations, it was impossible to know whether the detectives had supplied specific crime scene information to the suspects at that time. Such information, if recited back as their own "personal recollection" of the crime details in later interrogations, could be used to corroborate a false confession by the suspects. The four were arrested in September 1999; Welborn's charges were dropped in 2000, while Pierce was held in Travis County jail until 2003, when his charges were also dropped.Andrew Weber Austin agrees to pay $35 million to men exonerated in yogurt shop murders case KERA News 2026-05-13 https://www.keranews.org/criminal-justice/2026-05-13/austin-tx-yogurt-shop-murders-exonerated-suspects-35-million-settlement 2026-09-25 Pierce later struggled with his mental health… Scott's and Springsteen's trials were held in 2001 and 2002, respectively.Katey Psencik Travis County DA's office files motion to clear original yogurt shop suspects Austin American-Statesman 2025-12-11 https://www.statesman.com/news/courts/article/yogurt-shop-suspects-cleared-21237689.php subscription 2026-09-24 The prosecution went into great detail about the horrific nature of the crimes against the young victims but presented no hard evidence other than the false confessions given seven years after the crimes. The two were convicted of capital murder. Springsteen was sentenced to death and Scott was sentenced to life imprisonment. In 2005, Springsteen, who was 17 at the time of the murders, had his sentence commuted to life in prison by Governor Rick Perry as a result of Roper v. Simmons.2007-06-06 Scott v. State https://law.justia.com/cases/texas/court-of-criminal-appeals/2007/pd-0862-05-7.html 2025-09-28 Justia Law en The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned both convictions in 2008, ruling that prosecutors had violated the Confrontation Clause of the U.S. Constitution by using portions of the co-defendants alleged confessions at the trials when they could not be cross-examined by defense attorneys. The men were freed in 2009. The prosecution intended to re-try both defendants, however forensic investigation showed that the DNA found in one of the victims was not theirs, nor was it that of the other two suspects implicated through confessions. The prosecution consequently abandoned its plans for a retrial.http://www.news8austin.com/content/special_coverage/yogurt_shop_murders/?ArID=41838 Yogurt shop suspects González Christian R. News 8 Austin October 26, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080629170303/http://www.news8austin.com/content/special_coverage/yogurt_shop_murders/?ArID=41838 June 29, 2008 Texas courts later decided that those released were not entitled to compensation as they had not proven they did not commit the crime. https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=3622#:~:text=Scott%20was%20sentenced%20to%20life,agree%20on%20a%20death%20sentence. Michael Scott – National Registry of Exonerations October 29, 2020 October 28, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201028112751/http://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=3622#:~:text=Scott%20was%20sentenced%20to%20life,agree%20on%20a%20death%20sentence. live One of the detectives in the interrogations, Hector Polanco, had been accused of coercing false confessions in a previous, notorious case involving exonerated defendants Christopher Ochoa and Richard Danziger. Both were released after 13 years in prison; Danziger was assaulted in prison, which resulted in permanent brain damage."Who Killed These Girls? Cold Case: The Yogurt Shop Murders". Kirkus Reviews (September 2016).http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_news/?SecID=278&ArID=162765 Yogurt shop murder conviction overturned Vargas Hermelinda News 8 Austin May 26, 2006 October 26, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080629142153/http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_news/?SecID=278&ArID=162765 June 29, 2008http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_news/?SecID=278&ArID=179861 United States Supreme Court refuses to reinstate conviction News 8 Austin February 27, 2007 October 26, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080629170337/http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_news/?SecID=278&ArID=179861 June 29, 2008http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/08/21/0821yogurt.html https://archive.today/20120910133105/http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/08/21/0821yogurt.html dead September 10, 2012 Yogurt shop suspects' lawyers want more tests Kreytak Steven Austin American-Statesman August 21, 2008 November 3, 2008 Seven jurors from the trials have stated that they would not have convicted Scott and Springsteen had this evidence been available at the time.http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hotstories/6288261.html Houston Chronicle Associated Press March 1, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20110629165944/http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hotstories/6288261.html dead 7 jurors say yogurt shop murder votes would change June 29, 2011https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/us/01austin.html The New York Times New Evidence Opens Old Wound in 1991 Slaying of 4 Girls James C. McKinley Jr July 1, 2009 February 23, 2017 April 13, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170413044909/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/us/01austin.html live Convictions overturned In 2006, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned Robert Springsteen's conviction based on an unfair trial. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to reinstate the conviction in February 2007. On August 20, 2008, the defense lawyers for Scott and Springsteen requested DNA testing of alternative suspects. No matches against evidence discovered earlier that year were found.https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/12/01/archives-dna-prompts-dismissal-yogurt-shop-charges/6348536001/ Still no DNA match in yogurt shop case Kreytak Steven Austin American-Statesman September 18, 2008 November 3, 2008 December 1, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211201171941/https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/12/01/archives-dna-prompts-dismissal-yogurt-shop-charges/6348536001/ live On Wednesday, June 24, 2009, Judge Mike Lynch ruled in response to Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg's request that one of the trials be continued, and that defendants Springsteen and Scott be freed on bond pending their upcoming trials. At 2:50 p.m. that day, they both walked out of the Travis County Jail with their attorneys.http://www.kvue.com/news/top/stories/062409kvue-springsteen-scott-eh.117af43.html Yogurt shop murder defendants to be released KVUE June 24, 2009 June 24, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090626073108/http://www.kvue.com/news/top/stories/062409kvue-springsteen-scott-eh.117af43.html June 26, 2009 dead Later that day, Lehmberg responded to Lynch's decision with the following statement:http://www.kvue.com/downloads/Lehmbergstatement062409.doc https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000341/http://www.kvue.com/downloads/Lehmbergstatement062409.doc dead March 4, 2016 Lehmberg press release Lehmberg Rosemary KVUE June 24, 2009 June 24, 2009 Today I requested a continuance in the case against Michael Scott, a defendant in the yogurt shop murders, whose trial was scheduled to begin on July 6. Judge Mike Lynch granted that motion but also released both Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen on personal bond, as he indicated he would do in his previous scheduling order. Requesting a delay in the case was a difficult decision but one that I believe is the best course toward an ultimate successful prosecution of this important matter. Knowing that Judge Lynch would release both defendants, we requested certain conditions on their bonds, requiring them to remain in Travis County and report to the Court any change of residence, to have no contact with the victims' families or witnesses, that they not carry weapons or consume alcohol or illegal drugs, that they report to the Court on a routine basis, and attend all court appearances. As you know, both Springsteen and Scott were convicted by juries in June 2001 and September 2002. Their convictions were then overturned by the appellate court, but their statements to law enforcement were found to be voluntarily given. Since the original trial of these two men, new developments in DNA technology have become available. As we prepared for retrial, in March 2008, we submitted various evidentiary items for what is called Y-STR testing. This test looks for male DNA only and is deemed to be the most accurate test for samples that are mixtures of female and male DNA, as in this case. We sought this testing because we have an ongoing duty and responsibility to use the most up-to-date science available, to seek the truth in this and all the cases we prosecute. Currently, it is clear to me that our evidence in the death of these four young women includes DNA from one male whose identity is not yet known to us. The defense asserts that the testing reveals more than one unknown male, but the evidence presented at the hearing on Thursday, June 18 contradicts that notion. The reliable scientific evidence in the case presents one, and one only, unknown male donor. Given that, I could not in good conscience allow this case to go to trial before the identity of this male donor is determined, and the full truth is known. I remain confident that both Springsteen and Scott are responsible for the deaths at the yogurt shop, but it would not be prudent to risk a trial until we also know the nature of the involvement of this unknown male. My office and the Austin Police Department remain committed to these cases. Their further investigation will continue to be a priority. My commitment to the victims, their families, and this community is that we will not give up until all of the people responsible for these terrible and tragic murders are brought to justice. On October 28, 2009, all charges against Scott and Springsteen were dismissed. Police killing of Maurice Pierce After having been held in jail for nearly four years, without trial, Pierce suffered mental health issues when the charges were dropped and he was released. On December 23, 2010, Austin police officer Frank Wilson and his rookie partner, Bradley Smith, conducted a routine late night traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Pierce in the northern part of the city. After a brief pursuit on foot, Pierce struggled with Wilson before removing a knife from Wilson's belt and slashing Wilson's neck. Wilson, who would survive his injuries, subsequently pulled out his gun and shot and killed Pierce.Marty Toohey Tony Plohetski Steven Kreytak Yogurt shop suspect dies in shooting Austin American-Statesman 2010-12-24 http://www.statesman.com/news/local/yogurt-shop-suspect-dies-in-shooting-1145440.html subscription 2026-09-25 https://web.archive.org/web/20101229155822/http://www.statesman.com/news/local/yogurt-shop-suspect-dies-in-shooting-1145440.html 2010-12-29 dead Pierce's attorney at the time of his killing believed that he fled over the minor driving infraction (driving through a stop sign at 11 pm) because of his ingrained fear of the police once again throwing him in jail, for years, without trial. Later developments and related legislation On December 8, 2021, the House Judiciary Committee passed legislation from Rep. Michael McCaul giving the families of cold case victims the opportunity to petition the federal government to reexamine cases older than three years.Conklin Audrey Austin 'Yogurt Shop Murders': Texas congressman's cold case legislation passes 30 years after carnage https://www.foxnews.com/politics/michael-mccaul-cold-case-bill-yogurt-shop-murders December 8, 2021 Fox News December 8, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211208201854/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/michael-mccaul-cold-case-bill-yogurt-shop-murders live On February 5, 2022, it was announced that advanced DNA technology was bringing investigators closer than ever to solving the Austin murders. https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/new-dna-tests-bringing-crime-investigators-closer-to-solving-1991-yogurt-shop-murders New DNA tests bringing crime investigators closer to solving 1991 yogurt shop murders February 4, 2022 February 13, 2022 February 13, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220213210714/https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/new-dna-tests-bringing-crime-investigators-closer-to-solving-1991-yogurt-shop-murders livehttp://sandhillsexpress.com/cbs_national/are-2-neveridentified-customers-key-to-solving-yogurt-shop-murders-cbsid3132340e/ Are 2 never-identified customers key to solving yogurt shop murders? February 13, 2022 February 13, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220213211345/http://sandhillsexpress.com/cbs_national/are-2-neveridentified-customers-key-to-solving-yogurt-shop-murders-cbsid3132340e/ live On August 3, 2022, the Homicide Victims' Families' Rights Act of 2021https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3359 H.R.3359 – Homicide Victims' Families' Rights Act of 2021 Congress.gov September 25, 2026 was passed into law,September 2026 which was motivated by the 1991 yogurt shop murders. The law is intended to help ensure that federal law enforcement reviews cold case files and applies the latest technologies and investigative standards. The law also states that a request can be made for a cold case review by federal agencies.https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/texas/austin-yogurt-shop-murders-federal-cold-case-law/285-9f50c3a7-493e-40d3-9c72-8ab1f12bf680 Austin yogurt shop murders motivate new federal law to crack cold cases August 4, 2022 August 10, 2022 August 10, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220810154959/https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/texas/austin-yogurt-shop-murders-federal-cold-case-law/285-9f50c3a7-493e-40d3-9c72-8ab1f12bf680 livehttps://www.foxnews.com/us/biden-signs-bipartisan-cold-case-law-establishing-federal-right-request-review-victims-families Biden signs bipartisan cold case law establishing federal right to request review for victims' families Fox News August 5, 2022 August 10, 2022 August 10, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220810155421/https://www.foxnews.com/us/biden-signs-bipartisan-cold-case-law-establishing-federal-right-request-review-victims-families live Brashers identified as perpetrator and the four exonerated On September 26, 2025, Austin police announced that Robert Eugene Brashers, a serial killer who was identified through investigative genetic genealogy by CeCe Moore in 2018, had been linked to the yogurt shop murders by DNA.What to know about new suspect identified in Texas' infamous yogurt shop killings https://apnews.com/article/austin-yogurt-shop-1991-murders-solved-fc86a1997a8895224f6cd213be3f4321 Associated Press en-US live September 29, 2025 October 3, 2025 October 3, 2025 https://archive.today/20251003105152/https://apnews.com/article/austin-yogurt-shop-1991-murders-solved-fc86a1997a8895224f6cd213be3f4321 Brashers died by suicide in a standoff with police in 1999. A Y-STR DNA profile was developed from vaginal swabs from three of the victims. The profile did not match any of the previous suspects; however, Brashers' Y-STR DNA profile matched. Further DNA testing revealed Brashers matched the autosomal STR profile found under the fingernails of Amy Ayers.Henrikson Eric New DNA technology key to solving 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/how-new-dna-tech-solved-the-yogurt-shop-murders/ KXAN-TV March 21, 2026 September 29, 2025 September 30, 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250930202130/https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/how-new-dna-tech-solved-the-yogurt-shop-murders/ dead Testing of a bullet casing found in a drain at the crime scene was consistent with patterns produced by the gun that Brashers used to commit suicide in 1999. Under Texas law, if someone is imprisoned and later the conviction not only gets overturned, but the person is also formally declared innocent, they could get restitution of up to $80,000 for each year they were imprisoned.Sanders Austin 2025-10-05 Coerced confessions: How Austin police got the yogurt shop murders wrong https://www.statesman.com/news/local/article/false-confessions-austin-yogurt-shop-murders-21074122.php https://archive.today/20251005115246/https://www.statesman.com/news/local/article/false-confessions-austin-yogurt-shop-murders-21074122.php October 5, 2025 2025-10-14 Austin American-Statesman en Emiliano Tahui Gómez It is an uncommon occurrence, but the lawyers for Springsteen and Scott say that they "remain hopeful".Benavides Bella 2025-10-08 Austin Police Reexamine 1991 Yogurt Shop Murders after Wrongful Convictions Overturned - Davis Vanguard https://davisvanguard.org/2025/10/1991-austin-yogurt-shop-murders/ https://archive.today/20251014164644/https://davisvanguard.org/2025/10/1991-austin-yogurt-shop-murders/ October 14, 2025 2025-10-14 en-US On February 19, 2026, Judge Dayna Blazey formally exonerated Michael Scott, Robert Springsteen, Maurice Pierce, and Forrest Welborn.Brolley Tara LeHardy Will Cross Bettie Four men declared innocent in Austin's 1991 Yogurt Shop Murders https://katv.com/news/nation-world/watch-travis-county-judge-set-to-exonerate-four-men-in-1991-austin-yogurt-shop-murder March 22, 2026 KATV February 19, 2026 August 2026 InternetArchiveBot The exonerees were declared factually innocent and their charges were dismissed with prejudice.Sweeney Kathy Heisserer Brian Texas court officially exonerates men once accused of Yogurt Shop Murders https://www.kfvs12.com/2026/02/19/texas-court-officially-exonerates-men-once-accused-yogurt-shop-murders/ March 22, 2026 KFVS-TV February 19, 2026 In May 2026, the Austin City Council approved a $35 million settlement to be distributed among the exonerees. The settlement awarded $9.8 million each to Scott and Springsteen, $10 million to the family of Pierce, and approximately $4.8 million to Welborn.Plohetski Tony Austin leaders approve $35M settlement to men wrongly accused in Yogurt Shop Murders https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austin-pay-35million-men-wrongly-accused-yogurt-shop-murders/269-8e055a2b-2bfb-4217-9351-74b88f6a915d August 23, 2026 KVUE May 28, 2026 In media Who Killed These Girls? Cold Case: The Yogurt Shop Murders, a 2016 nonfiction book by Beverly Lowry.Who Killed These Girls? Cold Case: The Yogurt Shop Murders https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/beverly-lowry/who-killed-these-girls/ Kirkus Reviews https://web.archive.org/web/20160928115959/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/beverly-lowry/who-killed-these-girls/ September 28, 2016 September 2016 live Murdered Innocents, a 2016 nonfiction book by Corey MitchellMurdered Innocents Mitchell Corey December 27, 2016 Pinnacle 9780786039920 English See How Small, a 2015 novel by Scott Blackwoodhttps://archive.org/details/seehowsmallnovel0000blac See How Small: A Novel Blackwood Scott January 20, 2015 Little, Brown and Company 9780316373807 English registration WANTED: Austin Yogurt Shop Killer, a podcast episode of Crime JunkieMarketing 2019-02-04 WANTED: Austin Yogurt Shop Killer https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/austin-yogurt-shop-murders/ 2026-04-10 Crime Junkie Podcast en-US People Magazine Investigates, Season 7, Episode 7, "Who Killed Our Girls?" (2023) The Yogurt Shop Murders, a five-part documentary released by HBO in August 2025 Generation Why (podcast), episode 630 Leyendas Legendarias (Podcast) episode 383 See also Texas Law Brown's Chicken massacre - Another instance where a mass shooting cold case was solved. Lane Bryant murders – Unsolved mass shooting at a Lane Bryant store in 2008. Las Cruces bowling alley massacre – Similar unsolved crime in 1990 West Memphis Three Murders in the Austin area: Murder of Steven Beard Murder of Jennifer Cave (2005) – also in West Campus Murders of John Goosey and Stacy Barnett, also in West Campus References 30em Category:Mass shootings involving revolvers External links The Yogurt Shop Murders by Former Texas Assistant Attorney General Erik Moebius National Organization of Parents Of Murdered Children 30.3596 N 97.7391 W region:US-TX_type:city title Category:1991 fires in the United States Category:1991 in Texas Category:1991 mass shootings in the United States Category:1991 murders in the United States Category:Arson in Texas Category:Arson in 1991 Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in 1991 Category:Attacks on restaurants in the United States Category:Attacks on shops in the United States Category:Child murder in Texas Category:Child sexual abuse in the United States Category:Crimes in Austin, Texas Category:Deaths by firearm in Texas Category:December 1991 crimes in the United States Category:False confessions Category:Female murder victims in the United States Category:Incidents of violence against girls in the United States Category:Mass murders in Texas Category:1991 mass murders Category:Mass shootings in Texas Category:Massacres of women in the United States Category:Overturned convictions in the United States Category:Rapes in the United States Category:Violence against women in Texas