1991 "I Can't Believe It's Yogurt" Tragedy

On the evening of December 6, 1991, the Austin Fire Department responded to a fire at the “I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt!” shop located at 2949 West Anderson Lane. After extinguishing the blaze, firefighters discovered the bodies of four teenage girls in a back room. All four had been bound with their own clothing, shot execution-style in the head, and the room had been set on fire in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence.

The crime scene was chaotic and contaminated due to the fire and the initial firefighting efforts. Despite this, some evidence was recovered — including DNA traces, a bullet casing, and information that multiple perpetrators may have been involved.

In 1999, eight years after the murders, four young men were arrested in connection with the crime.

Maurice Pierce, Forrest Welborn, Michael Scott & Robert Springsteen

Pierce was believed to be the ringleader and was accused of providing a .22 caliber pistol like one that was used in the crime.

Both Scott & Springsteen gave confessions during police interrogations that were later challenged as coerced. Pierce and Welborn were never indicted due to insufficient evidence. In 2001 and 2002, Scott and Springsteen were convicted and sentenced to life and death, respectively. In 2006 and 2007, both convictions were overturned due to issues with the confessions and violation of constitutional rights (cross-examination of co-defendants). In 2009, new DNA testing of evidence revealed male DNA that did not match any of the four men. This evidence raised serious doubts about their guilt. The charges were formally dropped in 2010, and to this day, no one else has been arrested or charged.

The case remains one of the most notorious unsolved mass murders in Texas history. The Austin Police Department and the FBI have both worked the case intermittently over the years. New DNA technology continues to be a hopeful avenue, especially with advancements in genetic genealogy.

Victims:

Amy Ayers – 13 years old. A middle school student. She was the youngest victim and had been shot twice; one of the bullets failed to kill her, and the second was a fatal shot.

Eliza Thomas – 17 years old. Worked part-time at the yogurt shop. She was scheduled to close the store that night.

Jennifer Harbison – 17 years old. Also an employee of the yogurt shop and closing with Eliza. Jennifer was the older sister of Sarah.

Sarah Harbison – 15 years old. Jennifer’s younger sister. She and Amy Ayers were hanging out with their older friends that evening while waiting for a ride home.