HBO documentary series revisits Austin's unsolved yogurt shop murders

More than three decades after a horrific crime shattered Austin's perception of itself as a sleepy college town, the unsolved Yogurt Shop Murders are once again in the spotlight. A new HBO original four-part documentary series, "The Yogurt Shop Murders," directed by Austinite Margaret Brown, is set to debut Aug. 3, at 9 p.m. on HBO and its streaming platform, HBO Max. New episodes will follow each Sunday at the same time.

The series delves deep into the tragic events of Dec. 6, 1991, when four teenage girls — Amy Ayers (13), sisters Jennifer (17) and Sarah Harbison (15), and Eliza Thomas (17) — were found murdered inside an I Can't Believe It's Yogurt! shop in Northwest Austin. The store had been set ablaze, presumably to destroy evidence.

'What happened that night forever shook the Austin community'

The documentary, which premiered its first episode at the South by Southwest Film Festival earlier this year, promises to offer a comprehensive look at the case, drawing on archival footage, news coverage and interviews.

Brown, who moved to Austin years after the murders, aims to unravel the complex layers of the investigation. She was inspired by the resilience of those grappling with grief. The documentary draws on extensive archival footage along with news coverage and interviews.

"All of the family members always said to me, ‘There never is closure. You learn how to live alongside it, but it never loses its potency,’" Brown told the Statesman in March, reflecting on the series' exploration of grief's lasting effects.

The documentary will explore the initial police response, including the arrest of Maurice Pierce and his subsequent implication of friends Forrest Welborn, Robert Springsteen, and Michael Scott. Episode One, "Fire and Water," airing Aug. 3, will detail the immediate aftermath of the murders and the attempts by law enforcement to find hard evidence. Subsequent episodes will trace the long and winding road of the investigation, including false leads, wrongful arrests, and the controversial confessions obtained from Springsteen and Scott.

As many in Austin remember, the case took a turn in 2008 when new DNA evidence emerged, casting doubt on Springsteen and Scott's convictions. Episode Four, "In Your Time" (Aug. 24), will chronicle their release in 2009, and the subsequent dropping of charges.

Beyond the details of the investigation, "The Yogurt Shop Murders" promises a look at the lasting effects of grief. The series features original Austin Police Department lead investigators John Jones and Paul Johnson, "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty, and a host of legal experts, family members and friends.