Innocence Lost: The Yogurt Shop Murders

(CBS)  In 1991, "48 Hours Mystery" correspondent Erin Moriarty began reporting on the brutal murder of four Austin, Texas teenagers. The case has come to be known over the years as the "yogurt shop murders." It's a story that she continues to cover today. She says, "it's the case I can't forget."

Almost 18 years ago, I started reporting on what turned out to be the most horrific crime story I've ever encountered… it was one of the most brutal, senseless murders in Austin's history.

Blog: "The Case I Can't Forget"
Photos: Yogurt Shop Case

On the night of Dec. 6, 1991, four teenage girls were found murdered in an Austin, Texas I Can't Believe It's Yogurt! shop. The crime scene was described by the lead detective as "wholesale carnage."

The four victims - Jennifer Harbison, her sister, Sarah, Eliza Thomas, and Amy Ayers - were so young and their deaths, so senseless.

"At 3:00 that morning, some people were at my door and they said there was a fire and that's when they told us that the girls were dead. That both of my girls were dead," said Barbara Ayers-Wilson, mother of Jennifer and Sarah Harbison.

It wasn't just the fact that there were four young kids who were killed. It was how they were killed.

"I'd seen homicides, but not four," lead detective John Jones said. "And not four all tied up, and not four stripped down, and not four burned."

"They were stacked. Their bodies were stacked. They were burned and they were stacked," said Ayers-Wilson.

"One of toughest parts about this was having to tell the parents in the morning," Jones explained. "Having to look them in eye and tell them we're going to do everything in our power to make sure we get the people that did it."

It took years to come up with any answers. But in 1999, there were suspects and arrests and finally, a sense we knew what had happened.

Austin police charged four individuals with capital murder; one of those was Robert Springsteen.

"Are you one of the killers of those four little girls in that yogurt shop?" I asked Springsteen.

"No. No way. Not at all. Never," he replied. "…I'm just a normal guy."

"Americans wanna believe that everyone is good and pure as they are. And that's just not the case," said Jones.

I never thought that today, 18 years after these girls were murdered, that I'd still be reporting on this story or that this case that we thought was closed would be blown wide open.

"It's the first time we have physical proof about who was there," said Jim Sawyer addressing reporters.

"Everybody who loved those girls has to suffer and bleed a little more every time the case comes up," Ayers-Wilson said. "I know without a doubt we have the right people. These young men are guilty."

"What does it take to make people say, "I was wrong?" asked Sawyer.

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[FoolsGold]

They've already looked for boyfriends.
They've already looked for callous robbers who would be perfectly happy to rape or kill for just a few bucks in the cash draw.
They've not found anyone yet.
So maybe they have been looking in the wrong direction for a profit motive. I don't know.

[janedough32801]

No, it's not about spelling. But it does speak for the intelligence, mentality and integrity of the department.

[wtyates1951]

Why has no one ever questioned police chief Stan Knee or DA Ronnie Earl.I feel sorry for the parents of these girls.but they need to question the motives of the police and the Da's office.Ronnie Earl was a D.A. that cared little about the truth as long as he got a conviction and made a name for himself.Ronnie Earl left Rosemary Lehmberg holding the bag on a case he knew was bogus and would come undone.All of these years wasted,because of peoples egos.Not only do the victims become victimized again.but the American justice system is perverted because a few people would rather promote their careers rather than see justice done.

[wtyates1951]

Why has no one ever questioned police chief Stan Knee or DA Ronnie Earl.I feel sorry for the parents of these girls.but they need to question the motives of the police and the Da's office.Ronnie Earl was a D.A. that cared little about the truth as long as he got a conviction and made a name for himself.Ronnie Earl left Rosemary Lehmberg holding the bag on a case he knew was bogus and would come undone.All of these years wasted,because of peoples egos.Not only do the victims become victimized again.but the American justice system is perverted because a few people would rather promote their careers rather than see justice done.

[stef08713]

My concern with this case is why were those 4 girls left alone in the shop? I held a job in retail when I was 15. There was always a manager or a seasoned adult present whenever we closed the store for the day. For one the money has to be secured and the store has to be locked up properly. And non-employees such as the sister and the 13 yr old would have not been allowed in. This leads me to believe that the shop owners should definitely be looked upon heavily. Sounds to me like the arson was planned knowing that these girls (at least the 2 employees) would be there.

[wtyates1951]

Many of these business's are franchised by local people who may be family friends and are not under corporate supervision.

[kingralphthegreat]

This case demonstrates why the first words out of anyone's mouth when they are picked up by the police is 'I have to speak to an attorney'. Since police can interrogate teens in this country without notifying the parent, parents must train their children in this matter. In one of the interviews the cop even hit the guy. How this garbage even made it through the courts is incomprehensible. Then again, it's Texas, the law and order state. Belch.

[archangel1943]

When I was very young, I met Isidore (Izzy) Zimmerman, who had spent 24 years in prison for participation in a crime for which he was later found not guilty. He was later finally compensated -- albeit very poorly -- for that time spent behind bars. A 'Justice Story' that appeared in New York's Sunday Daily News stated that he died shortly after getting the State's financial settlement, supposedly of disappointment and a broken heart. That being said, my sympathies are with both the victims AND anyone falsely accused. Like some of the others who have commented, I, too, believe that there is Justice -- in this world or the next. As A. Lincoln said, or repeated, "You can fool some of the people some of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time". God is not mocked.

[archangel1943]

When I was very young, I met Isidore (Izzy) Zimmerman, who had spent 24 years in prison for participation in a crime for which he was later found not guilty. He was later finally -- albeit very poorly -- compensated for that time spent behind bars. A 'Justice Story' that appeared in New York's Sunday Daily News stated that he died shortly after getting the State's financial settlement, supposedly of disappointment and a broken heart. That being said, my sympathies are with both the victims AND anyone falsely accused. Like some of the others who have commented, I, too, believe that there is Justice -- in this world or the next. As A. Lincoln said, or repeated, "You can fool some of the people some of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time". God is not mocked.

[averjane]

I think the DNA doesn't belong to anyone who committed a crime. I think it belongs to a boyfriend of the girl they found it on and that's why they can't match it to anyone. Until that person ever comes forward we may never know that scenerio either. It was a botched investigation sad to say. If those guys did do it, then maybe one day they'll confess it on their death beds instead of taking it to their graves. Whoever did it will face the final judge one day.

[kenobster]

Human Life was lost, beautiful or ugly, americans or immigrants...don't be so bigoted!

[Idahonative]

screw u