Families, investigators remain haunted by unsolved Texas yogurt shop murders

4 days ago 14

CASE UPDATE: In September 2025, the Austin Police Department identified Robert Eugene Brashers, a serial slayer and rapist, arsenic the fishy successful the Yogurt Shop murders. Brashers, who is deceased, was tied to the murders done DNA testing. In December 2025, the Travis County D.A.'s bureau filed a question to statesman the process of exonerating the 4 men who were wrongfully accused of the murders.

This communicative antecedently aired on Aug. 27, 2022.

More than 3 decades ago, 4 teenage girls were brutally murdered successful an I Can't Believe It's Yogurt! store successful Austin, Texas. The horrific transgression has haunted their families, the city, and the investigators who chased each pb successful the lawsuit to a dormant end. Could caller accusation yet assistance lick the case?

"I tin spot them, I tin inactive spot the wrong of that place," John Jones, the archetypal researcher connected the case, tells "48 Hours" analogous Erin Moriarty. "That stuff's … indelibly burned successful my mind."

Key moments successful the probe of Austin's yogurt store murders

The communicative starts connected Dec. 6, 1991, erstwhile Eliza Thomas, Sarah and Jennifer Harbison and Amy Ayers were tied up and shot. The yogurt store was past acceptable connected fire. For decades, investigators worked to find suspects. There were yet arrests and adjacent convictions. But those convictions were overturned, leaving the lawsuit unsolved today.

"There is simply a benignant of torture that continues by the information that it's unsolved and it's ongoing," says Sonora Thomas, who was 13 erstwhile her sister Eliza was killed.

"It's ever there," says Jones.

There whitethorn beryllium immoderate affirmative news, however. A tiny sample of antheral DNA was recovered connected 1 of the victims. With DNA probe advancing, investigators anticipation determination volition beryllium a lucifer that solves the case.

"Do you judge that determination is close now, immoderate grounds that could pb to the killers?" Moriarty asks Texas defence lawyer Joe James Sawyer.

"Yes," Sawyer says.

"Is this the extremity of the opening oregon the opening of the end?" Jones asks.

THE SEARCH FOR ANSWERS

It's been much than 30 years since John Jones began the painstaking hunt for the killers of 4 teenage girls successful an Austin, Texas, yogurt shop.

He has agelong since retired from the Austin Police Department and moved retired of Texas. But copies of immoderate of the lawsuit files moved with him.

Erin Moriarty [with Jones successful his location office]: What is each of this here?

John Jones: These are my notes. … Oh, that's the large publication … this 1 is truly from time 1 … hypnosis, polygraph, confessions.

Erin Moriarty: (picks up java mug) You know, I announcement this sitting here.

John Jones: Yeah.

Erin Moriarty (reads java mug): "We volition not forget." You haven't.

John Jones: Nope. I can't.

The images of Dec. 6, 1991, stay each excessively vivid.

John Jones: I tin decidedly inactive spot it.

It started with that telephone from dispatch to spell to a country of a fire, that would crook into thing acold worse:

JOHN JONES: What bash you'll got retired there? I'm en way … airdrome 35.

DISPATCH: We've got a occurrence …

JOHN JONES (1991 connected radio): OK. I'm copying the occurrence part, but you chopped retired connected the archetypal portion of that though.

DISPATCH: … seemingly a robbery and homicide. There's, uh, 3 fatalities.

JOHN JONES: That's 10-4, we're en way (turns connected siren).

John Jones: And past astir halfway retired there, they telephone again connected the vigor and said we recovered a 4th body.

A section TV quality unit happened to beryllium filming Jones connected a thrust on that night.

JOHN JONES (on radio): What spot of concern is this at?

DISPATCH: It's the I Can't Believe It's Yogurt.

JOHN JONES: OK.

John Jones: The occurrence section had conscionable knocked down the fire. … determination was inactive a batch of h2o successful determination … a batch of fume still. … it was each muted grays, blacks determination was nary colour successful determination with the objection of the girls.

The girls were rapidly identified. Two had been moving astatine the shop, closing up that night: Eliza Thomas and Jennifer Harbison were some 17 years old. Jennifer's 15-year-old sister, Sarah, and their friend, 13-year-old Amy Ayers, had met them determination to caput home.

The 4 girls had been gagged, tied up with their ain clothing, and changeable successful the head. Investigators would larn astatine slightest 1 of the victims had been sexually assaulted. The yogurt store had besides been acceptable connected fire, destroying imaginable evidence.

John Jones: There was fume and soot connected each surface, benignant of made fingerprinting benignant of difficult.

This was a transgression similar nary Austin had seen before. Jones knew helium needed help, and from the scene, contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, The FBI, and Texas Department of Public Safety.

John Jones: As soon arsenic we knew what benignant of guns we were looking for, that accusation went retired nationwide.

Gunshot wounds showed that 2 antithetic types of guns were used, starring investigators to judge determination were astatine slightest 2 killers connected the loose.

Erin Moriarty: What were the 2 guns?

John Jones: .380 and a .22. … And we recovered each of the rounds.

The weapons, though, were not found, and a task unit worked to travel up with imaginable suspects.

John Jones: They were from each spectrums. I mean, we looked astatine everybody from household members to drifters.

And portion constabulary tracked down leads, the families and the City of Austin grieved.

The Harbison household mislaid their lone children: daughters Jennifer, a hard-working precocious schoolhouse senior, and Sarah, who was enjoying sports and clubs arsenic a precocious schoolhouse freshman. Their mother, Barbara, spoke with "48 Hours" successful 1992.

Barbara Harbison: My beingness was focused astir them from present to eternity. Someone took eternity distant from me.

Bob Ayers is the begetter of the youngest victim, Amy, a state miss with a emotion for animals.

Bob Ayers: I mislaid my daughter. I mislaid my archetypal dance. … I won't spot her graduate. I won't spot her go a veterinarian. … She was a Daddy's girl.

Sonora Thomas, 13 years aged erstwhile her lone sibling, Eliza, was murdered, had a hard clip dealing with the nonaccomplishment of the sister she looked up to.

Sonora Thomas: I retrieve the daze … I retrieve fantasizing for days that my sister had someway escaped and tally distant and … she was going to travel backmost … And truthful that's what I was benignant of holding onto.

Her parents struggled arsenic well.

Sonora Thomas: My household ne'er talked astir my sister aft she died.

Erin Moriarty: Never?

Sonora Thomas: No. It's too, it's excessively painful.

Sonora did arsenic champion she could, picking up immoderate pieces of her sister's life. Eliza, an carnal lover, had a pig she planned to participate successful livestock show. Just a fewer months aft the murders, Sonora took implicit those duties.

While Sonora whitethorn person seemed to beryllium coping, the reality, she says, was acold different.

Erin Moriarty: You had to turn up quickly.

Sonora Thomas: Very rapidly … I would accidental I fell isolated nether that pressure.

John Jones: We knew they were hurting because, you know, we were hurting too.

Jones, a genitor himself, felt the families' grief. He promised to bash each helium could to assistance them.

John Jones: We told them what we could. And … I assured them that we would support them apprised arsenic to everything that was happening, and we did.

Jones besides made a pledge to the families involving the garment helium wore connected the nighttime of the murders.

John Jones: I benignant of made a committedness to them … that the adjacent clip they saw maine with that greenish and achromatic garment connected that that was a awesome to them that, you know, we knew who did it.

And Jones seemed assured they would find the killers.

John Jones: We stayed successful changeless interaction with the behavioral subject portion astatine the FBI successful Quantico … they said that I should, arsenic the look of the investigation, I should task an aerial of assurance … that would origin the atrocious feline to shiver successful his boots. … So look successful the camera and beryllium confident.

And, erstwhile we followed him moving the lawsuit successful 1992, helium did conscionable that.

JOHN JONES: Let maine conscionable accidental this, whoever you are retired there, you are going to beryllium excavation 1 of these days….

But trying to fig that retired was daunting.

John Jones (at constabulary presumption successful 1992): 342 radical that person been listed arsenic suspects, but we're looking astatine pages and pages of suspects here.

One of those aboriginal suspects was a teen named Maurice Pierce. He was arrested 8 days aft the murders astatine a promenade adjacent the yogurt shop, carrying a .22 caliber gun, the benignant utilized successful the murders.

John Jones: The .22s were unmatchable.

Erin Moriarty: So, you can't accidental it wasn't his gun? But determination was nary mode to lucifer it.

John Jones: No.

Erin Moriarty: But determination was nary mode to lucifer it.

John Jones: — to beryllium that it was his gun. He gave a statement, substance of fact, I took his statement. And helium implicated 3 different boys.

Jones says Maurice Pierce claimed helium was driving a getaway car and that 3 acquaintances, Forrest Welborn, Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen, were progressive successful the murders. But Pierce's communicative began to autumn apart.

John Jones: It started to crater erstwhile we wired him up to spell speech to Forest. And we were listening successful connected the wire, and it was beauteous evident Forest didn't cognize what Maurice was talking about.

And erstwhile Welborn, Scott and Springsteen were brought successful for questioning, they excessively denied immoderate involvement. It was decided determination was not capable grounds to complaint them and the hunt for different suspects continued.

CHASING LEADS

Two months aft the yogurt store murders, with nary viable suspects, constabulary were chasing leads — nary substance wherever it took them.

The task unit became alert of a counter-culture benignant radical of section residents known to beryllium into the supernatural.

DET. MIKE HUCKABAY [at roundtable, 1992]: They're into vampires, the occult, graveyard rites. … They spell retired and creation and instrumentality pictures connected tombstones.

And investigators began to perceive that this radical mightiness beryllium connected to thing acold much serious.

John Jones (2021): The — the tips were that they were talking astir the murders.

Erin Moriarty: Talking astir the yogurt shop murders.

John Jones: The yogurt store murders, yes.

There was 1 pistillate successful peculiar whose sanction kept coming up successful transportation with these tips. The task unit planned a raid connected her home, hoping to spot if immoderate grounds mightiness beryllium recovered there.

John Jones: It was creepy successful there.

John Jones: But arsenic it turns out, a batch of that worldly was rat bones and theatrical parts. But … it was a bully lead. … Till we yet figured retired that, uh, they're conscionable surviving a make-believe beingness (shaking his head).

The raid whitethorn person been a bust, but it wasn't agelong earlier the task unit had its eyes connected different idiosyncratic of interest. A constabulary sketch shows a antheral that aggregate eyewitnesses told constabulary they saw sitting successful a car extracurricular the yogurt store connected the nighttime of the murders.

John Jones: And it was idiosyncratic we truly wanted to speech to. … So, we enactment it retired there.

And the effect they got came from an unexpected source.

John Jones: A mates of different investigators from the Sex Crimes Unit came up and spell … "We person a sketch that looks conscionable similar that."

Three weeks earlier the yogurt store murders, a young pistillate successful Austin had been kidnapped and sexually assaulted. Police had released a sketch of 3 men wanted successful transportation with that crime. One of those suspects bore a striking resemblance to that antheral witnesses reported sitting successful a car extracurricular the yogurt shop.

John Jones: You know, I conscionable benignant of went zip erstwhile I saw the — the composite.

A extremity came successful that the men wanted successful the kidnapping and intersexual battle lawsuit had fled to Mexico. Two were caught and arrested; 1 who resembled the idiosyncratic of involvement successful the yogurt store sketch. The improvement made nationalist news.

John Jones: When they got caught successful Mexico, we went down determination ... to interrogation them. Jones' squad questioned the men. And so, too, did the Mexican authorities.

John Jones: But the Mexican authorities … announced to the full satellite that … they confessed, and they were going to effort them for the murders down there.

Erin Moriarty: They confessed to the yogurt store murders?

John Jones: Yes, they did.

But Jones learned those confessions had details that didn't lucifer the transgression scene. Even the caliber of guns they claimed to usage was wrong.

John Jones: There were excessively galore inconsistencies successful the … confession.

So, Jones' squad reinterviewed the men, and helium says this clip they recanted conscionable astir everything. It made Jones and the different investigators wonderment if those confessions were coerced by the Mexican authorities. The erstwhile promising pb fell isolated .

John Jones: (exhales) It was depressing.

Over the pursuing years, determination would beryllium different confessions, ones that were willingly given.

John Jones: You know, we faced six confessions.

Erin Moriarty: Six radical who confessed?

John Jones: Yeah. Written.

Erin Moriarty: That confessed to this crime?

John Jones: Yes, they did.

Erin Moriarty: And they didn't do it?

John Jones: Nope.

In 1994, aft astir 3 years of starring the investigation, John Jones was moved retired of the homicide division. He says it was a communal decision. Austin Police wanted caller eyes moving the case, and Jones felt it was clip to determination on. Other detectives took implicit and, arsenic clip passed, the victims' families were near wondering wherefore nary 1 had been arrested. Amy Ayers' parent Pam spoke to "48 Hours" successful 1996.

Pam Ayers [fighting backmost tears]: They're astir apt retired determination starring a beingness arsenic mean arsenic they've ever had. And ours is ne'er going to beryllium the same.

That aforesaid year, Eliza Thomas' ma moved distant from Austin … and the achy reminders.

Maria Thomas (1996): Running into radical who were perpetually asking however the lawsuit was going was precise hard connected me, and particularly my girl Sonora.

Sonora's beingness had taken a downward spiral.

Sonora Thomas: In my precocious schoolhouse years, things truly deteriorated. … Drugs, utilizing alcohol, being hospitalized, going to a boarding schoolhouse for, you know, disturbed teenagers, things similar that.

The lawsuit seemed stalled, until October 1999.

RADIO NEWS REPORT: Some breaking quality — Austin constabulary person arrested 4 men successful transportation with the yogurt store murders of 1991.

There were yet arrests, but would it reply the question connected the billboard that had been haunting Austin for astir a decade?

SUSPECTS ARRESTED

NEWS REPORT: After astir 8 years, Austinites are getting immoderate answers successful the lawsuit of the yogurt store murders…

MAYOR KIRK WATSON (at 1999 property conference): I privation to commencement disconnected by thanking y'all for joining america present today. … For astir 8 years, we've each waited to perceive the words that our constabulary section is adjacent to a constituent of solving a transgression that has haunted our precise souls. … Today, we yet get to perceive those words.

When 4 men were arrested successful the autumn of 1999 for the yogurt store murders, alleviation was felt citywide.

MAYOR KIRK WATSON (at property conference): Sarah, Jennifer, Amy, Eliza, we did not forget.

The girls' families struggled to instrumentality it each in.

Sonora Thomas: There had been truthful galore mendacious leads for specified a agelong time. It was hard to cognize however to deliberation astir it and however to consciousness astir it.

But determination were yet names and faces to blame: Maurice Pierce, Forrest Welborn, Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen. To the task force, they were acquainted names and faces. They were the aforesaid young men that John Jones and his investigators questioned conscionable 8 days aft the murders and yet released for deficiency of evidence.

John Jones: I was assured and stay assured to this time that we got arsenic acold with them arsenic we could then. But that doesn't mean that … determination wasn't thing developed aboriginal that would origin them to really spell retired and apprehension them. So, I was going, "yes, bully job." … I was acceptable to excavation retired the hideous greenish and achromatic shirt.

But earlier that garment could travel retired of the closet—the 1 helium promised the girls' families helium would deterioration erstwhile the lawsuit was solved — Jones wanted to cognize much astir what led to the arrests.

Joe James Sawyer: There was nary carnal evidence. Nothing.

Joe James Sawyer was appointed arsenic Robert Springsteen's attorney.

Erin Moriarty: What made them spell backmost and complaint these guys?

Joe James Sawyer: Because the caller officers, erstwhile they reopened the acold case, convinced themselves that "we fto them gaffe done our fingers. We had to person had the murderers successful the beginning." In part, they decided that due to the fact that they had thing else.

There was nary caller carnal grounds abruptly tying immoderate of the 4 men to the crime, but what constabulary did person were 2 recently obtained confessions— 1 from Michael Scott and different from Sawyer's ain client, Robert Springsteen. Michael Scott's confession came first. He was questioned implicit 4 days:

OFFICER (1999 interrogation): Come connected Michael, you're doing good. Tell us. Let's bash this today. Let's bash it.

MICHAEL SCOTT: I retrieve seeing girls. … I retrieve 1 miss screaming, terrified.

Scott told investigators that helium and the others lone intended a elemental robbery. He said they cased the yogurt store earlier that day. And then, aft dark, helium said, they came backmost equipped with 2 guns.

MICHAEL SCOTT (interrogation): I perceive the weapon spell off. I lone pulled the trigger once…. I perceive different weapon spell off.

Investigators claimed that Springsteen aboriginal corroborated overmuch of what Scott said. But aft aggravated questioning, helium went further.

OFFICER (interrogation): You f------g cognize if you f------g raped her, conscionable accidental it.

ROBERT SPRINGSTEEN: I stuck my d--- successful her p---- and I raped her.

Springsteen told them helium changeable 1 miss and raped her.

Joe James Sawyer: He was truthful bushed of this. He'd already been questioned. He'd already been done that mill. He thought, you cognize what? I'll archer you immoderate damn happening you want.

Sawyer maintains his lawsuit is guiltless and says the confession was coerced. In 2009, Robert Springsteen explained to "48 Hours" wherefore helium would admit to doing thing truthful horrible—something helium says helium didn't do.

Robert Springsteen: I was berated and berated and berated by the constabulary officers. Until they obtained what it was they wanted to hear, they were not going to let maine to leave. And I basically— they broke maine down.

Erin Moriarty: Let maine conscionable inquire you, did you person thing to do—

Robert Springsteen: No. I did not.

Erin Moriarty: — with the murders astatine the yogurt shop?

Robert Springsteen: No. Never.

Even though Joe James Sawyer didn't person Michael Scott arsenic his client, helium says helium has superior concerns astir his confession, too.

OFFICER (INTERROGATION): Is that the weapon you changeable idiosyncratic with, Mike? Is that the weapon you walked up down idiosyncratic with and changeable successful the head?

Joe James Sawyer: I frankly couldn't judge it. … They terrorized him. And helium was acrophobic to accidental no.

Forrest Welborn denied having thing to bash with the murders, but constabulary were convinced helium was the lookout that nighttime and Michael Scott placed him astatine the scene. Erin Moriarty spoke to Welborn successful 1999 successful jailhouse soon aft his arrest.

Erin Moriarty: Were you determination that night?

Forrest Welborn: No.

Erin Moriarty: Were you determination arsenic a lookout?

Forrest Welborn: No. I'm innocent.

Erin Moriarty: You had thing to bash with this?

Forrest Welborn: Nothing astatine all.

Welborn had been questioned aggregate times by investigators implicit the years, and helium ne'er wavered. He, similar the others, archetypal came connected constabulary radar when, successful 1991, conscionable days aft the murders, Maurice Pierce had been caught with that .22 caliber weapon astatine the promenade adjacent the yogurt shop. Pierce told the detectives backmost past that helium had fixed the handgun to Welborn and that it had been utilized successful the yogurt store murders.

Erin Moriarty: Why would helium accidental that?

Forrest Welborn: I don't know.

Welborn has ever maintained his innocence contempt unit from the police.

Forrest Welborn: They would get close successful my look and, you know, archer maine everything I said was a lie.

Remember, mendacious confessions successful this lawsuit were thing new. Jones said that six written mendacious confessions were obtained erstwhile helium was successful charge. So, erstwhile helium learned that the 2 confessions were each the caller investigators seemed to have, it gave him pause.

John Jones: I go, well, possibly I shouldn't get that garment retired conscionable yet.

It wasn't agelong earlier the lawsuit against the men began crumbling. Charges against Forrest Welborn were dismissed aft 2 expansive juries failed to indict him. And aboriginal on, charges were dropped against Maurice Pierce for deficiency of evidence. Everything fell isolated but the cases against Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen. And with Scott and Springsteen's confessions, the victims' families felt prosecutors had a beardown case.

Barbara Ayres-Wilson (outside courthouse, 2010): These young men person been implicated and they person confessed. And they tin retreat it, but the information is, they really were there, and they really did the murders.

A DNA BREAKTHROUGH?

In 2001, astir 10 years aft the murders of Eliza Thomas, Amy Ayers and Sarah and Jennifer Harbison, the yogurt store execution trials began. Both defendants — Robert Springsteen and Michael Scott — faced the decease penalty.

Joe James Sawyer: The lone happening that ever tied Robert oregon Mike Scott to that transgression country were their confessions.

Confessions that some defendants said were coerced. The 2 were tried separately. Springsteen's proceedings was first. Neither of the men would attest against 1 another. So instead, prosecutors utilized their confessions against 1 another, speechmaking parts of the confessions to the juries. Springsteen's lawyer, Joe James Sawyer, was frustrated that helium couldn't cross-examine Scott.

Joe James Sawyer: I thought the proceedings was massively unfair to my lawsuit and that it was being done systematically and with deliberation.

The proceedings lasted 3 weeks. The assemblage deliberated for 13 hours and then, reached a verdict.

JURY FOREPERSON: We the assemblage find the suspect Robert Springsteen IV blameworthy of the discourtesy of superior execution …

Guilty. Springsteen was condemned to decease row.

In 2002, Michael Scott went connected trial. He was convicted arsenic well. He was sentenced to beingness successful prison. But the lawsuit didn't extremity there. Fifteen years aft the murders, came a shocking crook of events.

NEWS REPORT: In a 5-4 decision, the tribunal down maine said that Michael Scott's law rights were violated during his proceedings and truthful should get a caller one.

Both Scott and Springsteen's convictions were overturned connected law grounds. The Sixth Amendment gives defendants the close to face accusers — and remember, successful Scott and Springsteen's trials, their confessions were utilized against 1 another, but they weren't allowed to question each different successful court.

Joe James Sawyer: And the alleviation … the alleviation was incredible.

But that alleviation for the defendants came arsenic a devastating stroke to the victims' families. We aboriginal spoke to Eliza Thomas' mother, Maria, astir that moment.

Maria Thomas: Every clip I perceive those words, "that their rights were violated," I conscionable consciousness similar I'm going to spell insane. … Their rights are violated. Our girls were murdered.

Sonora Thomas: It ruins your consciousness of fairness. It ruins your consciousness of — that we unrecorded successful a conscionable world.

Even though their convictions were overturned, Scott and Springsteen were not released. A caller territory attorney, Rosemary Lehmberg, was determined to retry them. In an effort to find much evidence, her bureau had ordered DNA tests connected vaginal swabs taken from the victims astatine the clip of the murders. It's called Y-STR investigating — and was reasonably caller successful 2009 erstwhile "48 Hours" spoke with D.A. Lehmberg.

Rosemary Lehmberg: This exertion searches for antheral DNA lone

A partial antheral DNA illustration was obtained from 1 of the victims believed to person been sexually assaulted. And nary 1 expected what it would reveal.

Erin Moriarty: Does that DNA lucifer immoderate of the 4 young men who were primitively accused and 2 of them who've been convicted?

Rosemary Lehmberg: It does not.

The DNA did not lucifer immoderate of the archetypal 4 suspects, including Scott and Springsteen. And that's important due to the fact that Springsteen, successful that confession helium said was coerced, told investigators helium raped 1 the girls.

CeCe Moore is simply a DNA adept and familial genealogist whom we asked astir the lawsuit and the relation of Y-STR DNA successful transgression cases.

CeCe Moore: It is simply a instrumentality that tin destruct astir everyone … It should destruct everybody but the suspect.

Erin Moriarty: If their Y-STR does not match, they did not lend that DNA?

CeCe Moore: Because of … wherever that DNA was found, yes, successful this case, it's precise important.

The territory lawyer was focused connected uncovering the root of that DNA — she wondered if Springsteen and Scott had different partner.

Rosemary Lehmberg: I stay truly assured that … some Springsteen and Scott were liable for sidesplitting those 4 girls.

But successful 2009, with nary matches connected that DNA, Lehmberg dropped charges against Springsteen and Scott. After astir 10 years down bars, they were released — but not exonerated, leaving unfastened the anticipation they could beryllium retried astatine a aboriginal time.

ROSEMARY LEHMBERG (at property conference): This was a hard determination and 1 I'd alternatively not person to make.

The question remained though: whose DNA was it?

Amber Farrelly: I cognize who it is.

Joe James Sawyer: The killer's.

Erin Moriarty: You're convinced that that —

Amber Farrelly: That is simply a definite truth.

Amber Farrelly was portion of some Scott and Springsteen's defence teams. She came up with a mentation that the enigma DNA mightiness beryllium alternatively to two never-identified men who witnesses reported seeing sitting successful the yogurt store conscionable earlier it closed.

Amber Farrelly: Those 2 men were described wearing fatigued-colored jackets. …They were precise slouched over, whispering, similar they were — it was a precise adjacent speech successful a booth.

Officials tried to way down those 2 men arsenic good arsenic the root of the DNA. And then, successful 2017, an Austin constabulary researcher searched a nationalist online DNA database to spot if helium could get a hit. And, unbelievably, helium did.

Michael McCaul: I thought, my God, we really person a chance, a changeable to lick this transgression aft truthful galore years.

WHO KILLED THESE GIRLS?

Congressman Michael McCaul: I truly thought this was it - I truly thought we had a accidental to lick it.

United States Congressman Michael McCaul, similar truthful galore others from Austin, hoped that the precocious uncovered DNA successful the Yogurt Shop execution lawsuit mightiness yet bring answers to the victims' families.

Congressman Michael McCaul: We'll ne'er hide that tragic day. It's stained successful my memory.

Twenty-five years aft the murders, the Austin Police Department went searching for a lucifer to the Y-STR DNA that had been recovered connected the yogurt store unfortunate believed to person been sexually assaulted. And, successful 2017, they got a break. On a nationalist DNA database utilized for colonisation studies, investigators thought they had recovered a match.

Congressman Michael McCaul: I've seen DNA … beryllium homicide cases. … the DNA grounds is truly the cardinal here.

But that illustration from the transgression country was not a implicit DNA profile, it was conscionable Y-STR — the antheral information of DNA. And, it was not a precise elaborate sample, having conscionable 16 markers.

CeCe Moore: Sixteen STR's is not a precise almighty lucifer … determination could beryllium millions of radical with that aforesaid illustration … So, successful familial genealogy … We usually usage 67 oregon 111 markers, oregon possibly adjacent more.

Erin Moriarty: But isn't it a spot to start?

CeCe Moore: It is … It's not absolute, but if there's thing other to enactment with, it is surely thing to look into.

Still, it seemed to beryllium the astir promising pb successful years. But determination was a problem: the seemingly matching illustration connected the nationalist database had been submitted anonymously by the FBI. It belonged to a federally convicted offender, arrestee, oregon detainee, but had nary sanction attached to it. When Austin authorities tried to get a name, the FBI would not supply it, citing privateness laws.

Congressman Michael McCaul: There are immoderate restrictions connected privateness … And so, it gets into immoderate precise benignant of, dicey issues.

Frustrated, officials reached retired to Congressman McCaul for help.

Congressman Michael McCaul: And so, I pressed the FBI precise hard.

Finally, successful aboriginal 2020, the FBI agreed to enactment with the Austin Police Department to spot if further investigating could beryllium done connected that Y-STR DNA from the transgression scene.

Congressman Michael McCaul: I was precise excited astir it. The thought that we could bring this lawsuit to closure for the families and bring those liable to justice.

More precocious investigating came up with further markers: 25 alternatively of the archetypal 16. But arsenic truthful often happened successful this case, what seemed truthful promising, turned into disappointment.

Some of the further markers did not lucifer the FBI sample. In different words, what seemed to beryllium a match, was not. In a missive to Congressman McCaul, the FBI explained the caller results "conclusively exclude the antheral donor of the FBI's illustration … arsenic such, the FBI Y-STR illustration is not an investigative lead."

Congressman Michael McCaul: And that was the top disappointment due to the fact that we truly thought we had it.

Erin Moriarty: If it didn't lucifer that individual, doesn't it inactive mean there's idiosyncratic retired determination — this DNA belongs to somebody, right?

Congressman Michael McCaul: It does. It does. And that's wherefore we're not going to remainder till we find the match.

Erin Moriarty: How important then, is this DNA illustration that exists … to solving this case?

Congressman Michael McCaul: I mean, it's everything.

With DNA probe advancing truthful quickly, determination is existent anticipation that 1 day, that illustration of DNA obtained 31 years ago, whitethorn yet lick this case. Still, it volition not erase the symptom oregon nonaccomplishment of lives.

Sonora Thomas: Every twelvemonth that goes by, I get farther and farther distant from my sister, yeah. And I interest astir losing memories.

Sonora Thomas struggled for years with panic attacks and carnal pain, until, with the assistance of therapy, she realized it was connected to the execution of her sister Eliza. With a unsocial knowing of what trauma victims experience, Sonora wanted to assistance others similar her, and became a therapist.

Sonora Thomas: There's truthful galore moments, you know, erstwhile your bosom is open, you know, you're joyful. But there's besides this nonaccomplishment that's ever accompanying your life.

Sonora recovered it adjuvant to look for ways to retrieve Eliza.

Sonora Thomas: When we got married, we had a angiosperm and an bare seat astatine our ceremony, and my sister was mentioned.

Compounding Sonora's pain, her parent died successful 2015. Maria Thomas passed distant with truthful galore unresolved questions astir the execution of her daughter.

Sonora Thomas: There is simply a benignant of torture that continues by the information that it's unsolved and it's ongoing.

John Jones (shaking his head): It's ever there.

John Jones is inactive haunted by the information that the lawsuit is unsolved, and by what helium saw that gruesome night. He has suffered from PTSD done the years.

John Jones: I had wholly unopen down to wherever each my vigor was directed astatine the case.

Erin Moriarty: It took a toll connected you, didn't it John, adjacent 30 years afterwards?

John Jones: Well, yeah. It would connected anybody, I deliberation — not arsenic overmuch arsenic the families, you understand.

Erin Moriarty: I know.

John Jones: Whatever symptom I'm having pales successful examination to what they're going through.

These days, Jones finds solace singing successful his religion choir.

John Jones: I tin unbend erstwhile I'm successful church.

Erin Moriarty: Leave the satellite behind? Leave outside?

John Jones: No, I cognize it's conscionable past the door.

And erstwhile he's successful that extracurricular world, the families of Amy Ayers, Jennifer and Sarah Harbison and Eliza Thomas, are ne'er acold from his thoughts.

John Jones: I consciousness atrocious for them. That it's inactive not solved.

But Jones has hope. He has kept that garment helium wore the nighttime of the murders — the garment helium promised to ne'er deterioration until the lawsuit was solved. More than 30 years later, it's inactive sitting successful there.

And sometime soon, John Jones looks guardant to wearing it again.

John Jones: I conscionable anticipation 1 of these days we tin enactment this happening to bed, for the families' sake.

If you person accusation astir the Yogurt Shop Murders, telephone 512-472-TIPS.

The Homicide Victims' Families' Rights Act was signed successful to instrumentality connected Aug. 3, 2022. Motivated by the yogurt store murders, the instrumentality provides family members of acold lawsuit execution victims a mode to officially petition national investigators reappraisal their lawsuit with the latest disposable technology.

Produced by Ruth Chenetz, Stephanie Slifer and Anthony Venditti. Michael McHugh is the producer-editor. Marlon Disla and Michelle Harris are the editors. Patti Aronofsky is the elder producer. Nancy Kramer is the enforcement communicative editor. Judy Tygard is the enforcement producer.

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