Intro

The Yogurt Shop Murders is a 2025 four-part HBO documentary series directed by Margaret Brown that revisits one of Austin's most haunting unsolved crimes. On December 6, 1991, four teenage girls - Amy Ayers (13), sisters Jennifer Harbison (17) and Sarah Harbison (15), and Eliza Thomas (17) - were brutally murdered at an "I Can't Believe It's Yogurt" shop in Austin, Texas. The store was set on fire, presumably to destroy evidence, but the case has never been solved despite extensive investigation. The documentary chronicles the immense trauma experienced by the city and the families of the victims, many of whom still carry the grief today. Through interviews with family members, lead police investigators, journalists, lawyers, and the two men who wrongfully served time for the murders, the series explores controversial law enforcement practices that led to false confessions, the relentless press coverage, and the lasting effects of grief. The investigation involved multiple false leads, wrongful arrests, and coerced confessions that were later overturned when DNA evidence cleared the convicted men in 2009. Three decades later, the case remains open, with families still seeking closure and justice. The series examines complex questions about memory, trauma, and the power of suggestion while advocating for storytelling as a way to heal and process unthinkable loss.