Key moments in the investigation of Austin's yogurt shop murders

The Austin Police Department identified deceased serial killer Robert Eugene Brashers as the suspect in the 1991 yogurt shop quadruple murders in September 2025, leading to the exoneration of four wrongfully accused men—Maurice Pierce, Forrest Welborn, Robert Springsteen, and Michael Scott—who were formally declared innocent by a judge in February 2026, ending a 35-year investigation into the brutal murders of four teenage girls at an I Can't Believe It's Yogurt! shop in Austin, Texas. On December 6, 1991, a fire was reported at the Austin yogurt shop, which upon extinguishment revealed the charred bodies of four teenage girls: 17-year-old Jennifer Harbison and her 15-year-old sister Sarah, along with their friends 17-year-old Eliza Thomas and 13-year-old Amy Ayers. All four victims had been gagged, tied up, and shot execution-style. The intense fire complicated evidence collection, leaving detectives with few physical clues to work with. The brutal nature of the crime shocked the city and launched one of Austin's most notorious unsolved murder cases. The investigation saw numerous twists and turns over the decades, including the arrest of four suspects in 1999 who later had their convictions overturned when DNA evidence excluded them. In 2008, advanced Y-STR DNA testing confirmed none of the originally arrested men matched evidence at the crime scene. A promising lead in 2020 that suggested a DNA match also fell through upon further testing. Throughout the investigation, retired Detective John Jones, who led the case for nearly four years, maintained that the scene remained 'indelibly burned in his mind,' while the city held annual vigils commemorating the victims and maintaining public pressure for answers. The breakthrough came in September 2025 when Brashers, already known as a serial killer and rapist, was connected to the yogurt shop murders through DNA testing. This development prompted the Travis County District Attorney's office to file a motion to begin the exoneration process for the four wrongfully accused men. By February 19, 2026, a judge formally declared the men innocent, with their attorneys indicating discussions about restitution and potential civil lawsuits were underway. The resolution brought a measure of closure to one of Austin's most haunting cold cases, though the tragic loss of the four young girls remained a painful memory for the community.