HBO’s four-part documentary The Yogurt Shop Murders explores the haunting 1991 case that devastated Austin and still lacks resolution today.
HBO is set to debut its gripping new four-part documentary series The Yogurt Shop Murders on Sunday, August 3, airing weekly at 10:00–11:00 PM ET/PT, with episodes available to stream on Max. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Margaret Brown (Descendant, The Great Invisible), and produced by A24 and Fruit Tree, the series delves into the chilling 1991 quadruple homicide that shattered the city of Austin, Texas.
The series revisits the unspeakable tragedy that took the lives of Amy Ayers (13), Jennifer Harbison (17), Sarah Harbison (15), and Eliza Thomas (17), found murdered and left in a burning frozen yogurt shop. The documentary explores the profound grief, ongoing trauma, and flawed justice system surrounding the case—one that remains officially unsolved more than three decades later.
Told through emotional interviews with victims’ families, investigators, journalists, and even the two men once convicted—then exonerated—of the crime, The Yogurt Shop Murders offers a sobering look at how memory, media influence, and investigative missteps shaped one of the most infamous unsolved crimes in modern Texas history.
Episode One: “Fire and Water” (Aug. 3) introduces the harrowing night and the initial arrests, including 16-year-old Maurice Pierce, who implicates three friends. Despite the lack of hard evidence, their names become etched in public suspicion.
Episode Two: “The Fifth Victim” (Aug. 10) focuses on the psychological toll on both families and investigators, including a reassigned detective caught in a scandal and another officer diagnosed with PTSD. As frustrations mount, a private investigator joins the desperate search for answers.
Episode Three: “Mental Evidence” (Aug. 17) highlights how Robert Springsteen and Michael Scott are arrested and convicted based on confessions given during interrogations—confessions that would later be challenged when new DNA evidence contradicts their involvement.
Episode Four: “In Your Time” (Aug. 24) concludes with Springsteen and Scott’s 2009 release, the dropping of charges, and the families’ continued struggle for closure. With no physical evidence linking anyone to the crime, the case remains a haunting mystery. The episode explores the healing power of storytelling through the lens of Sonora Thomas, a victim’s sibling turned therapist.
The documentary is anchored by archival footage, interrogation tapes, and expert insight from figures including author Beverly Lowry, 48 Hours correspondent Erin Moriarty, and memory expert Robert Shomer.
Executive produced by Margaret Brown, along with Emma Stone, Dave McCary, Avi Belkin, Nicole Stott, and others, the series is a collaborative effort from HBO Documentary Films, A24, Fruit Tree, and Pig Village Productions.
With its raw emotional core and journalistic rigor, The Yogurt Shop Murders stands as a chilling reminder of justice unfulfilled and memory’s fragility in the face of trauma.
