The Yogurt Shop Murders: In 1991, Four Teenaged Girls From Austin, Texas, Were Found Brutally Murdered Inside A Burning Frozen Yogurt Shop, And Their Case Remains Unsolved To This Day
Over three decades ago, four teenage girls from Austin, Texas, ended up together at a frozen yogurt shop known as “I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt!” But, the night ended in a horrific tragedy after the close-knit girls– Jennifer Harbison, Sarah Harbison, Eliza Thomas, and Amy Leigh Ayers– were brutally murdered.
At the time, Jennifer was a seventeen-year-old senior attending Lanier High School, known for being trustworthy and ambitious.
She was particularly interested in agriculture and participated in programs through Future Farmers of America with her sister, Sarah.
Jennifer was also the captain of her school’s drill team, the Vikettes, and ran on the track team. She had a boyfriend named Sammy Buchanan and was even saving up to help pay for a Chevy S-10 truck.
On December 9, 1991, though, everything would change for Jennifer, her younger sister, Sarah, and their two friends, Eliza and Amy.
That day started off like any typical Monday. In the morning, Jennifer headed to school and attended all of her classes. Then, in the afternoon, she decided to stop by her boyfriend Sammy’s apartment to hang out.
The couple stayed together until dinner time, when Jennifer had to head back at about 7:00 p.m. Once at home, the teen started getting ready for her shift at “I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt!” which was supposed to begin at 8:00 p.m.
Before Jennifer left for work, though, she was also asked to bring her younger sister, Sarah, and her friend, Amy, to the mall.
Sarah was a fifteen-year-old high school freshman who was a student council member, cheerleader, and member of the Future Farmers of America Association with her big sister.
Swanya – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Sarah’s friend, Amy, was a bit younger– a thirteen-year-old eighth grader at Burnet Middle School at the time.
But, the pair shared a love of agriculture and bonded over that. Amy also loved animals, thrived in the arts, and dreamt of becoming a veterinarian when she grew up.
So, Jennifer ended up agreeing to give the younger girls a lift. She left home with Sarah before picking Amy up and dropping the friends off at Northcross Mall– which was located just up the road from the yogurt shop.
Sarah and Amy went on to spend much of the evening shopping at the mall together and planned to go back to Sarah’s house to have a sleepover later that night.
But, at about 9:00 p.m., the Northcross Mall began to close. So, Jennifer took her break, headed up to the mall, and picked up her little sister and her friend.
Then, Jennifer brought Sarah and Amy back to the yogurt shop to wait until they could be driven home.
That night, Jennifer was working alongside another senior at Lanier High School named Eliza. The seventeen-year-old also happened to be a member of Future Farmers of America and excelled in reading, country dancing, small-engine repair, and welding.
The pair of seniors were supposed to close up shop by 11:00 p.m. that evening. So, by the time the last customer left the store at 10:42 p.m., Jennifer and Eliza began cleaning up. Sarah and Amy also pitched in with closing at this point.
Now, the shop was reportedly closed by 11:00 p.m. The “no-sale” button was also pressed by one of the girls at 11:03 p.m.– signifying that the cash drawer to the register had been opened.
Sometime between then and 11:48 p.m., though, a heinous crime took place within the yogurt shop.
Approximately ten minutes before midnight, a young rookie police officer named Troy Gay was notified that a fire had broken out at the shop. So, fire crews were called and arrived on the scene to extinguish the flames.
During that effort, though, it was discovered that the four teenage girls’ bodies were inside when the building caught fire. Moreover, they were intentionally killed.
Jennifer’s body was discovered next to Sarah and Eliza’s remains– both of whom were stacked on top of one another.
It is believed that more than one assailant had stacked all three of the girls on top of each other and used an accelerant to set the shop on fire.
But, the firefighter’s efforts to extinguish the flames ultimately knocked Jennifer’s remains off of Sarah and Eliza’s.
Jennifer was found with her hands bound and a ligature mark across her neck– her body being severely charred from the blaze.
Sarah’s hands were also found bound behind her back with underwear, and the fifteen-year-old had been gagged.
Additionally, Sarah’s autopsy revealed evidence of assault since an ice cream scooper was discovered between her legs.
Eliza was also found without clothes on, gagged, and with her hands tied behind her. Her remains were severely burned as well.
Finally, Amy was also murdered– however, the thirteen-year-old’s body was found in a different location from the other three girls.
Her remains were discovered in a less charred state and in a separate part of the store– suggesting that Amy had tried to escape the assailants.
Tragically, though, the young girl still suffered the same fate. Amy was, too, found without clothes and her body revealed evidence of an assault.
All four girls had also been shot in the head with a .22 caliber gun. However, Amy was the only victim found to have been shot twice– the first bullet from a .22 caliber gun, which did not penetrate her skull. So, the thirteen-year-old was shot again with a .380 bullet from a semiautomatic weapon.
Later, authorities also realized that five hundred and forty dollars had been missing from the cash register.
Due to the horrific nature of the crime, investigators were able to quickly determine that more than one perpetrator had likely been involved in the murders. But, even with numerous arrests, convictions, and exonerations over the past three decades, the girls’ case has tragically remained unsolved.
The disaster sent shock waves throughout the city of Austin and continues to rattle community members to this day.
With many advancements in forensic DNA testing in recent years, though, many are still hopeful that the identity of the killers might soon be revealed. The murders of Jennifer, Sarah, Amy, and Eliza also served as inspiration for the Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Act of 2021, which requires federal agencies to re-examine cold cases with “a fresh set of eyes” while applying the most up-to-date forensic technologies and investigative standards.
If you have any information, please contact the Austin Police Department at 512-477-3588.
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