TX TX - Yogurt Shop Murders, Austin, 6 Dec 1991

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dotr said:
Feb 4 2022 lengthy.
The Yogurt Shop Murders: Could a DNA sample taken 30 years ago solve the infamous case? - CBS News
''But now, thanks to new advances in DNA technology, there is renewed hope that a piece of evidence collected from the scene on the night of the crime will be key to solving the case once and for all. "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty reports on the latest developments in "The Yogurt Shop Murders," airing Saturday, February 5 at 10/9c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.''
yogurtshop-720.jpg

Inside the yogurt shop were the charred bodies of four teenage girls ranging from 13 to 17 years old. The victims, clockwise from top left: Amy Ayers, Eliza Thomas, Sarah Harbison and Jennifer Harbison.AP IMAGES
''On December 6, 1991, 17-year-old Eliza Thomas, 13-year-old Amy Ayers, and two sisters, 17-year-old Jennifer Harbison and 15-year-old Sarah Harbison, were found gagged, tied up with their own clothing, and shot in the head in an I Can't Believe It's Yogurt! shop in Austin. Whoever was responsible had also set the shop on fire, compromising much of the evidence. ''

''CeCe Moore, a DNA expert and genetic genealogist whom we interviewed for this week's "48 Hours," told correspondent Erin Moriarty that Y-STR DNA is a tool sometimes used in criminal cases. Moore explained it "can eliminate almost everyone. … Everyone but the suspect."

"If their Y-STR does not match, they did not contribute that DNA?" Moriarty asked Moore.

"Because of… where that DNA was found, yes, in this case, it's very important," Moore said.

Still, prosecutors were determined to retry Springsteen and Scott. But before doing so, they wanted to figure out who that mystery DNA belonged to. ''
Click to expand...

Why were they going to retry Springsteen and Scott when both were eliminated by their previous Y-STR DNA test?
The sample was taken from vaginal swabs. Those guys spent 10 years in jail, for no good reason. That's terrible. JMO

Also:

"48 Hours" has learned that initially, the sample from the crime scene was not very detailed and had only 16 markers, but more advanced testing in 2020 came up with an additional nine markers, bringing the total marker count to 25. However, this more advanced testing revealed that the sample from the crime scene no longer proved to be a match to the sample in the public DNA database. In a letter to Congressman McCaul obtained by "48 Hours," the FBI explained the new results "conclusively exclude the male donor of the FBI's sample … as such, the FBI Y-STR profile is not an investigative lead."
​
I agree with Cee Cee Moore, though. The Y-STR profile is still relevant and useful to eliminate suspects.
​
 
dotr said:
Feb 4 2022 lengthy.
The Yogurt Shop Murders: Could a DNA sample taken 30 years ago solve the infamous case? - CBS News
''But now, thanks to new advances in DNA technology, there is renewed hope that a piece of evidence collected from the scene on the night of the crime will be key to solving the case once and for all. "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty reports on the latest developments in "The Yogurt Shop Murders," airing Saturday, February 5 at 10/9c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.''
yogurtshop-720.jpg

Inside the yogurt shop were the charred bodies of four teenage girls ranging from 13 to 17 years old. The victims, clockwise from top left: Amy Ayers, Eliza Thomas, Sarah Harbison and Jennifer Harbison.AP IMAGES
''On December 6, 1991, 17-year-old Eliza Thomas, 13-year-old Amy Ayers, and two sisters, 17-year-old Jennifer Harbison and 15-year-old Sarah Harbison, were found gagged, tied up with their own clothing, and shot in the head in an I Can't Believe It's Yogurt! shop in Austin. Whoever was responsible had also set the shop on fire, compromising much of the evidence. ''

''CeCe Moore, a DNA expert and genetic genealogist whom we interviewed for this week's "48 Hours," told correspondent Erin Moriarty that Y-STR DNA is a tool sometimes used in criminal cases. Moore explained it "can eliminate almost everyone. … Everyone but the suspect."

"If their Y-STR does not match, they did not contribute that DNA?" Moriarty asked Moore.

"Because of… where that DNA was found, yes, in this case, it's very important," Moore said.

Still, prosecutors were determined to retry Springsteen and Scott. But before doing so, they wanted to figure out who that mystery DNA belonged to. ''
Click to expand...

I really hope this leads to a resolution. This has gone on far too long. I still believe that the 4 they arrested had nothing to do with this case. I hope they are able to catch these perps alive and they are still young and healthy enough to do some serious prison time, if not get the death penalty.
 
Betty P said:
Why were they going to retry Springsteen and Scott when both were eliminated by their previous Y-STR DNA test?
The sample was taken from vaginal swabs. Those guys spent 10 years in jail, for no good reason. That's terrible. JMO

Also:

"48 Hours" has learned that initially, the sample from the crime scene was not very detailed and had only 16 markers, but more advanced testing in 2020 came up with an additional nine markers, bringing the total marker count to 25. However, this more advanced testing revealed that the sample from the crime scene no longer proved to be a match to the sample in the public DNA database. In a letter to Congressman McCaul obtained by "48 Hours," the FBI explained the new results "conclusively exclude the male donor of the FBI's sample … as such, the FBI Y-STR profile is not an investigative lead."
​
I agree with Cee Cee Moore, though. The Y-STR profile is still relevant and useful to eliminate suspects.
​
Click to expand...

I think alot has to do with not wanting to admit they made a huge mistake by trying and imprisoning the wrong people. I understand at the time there was immense pressure to solve the case and at the time DNA technology was nowhere near what it is today. I would be very curious to know when/if the put a face and identity with this DNA whether there is even a remote connection to Springsteen and Scott. My guess is that there will not be a connection.
 
smiley said:
I am just learning of this case today when I heard about tonights 48 Hours. I tried to read up on it and a good article is in Texas Monthly, called " Under the gun" a great overview of the case.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reminder. Watching it now. Tune in, if you haven't already. They're still doing a re-cap of the case.
 
What is not clear is whether there is any biological material left to preform a PSR. If there is, it should have been preformed years ago and the results should have been compared against the CODIS database and submitted for Genetic Genealogy. My guess is that there is none left but, having followed this case for years, I have become pretty cynical about Austin Law Enforcement.

At the time of the murders, DNA wasn’t really a thing but swabs were taken from the victims and retained. In 2008, when Scott and Springsteen were up for re-trial, PCR was available but it was not utilized. Instead the available material was tested for Y-Chromosomes. This is considered the best method in rape cases because most of the genetic material will be from the victim but any Y-Chromosomes will presumably be from the perpetrator. It is excellent evidence when there is a suspect to either be ruled in or out. It can not be used to compare with the CODIS database. It unclear why it was not subjected to PCR and Familiar DNA used to compare with the CODIS database. It is possible that there wasn’t enough of suitable quality.

It turns out the the FBI has its own database of Y chromosome DNA. The are very guarded as to what they have and how they got it. Apparently they found a “match” but would not disclose the source. Now they are saying the “match” was close but not an exact match so the name they have is not the guy. I seems to me they should have been able to rule the guy in or out right away. But, who knows how they operate.

Y-chromosomes are passed down from father to son with little change from one generation to the next. There is a good chance the name they have is related to the unknown suspect. Experts should be able to determine how closely they are related. It is certainly possible to create a family tree of this guy the FBI has identified and look for male relatives the correct “ distance” who might have lived in Texas in 1991, have convictions related crimes or otherwise draw interest. This type of investigation is controversial and there have been legal challenges. It does appear to be a way forward, at this point
 
jbirner said:
I really hope this leads to a resolution. This has gone on far too long. I still believe that the 4 they arrested had nothing to do with this case. I hope they are able to catch these perps alive and they are still young and healthy enough to do some serious prison time, if not get the death penalty.
Click to expand...
I’m just starting to actually research this case but I heard about it years ago when I dated a family member. It’s always stuck with me and I feel terrible that the families have had to wait for justice. The family member I dated and his mom, both believed that the people arrested didn‘t actually have anything to do with it.
 
This case has long history of what can only be called Law Enforcement Malfeasance. This was obviously an extremely high profile case with intense pressure on the police to close it. Sometimes the evidence just isn’t there.

The original 4 defendants were charged solely on the bases of a confession by two of the suspects. At the time, the families and the people of Austin were satisfied that the case was solved but outraged that charges were dropped on two of the four on the “technically” that they did not confess. At the time, the public at large assume that an innocent man would never confess so they had to be guilty. Within the Law Enforcement community however, the problem of false confessions had become well known. DNA was now available and nationwide, an a pleura of folks who had confessed to crimes were being exonerated by DNA. A review of these cases revealed that the “False Confessions” were not typically cases where someone came forward and admitted their guilt. They were cases where the suspect was subjected to a lengthy interrogation process called the Reid Technique. This essentially involves breaking down the defendant’s resistance and convincing them that they were really guilty and confessing was their best option. The developers of the method specifically warned against the likelihood of false confessions. Within Austin Law Enforcement, there was serious doubts about the guilt of the 4.

When the two convictions were thrown out, there was no evidence against any of the four. There is serious reason to suspect that the reasons the charges were not dropped at that point was political considerations. The DA was primarily concerned with protecting the “integrity” of the conviction. The two defendants were forced to remain locked up for almost a year while the DA knew there was no evidence against them an clear evidence that at least one, and probably two unknown men were responsible. When the judge forced the charges dropped the DA and the Austin Law Enforcement established continued to claim the 4 were really guilty. At first the public supported them but as the truth of the situation and the science behind forensic DNA typing became better understood, the public has come around to accepting the innocence of the 4.

There is still suspicion that Austin Law Enforcement is in no hurry to “ solve” the case and identify the real killers since that would settle the issue, once and for all. Would the FBI acquiesce to pressure from local Law Enforcement not to pursue advanced forensic techniques for political considerations?
 
I still have hope that the DNA evidence will lead to an arrest of the correct person/persons. Every year that passes though brings less likelihood these people will be caught while still alive. I hope that behind the scenes, Austin PD is doing all they can to bring a resolution.
 
It’s been more than 30 years since the quadruple murder at a north Austin yogurt shopthat claimed the lives of four teenage girls. Three decades on, questions remain in the unsolved mystery of who killed teenagers Amy Ayers, Jennifer Harbison and her sister Sarah, and Eliza Thomas.

The bill would also empower immediate family members to request a cold case review so long as it meets certain basic criteria. Federal law enforcement agencies would be required to provide annual reports to Congress on what is working and not working with cold case reviews, the release said.
www.kxan.com

Cold case bill motivated by Austin yogurt shop murders passes Senate

The Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Act will require federal agencies to revisit cold case murder files and apply new technologies in search of potential breakthroughs
www.kxan.com www.kxan.com
 
I have always thought it was weird how the bodies were stacked.

A case with similarities happened in North Carolina in 1993.

The Be-Lo murders also had victims stacked in piles of 3. Two piles, 6 people.

Lots of different circumstances and potential eye-witness accounts are different but it really interests the heck out me.

www.trace-evidence.com

The Be-Lo Shooting Massacre — Trace Evidence

On June 6th, 1993, an armed man walked into a Be-Lo grocery store and demanded cash from the registers. He then tied up all six employees present and opened fire, transforming a robbery into multiple murders.
www.trace-evidence.com www.trace-evidence.com
 
lonewanderer said:
I have always thought it was weird how the bodies were stacked.

A case with similarities happened in North Carolina in 1993.

The Be-Lo murders also had victims stacked in piles of 3. Two piles, 6 people.

Lots of different circumstances and potential eye-witness accounts are different but it really interests the heck out me.

www.trace-evidence.com

The Be-Lo Shooting Massacre — Trace Evidence

On June 6th, 1993, an armed man walked into a Be-Lo grocery store and demanded cash from the registers. He then tied up all six employees present and opened fire, transforming a robbery into multiple murders.
www.trace-evidence.com www.trace-evidence.com
Click to expand...
Had the same thought. The cases are a couple of years apart but could be someone who was working there, or stationed at a military base near both locations. Both cases took place right after closing.
 
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