Yogurt Shop Murders - Austin TX

[Lisamarie]

I know you all remeber this Yogurt Shop Murders - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia...I was at a sleepover and not too far from the site..I remeber hearing the sirens and seeing the cops swarm the place.....But what bothers me now is this......mackwhite.com: The Yogurt Shop Murders...to think for one moment the families of these gilrs were in any way involed is beyond sick and twisted, I met the father of the two sisters and he was the most heart broken man I have ever met!! He also drone a round ina truck with giant pics of his daughters and a sticker that said pray for justice.....what is bothering me though is could this be true?? Could the yogurt shop do something so horrific for an insurance settlement a business recives after a violent death in the buisness??? I mean they have never really caught who did this...they have people but are these the right ones?? Also we met the first officer on the scene, and he discover the first body by stepping on it by accident....he said the extent of the torture involed will never be known to the public because it was so horrific! He said it was beyond anything he ever saw....I was reading the book..but I had to put it down as I kept haveing nightmares about the girls............Things I never knew about the case the last girl I think was not killed ...in fact there is an argument because all the other girl were shot witha 22 she was too but it did not kill her she had also been shot with a 38 but was able to crawl...there is also some argument that she may have been alive as police enetered, and an officer may have put her out of her misery..I dont know if I believe that at all....but the fact remains she was found further than the others and she did try to crawl away..also an ice cream scooper was inside one of the girls and they all had been raped.This has always botherd me so much! And to see there is still no justice ! God!! You guys remeber this?? Thoughts????

[lulubaines]

I don't remember this! An ICE CREAM SCOOP!? What a horrific story. Thanks for a interesting story. Those poor girls.

[Deathgoddess]

I had never heard of this, but after you posted i have spent the last few hours reading about this crime. It seems like there are many layers to it, i have put the book about it on my amazon list. (Death hag party of 1) Anyway, i was just reading this article about it and the writer seemed to think that the whole thing was a snuff film? The article hinted that there were a lot of random murders in that area for about 5 years and they were all for the snuff industry (the area being Texas and Mexico). They called it a "femicide", how awful is that?

[ScottyMonger]

Michael Scott & Robert Springsteen, the 2 convicted of the crime, are getting re-trials as we speak. This city has lived with these murders for the last 17 years and there still isn't any real closure.

BTW, this thread might be better served by moving it to the "Other deaths in the news" Forum.

[RaRaRamona]

I am from TX & this was bi news. I do remember it but I didn't know about the conspiracy theories. I will read up on it though.

[Jason]

"Lead singer/songwriter Will Sheff, who was living in Austin at the time and working for the state, claims to have heard details that were not released to the public, and that the girls had been cut open and filled with frozen yogurt."

Wow... shot in the head, cut open and filled with yogurt and then burned. Whoever did this crime watched way too many Troma films.

[Lisamarie]

Like I said I was there when it happend and it was awful and I can say it changed that city forever....the detaild are sealed of what they went through..but the book tells of torture and rape and everythig horrific under the sun...the creepiet for me was I was asleep abot a block away when this happened....we awoke to the sirens and walked down to see and there were grown men police officers who were crying...and the cop who was on the scene first they say was never the same. It was the eeries feeling looking into that shop and knowing those poor girls were in there. I heard about the yogurt thing anfd I think it must be true because you can only hear so much, also another thing that was rumored is some kind of necktie type thing were they slit the one girls throat and pulled her tounge out through her throat. Like I said I dont think we will ever know what really happened to those poor girls but it still bothers me to this day!

[RaRaRamona]

and pulled her tounge out through her throat. Like I said I dont think we will ever know what really happened to those poor girls but it still bothers me to this day!

I could be wrong but I don't thin that's possible.

[hoxharding]

Like I said I was there when it happend and it was awful and I can say it changed that city forever....the detaild are sealed of what they went through..but the book tells of torture and rape and everythig horrific under the sun...the creepiet for me was I was asleep abot a block away when this happened....we awoke to the sirens and walked down to see and there were grown men police officers who were crying...and the cop who was on the scene first they say was never the same. It was the eeries feeling looking into that shop and knowing those poor girls were in there. I heard about the yogurt thing anfd I think it must be true because you can only hear so much, also another thing that was rumored is some kind of necktie type thing were they slit the one girls throat and pulled her tounge out through her throat. Like I said I dont think we will ever know what really happened to those poor girls but it still bothers me to this day!

I had never read about this-how horrific. I can imagine how
you would have nightmares about this.
I am going to have to look up more information about this.

[ScottyMonger]

I pass by there about once a week, I could get some pics.

[ScottyMonger]

Like I said I was there when it happend and it was awful and I can say it changed that city forever....the detaild are sealed of what they went through..but the book tells of torture and rape and everythig horrific under the sun...the creepiet for me was I was asleep abot a block away when this happened....we awoke to the sirens and walked down to see and there were grown men police officers who were crying...and the cop who was on the scene first they say was never the same. It was the eeries feeling looking into that shop and knowing those poor girls were in there. I heard about the yogurt thing anfd I think it must be true because you can only hear so much, also another thing that was rumored is some kind of necktie type thing were they slit the one girls throat and pulled her tounge out through her throat. Like I said I dont think we will ever know what really happened to those poor girls but it still bothers me to this day!

The Austin American Statesman sued to have the autopsy reports released. There was no mention of the "necktie" tongue.

[Lisamarie]

I though that sounded like bullshit and let me tell you Im glad of it !! God ! Ya know it was a weird time in Austin Tx we had the Lubys thing, Colleen Reed who the place she was abducted from I use to pass on the way to my dads work everyday.....then the yougurt girls...and yes I do have nightmares...I would love to see some pics..I know it been made into a copy shop or something....I wonder if its haunted.....I use to go to Northcross mall all the time.

[ScottyMonger]

They are putting in a Super Walmart at Northcross, and boy are people pissed!

I think the little memorial to the victims is still there, and I will get a shot of that too.

[Lisamarie]

Scotty you are so cool! I love to raed your post you always have the coolest stuff! A Walmart!! I bet they are pissed !!! They had better keep that memorial there.

[lisalouver]

I could be wrong but I don't thin that's possible.

Well, in autopsy, the last thing we do on the body before the head (the head is always last) is take out the whole "neck" area to include the trachea and esophogus and the tounge we take out whole with it that way also, it is an important part of the post.

So in theory, this is possible, but it would take someone unskilled in anatomy a long time to do it and actually get it out intact. Is that not what they used to call a Columbian necktie?

[RaRaRamona]

Well, in autopsy, the last thing we do on the body before the head (the head is always last) is take out the whole "neck" area to include the trachea and esophogus and the tounge we take out whole with it that way also, it is an important part of the post.

So in theory, this is possible, but it would take someone unskilled in anatomy a long time to do it and actually get it out intact. Is that not what they used to call a Columbian necktie?

You are correct, I stand corrected. It doesn't seem like something a random spree killer could do though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombian_necktie

I don't like gore but I am very curious about what this would look like.

[lisalouver]

You are correct, I stand corrected. It doesn't seem like something a random spree killer could do though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombian_necktie

Exactly my thinking.

[ScottyMonger]

Thx Lisa!

BTW, I think most, if not all, of the "gory" details were just rumors caused by the long delay in the release of the autopsy information. Nobody was arrested for 8 years, and the first trials were 10 years after the murders, so alot of gossip was flying around. There was no mention of mutilation in the report, or at trial, that I am aware of.

[ichabodius]

I remember when this happened. Hard to beleive it was 17 years ago.

[Lisamarie]

Anyone know what the offical cause of death was?? And if they were raped?

[ScottyMonger]

Anyone know what the offical cause of death was?? And if they were raped?

Offiical cause was gunshot to the back of their heads, execution style. Each had been shot with a 22 caliber by Springsteen, and one had also been shot with a 308 caliber by Michael Scott, according to the trial transcripts. One, possibly 2 were raped, but not all of them. They were then stacked (and I mean literally stacked) in the back of the shop, covered with gasoline, and set on fire. The one who had been shot twice, was STILL not dead, and managed to crawl almost to the front door, where she was the first to be found by the fire fighters. The others were charred by the fire, while she had suffered 2nd degree burns.

[lisalouver]

Offiical cause was gunshot to the back of their heads, execution style. Each had been shot with a 22 caliber by Springsteen, and one had also been shot with a 308 caliber by Michael Scott, according to the trial transcripts. One, possibly 2 were raped, but not all of them. They were then stacked (and I mean literally stacked) in the back of the shop, covered with gasoline, and set on fire. The one who had been shot twice, was STILL not dead, and managed to crawl almost to the front door, where she was the first to be found by the fire fighters. The others were charred by the fire, while she had suffered 2nd degree burns.

JHC.

One death scene I am happy I was not assigned to.

[DaniZ]

That is so sad. I can't even imagine. Especially the girl who crawled almost to the door.

[Ghoulie Girl]

WHOA!

[Lisamarie]

Yeah man ,thats just awful! To think these guys may get out...Im reading murdered innocents now and I have to say its a hard book to get through...They remind me of so many girls I went to school with at that time...in there wrangler jeans and cowgirl boots......it just is such an awful case. It breaks my heart. The weird thing to me is there are some crime scene pics ( none of the bodies) But there is one shot of the open register and below the register is a bank bag full of money and they just left that......to read the one guys confession makes your stomache hurt.......I mean this was just savage. I wish they had better crime scene pics...I also find it very sad they buried the one girl apart from the others...that bothers me....Anyone been arount the former yogurt shop?? What is it now?? Dose anything look remotly like before??

[Katie]

I am only vaguely aware of this story. Will do some reading on it today.

[SheBoss]

Og Goody! Another story I have never heard of! Thank Goodness Fire Depts are so concerned about the weather here today. That means we'll be dead and I can read about this. Off to Google...

[ScottyMonger]

Yeah man ,thats just awful! To think these guys may get out...Im reading murdered innocents now and I have to say its a hard book to get through...They remind me of so many girls I went to school with at that time...in there wrangler jeans and cowgirl boots......it just is such an awful case. It breaks my heart. The weird thing to me is there are some crime scene pics ( none of the bodies) But there is one shot of the open register and below the register is a bank bag full of money and they just left that......to read the one guys confession makes your stomache hurt.......I mean this was just savage. I wish they had better crime scene pics...I also find it very sad they buried the one girl apart from the others...that bothers me....Anyone been arount the former yogurt shop?? What is it now?? Dose anything look remotly like before??

I will be taking pics of the building in about 1 hour!

[ScottyMonger]

Ok, here are some pics. I'm gonna have to put them in multiple posts because the image files are large and it won't allow me to post them all at once.

This is the front of the strip mall.

[ScottyMonger]

Here is where the yogurt shop was located. It is now one of theose check cashing places. You can see the memorial area surrounded by the pink picket fence in the landscape area of the parking lot.

[Katie]

What street is that? Were you able to take pictures of the memorial?

[ScottyMonger]

Here's another shot of the store and memorial area.

[ScottyMonger]

Here is a closer view of the memorial area.

[ScottyMonger]

Here is the memorial plaque. Amy Ayers was the youngest victim (13) and was shot twice in the head, but was still alive. She managed to crawl almost to front door, and she was the first victim discovered by the fire fighters.

Here is a link that has a video of the mother of 2 of the victims dicussing the case.

http://www.news8austin.com/content/y...78&ArID=176119

[Katie]

That is so sad. So young!!! Thank you for the pics.

[lisalouver]

Hey Scotty, great pics!!! Thank you for getting those shots!

[Deathgoddess]

Thanks for posting these pictures, It seems like they could keep it up a little better though!

[ScottyMonger]

Here is what the outside of the shop looked like during the time of the murders.

[ScottyMonger]

Thanks for posting these pictures, It seems like they could keep it up a little better though!

Yeah, the fence needs a new coat of paint & they need some fresh gravel around the plaque. People still leave offerings there, and you can see candles, flowers, and coins in the picture. Keep in mind that this memorial is within a small landscape area of a strip mall parking lot, so it gets some wear and tear.

[ScottyMonger]

What street is that? Were you able to take pictures of the memorial?

It's at the Southwest corner of West Anderson Lane and Rockwood Lane, in North Austin. The strip mall faces Rockwood Lane, but the actual address is on West Anderson Lane.

[Lisamarie]

Which store is it now?? Scotty thankyou! I havent seen that place for almost 11 years! That brought back memories for me....it looks just the same, I think that Springfield guy is 100% guilty, he knew exactly how Amy Ayers died before they even told people she managed to try to crawl away..he also knew the exact position of her body and during the trial they put his picture of him reaching his arm out to show how Amy was and Amys actual death scene pic side by side and they said there was the most eerie silence in the court.

[ScottyMonger]

Which store is it now?? Scotty thankyou! I havent seen that place for almost 11 years! That brought back memories for me....it looks just the same, I think that Springfield guy is 100% guilty, he knew exactly how Amy Ayers died before they even told people she managed to try to crawl away..he also knew the exact position of her body and during the trial they put his picture of him reaching his arm out to show how Amy was and Amys actual death scene pic side by side and they said there was the most eerie silence in the court.

It's the "Cash-N-Advance" store, one of those places where you pay huge interest rates to get a cash advance against your paycheck.

[Lisamarie]

I also wonder about the people that work there..If I worked ...it would constantly be on my mind...I would always wonder am I walking over the spot one of those girls died?? Do you think its haunted?? Scotty thankyou again! You are wonderful!

[Lisamarie]

Damn you Cash advanced! Scotty do you think the Springfield friends did it??

[Lisamarie]

Scotty, again thankyou what great pics!

[ScottyMonger]

Scotty, again thankyou what great pics!

My pleasure!

The cops have the right guys, but they screwed up with the interrogations, which is one of the main reasons they are getting a retrial. Keep in mind there is virtually no physical evidence to tie the suspects to the murders and that the case is based almost entirely on confessions, which the defense has argued were coerced. There's actual video of cops pointing a gun at Springsteen's head during an interrogation.

[Lisamarie]

I saw that! I was like what is he doing he should know better!! Thay really screwed things up bad! I hope to God they all get death...Scotty what do you think will happen to them and what is the opnion in Austin...dose everyone pretty much agree Springfield is the killer??

[SheBoss]

I've spent quite a while on google doing research of this case today. I can't find a lot of evidence on what actually happened to the girls (gunshots, rape of the 15 yo and burned is about it), but wow, there's a lot of folks who don't believe Springsteen did it. 1 lawyer actually got disbarred over this? Forced confessions, non-use of DNA, corrupt lawyers, reverse fraud? Either Austin PD is as crooked as they come, or someone has sour grapes. Lisa and Scotty - what do you think?

BTW - thanks for the pics Scotty. You're Aces!

[lisalouver]

I've spent quite a while on google doing research of this case today. I can't find a lot of evidence on what actually happened to the girls (gunshots, rape of the 15 yo and burned is about it), but wow, there's a lot of folks who don't believe Springsteen did it. 1 lawyer actually got disbarred over this? Forced confessions, non-use of DNA, corrupt lawyers, reverse fraud? Either Austin PD is as crooked as they come, or someone has sour grapes. Lisa and Scotty - what do you think?

BTW - thanks for the pics Scotty. You're Aces!

I agree on that Scotty is Aces! Did Louie B Mayer say that to Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest when he fired her?

"You're Aces Joanie"

[SheBoss]

I agree on that Scotty is Aces! Did Louie B Mayer say that to Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest when he fired her?

"You're Aces Joanie"

You're right! I knew I had heard that somewhere.