The Yogurt Shop Murders – Review | HBO Max

THE YOGURT SHOP MURDERS is a new HBO True Crime Docuseries with four episodes that focus on both the victims and suspects. I’ve watched a lot of true crime productions, and this is definitely one of the better. Read our full The Yogurt Shop Murders series review here!

THE YOGURT SHOP MURDERS is an HBO Original True Crime documentary in four parts. I remember having heard about the four murders previously, but not being aware of too many details. Not least about the suspects and several confessions over the years.

In some ways, this reminded me of Making a Murderer in terms of focusing on both the murder victims and all the other victims; From relatives and friends of those who were killed, to the suspects and even the homicide detectives struggling with few clues.

I won’t name any of the suspects in this case, but I do want to name the victims.

THE VICTIMS OF THE YOGURT SHOP MURDERS

The four girls were Amy Ayers (13), sisters Jennifer Harbison (17) and Sarah Harbison (15), and Eliza Thomas (17).  All four were friends and were murdered at the yogurt shop, where Jennifer and Eliza worked, around closing time.

Continue reading our The Yogurt Shop Murders docu-series review below. Start watching on HBO and streaming on HBO Max from August 3, 2025.

Four teenage girls murdered in Austin, TX, in 1991

The Yogurt Shop Murders is a true crime production focusing on the murders of four teenage girls in 1991. They were murdered in an I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt shop in Austin, Texas. The girls were shot, but the shop was then set on fire, which ruined all immediate evidence.

In 1991, the use of DNA was still fairly new, and databases were still in the very early stages. Remember, the Golden State Killer wasn’t caught until decades later, thanks to the advancement of DNA and the use of combined databases.

This documentary has a lot of new footage, which is combined with an abandoned previous documentary attempt from 2009. The documentary filmmaker from the 2009 project is also interviewed for this, and having both new and this older footage is a true gift.

Getting the actual killer vs. “solving” the case

Hearing from relatives of the four girls, who were murdered, is key. So are interviews with homicide detectives working the case, plus the suspects and their defense attorneys. So much was done wrong by several detectives working this case.

But also, I have to give credit to the very first homicide detectives who worked the case. Rarely have I experienced detectives who were so clearly focused on getting the actual murder or murderer. As opposed to just “solving” the case, I mean.

As it was apparent in Making a Murderer and is obvious in The Yogurt Shop Murders, this is not a given. Some detectives care more about having “solved” 100% of their cases than getting the right perpetrator.

Such a heartbreaking story

Watching The Yogurt Shop Murders is a heartbreaking experience due to the involvement of the relatives of the murdered girls. We observe parents and siblings interviewed multiple times over decades. They are always longing for answers and an ending to this nightmare.

The more time that passes, the more impossible it seems, but then comes DNA. Of course, it also seems quite obvious that some homicide detectives are telling the relatives that the killers have already been identified.

With this murder case, the problem is that there are many confessions. Not least, many false confessions. Not from people who get their kicks out of claiming to be guilty, but people who are “convinced” of their guilt.

Never admit a mistake

Watching the videos of these confessions, it seems so obvious that the men who confess are ultimately just trying to give the officers what they want. Practically guessing at what happened until they get it right.

Once they give a “correct” answer, the police can then say, “See, only the killer would know this”. And completely ignore that this correct answer came after increasingly creative wrong answers, focusing only on when they finally said the right thing.

I don’t know for sure that the suspects are innocent, but I do know the police officers lied to these suspects and took hours to build “correct confessions” out of them. Also, there is no physical evidence against them, and the DNA evidence does not match any of them.

And yet, as we’ve seen in so many true crime productions, neither the police nor the prosecution will ever admit being wrong. They’ll accuse more people if there’s a DNA match later, but still seem hellbound on also getting their initial suspects.

It’s wasted energy from the evidence we’re presented with… which is non-existent.

Watch The Yogurt Shop Murders on HBO Max and HBO

The new HBO Original four-part documentary series was directed by Margaret Brown (Descendant). The Yogurt Shop Murders is an A24 and Fruit Tree production, and producers include two-time Oscar winner Emma Stone.

For me, this is one of the best true crime documentaries I have watched due to covering so many aspect, and always focusing on the victims. Even managing to focus on the fact that these murders of four white teenage girls got more attention than any other murders.

We hear from the relatives in very candid and vulnerable interviews, while also hearing from homicide detectives, those who have been accused, convicted, and had their convictions overturned, along with reporters who have followed the case.

It enables us, the audience, to make up our own minds. Not that there is any right answer as the case is still not solved, but allowing for multiple points of view to be shared.

The Yogurt Murders premieres on HBO at 10 PM on August 3, 2025, and streams on HBO Max. The remaining episodes are released on Sundays.