August 4Aug 4 Episode 1 of a four-part docuseries dropped tonight. Just crazy that the bastards who did this got away with it.
August 4Aug 4 Pretty good first hour. Probably in the minority, but I prefer shows that drop once a week.
August 4Aug 4 Popular Post 53 minutes ago, bschoolprof said: anything new for the initiated? Killer may be on this thread asking for anything new....
August 4Aug 4 42 minutes ago, speed817 said: Killer may be on this thread asking for anything new.... I was about to ask what are the chances the killer/killers have been members of this board? Also, I'm craving some froyo after watching that.
August 4Aug 4 Author 1 hour ago, bschoolprof said: anything new for the initiated? First episode ended with a lengthy interview with one of the mothers that was shot in '09 that was heart-wrenching. The footage was from an unfinished documentary. Pretty interesting.
August 4Aug 4 I wish they wouldn't have kept showing footage of Highland Mall whenever they talked about Northcross Mall.
August 4Aug 4 This case deeply touched me especially because it happened in the area I grew up and my wife use to get yogurt there all the time before the murders. I will wait for all episodes to drop before watching. Never understood how this case didn’t get solved.
August 4Aug 4 21 minutes ago, Horn80 said: Never understood how this case didn’t get solved. Yeah. It's not like forensics and other investigative means were of stone-age quality in 1991. They were eventually able to find the killer of Michael Morton's wife, and that happened in 1987. This case was so horrific that I lived halfway across the country at the time and we heard about this on the news in North Carolina.
August 4Aug 4 Author 31 minutes ago, Horn80 said: This case deeply touched me especially because it happened in the area I grew up and my wife use to get yogurt there all the time before the murders. I will wait for all episodes to drop before watching. Never understood how this case didn’t get solved. 6 minutes ago, South Austin said: Yeah. It's not like forensics and other investigative means were of stone-age quality in 1991. They were eventually able to find the killer of Michael Morton's wife, and that happened in 1987. This case was so horrific that I lived halfway across the country at the time and we heard about this on the news in North Carolina. They mentioned in the first episode that DNA testing was pretty new at that time. The biggest problem was the fire and especially the water used to put the fire out. Boatloads of forensic evidence was washed away.
August 4Aug 4 16 minutes ago, TrashMaster G said: The biggest problem was the fire and especially the water used to put the fire out. Boatloads of forensic evidence was washed away.
August 4Aug 4 I was in high school when this happened. Luckily I was 18 or my mother would have locked me in my room until the murderer was found.
August 4Aug 4 some nostalgic clips of early 90s Austin brought back a ton of memories. Oh, and that "we are the world" style tribute song from the Austin musicians.. tuuuuurible.
August 4Aug 4 Forgot this was coming to HBO but rolled across it last night. Hit record and Mrs C-Man (who loves this shit) and I will start it this week. This was my freshman year at UT. I remember it being very, very unnerving.
August 4Aug 4 well I did not grow up in austin but for some dumb reason I had always thought this happened next to campus at the TCBY on mlk/lavaca. learn something new every day.
August 4Aug 4 2 hours ago, TrashMaster G said: First episode ended with a lengthy interview with one of the mothers that was shot in '09 that was heart-wrenching. The footage was from an unfinished documentary. Pretty interesting. That was tough to watch. I looked over at my wife after that and she was very upset. We have 2 daughters and one works at a yogurt shop now, so it hit a bit close to home. I was 11 when it happened and remember the city feeling different afterwards for quite a while.
August 4Aug 4 1 hour ago, MissingInAction said: I was in high school when this happened. Luckily I was 18 or my mother would have locked me in my room until the murderer was found. Sounds like you don't have an alibi
August 4Aug 4 4 hours ago, TrashMaster G said: Boatloads of forensic evidence was washed away. @Nicole44
August 4Aug 4 Was it Lobo that talked about potential coverups? The whole thing always seemed weird as hell with the cops.
August 4Aug 4 12 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said: Was it Lobo that talked about potential coverups? The whole thing always seemed weird as hell with the cops. Contaminated crime scene, myopic and biased investigation, questionable and extremely flawed prosecutions. It was a perfect storm of fuckups. Everyone was in CYA mode in the aftermath destroying any hope for a true investigation.
August 5Aug 5 5 hours ago, Herpa Derpa said: Contaminated crime scene, myopic and biased investigation, questionable and extremely flawed prosecutions. It was a perfect storm of fuckups. Everyone was in CYA mode in the aftermath destroying any hope for a true investigation. I recall shitty police work with an extremely difficult crime scene, which tracks with all of what you wrote. Sadly too typical in investigations, I recall them getting on a specific, incorrect trail and refusing to move away from it.
August 5Aug 5 11 hours ago, futureman said: well I did not grow up in austin but for some dumb reason I had always thought this happened next to campus at the TCBY on mlk/lavaca. learn something new every day. I bet you do
August 5Aug 5 I’m not enjoying this documentary at all. I suppose that no one is supposed to though. I guess it’s weird that so many people enjoy murder documentaries. I hadn’t really thought about it through this lens before.
August 5Aug 5 8 hours ago, Herpa Derpa said: Contaminated crime scene, myopic and biased investigation, questionable and extremely flawed prosecutions. It was a perfect storm of fuckups. Everyone was in CYA mode in the aftermath destroying any hope for a true investigation. 2 hours ago, BurntEyes said: I recall shitty police work with an extremely difficult crime scene, which tracks with all of what you wrote. Sadly too typical in investigations, I recall them getting on a specific, incorrect trail and refusing to move away from it. My feeling always was this was the moment where the small-town charm that Austin tried to hold onto into the early 90s really bit it in the ass. Edited August 5Aug 5 by atomheartbevo
August 5Aug 5 1 hour ago, Elvis said: I’m not enjoying this documentary at all. I suppose that no one is supposed to though. I guess it’s weird that so many people enjoy murder documentaries. I hadn’t really thought about it through this lens before. What's the saying...there's two kinds of women, those who enjoy true-crime documentaries and TV shows, and those who enjoy creating content for them.
August 5Aug 5 As someone whose family went through a scenario where a loved one lost their life tragically and way too soon, this is cathartic. I’m so glad that they’re focusing on these kids lives before they died and how much they were loved. A couple of thoughts: 1. When the brother mentioned forgetting a little of his sister everyday, gut-wrenching. You try so hard to remember everything, and overtime they become shadows. 2. What in the actual fuck with the manager and identifying the bodies? That poor, poor woman. 3. The interview with the mom at the end was devastating. Here you have this person who has tried to be so strong over the years. She’s obviously funny, and a great mother. Then, in having to recount the worst night of her life becomes this ball of grief and pain. It’s so hard to watch. These families have had their lives ripped apart every day since those murders and they still don’t know why. The interview began clumsily, but that was completely engrossing.
August 5Aug 5 9 hours ago, Elvis said: I guess it’s weird that so many people enjoy murder documentaries. I hadn’t really thought about it through this lens before. There is indeed a fascination with human depravity, and like everything else, filmmakers, studios, and streaming companies cash in on it. I went through a period in college when I consumed true crime books, and every now and then I watch a true crime documentary if I can tell that it's well produced. My wife, though, watches that stuff like it's oxygen. I heard a report on NPR a few years ago that women in particular are drawn to true crime stories, in particular those that involve crimes against women, because they have a strong empathetic connection to them, especially if they have been the victim of some kind of sexual assault or sexual abuse.
August 5Aug 5 47 minutes ago, South Austin said: I heard a report on NPR a few years ago that women in particular are drawn to true crime stories, in particular those that involve crimes against women, because they have a strong empathetic connection to them And some are just doing research. @Nicole44
August 5Aug 5 That ending interview with the mom was so raw. She did an outstanding job conveying what that night was like and what the grief feels like. It’s good the interviewer woman realized how stupid and annoying she was and still is.
August 5Aug 5 Popular Post 3 hours ago, Helobious said: It’s good the interviewer woman realized how stupid and annoying she was and still is. You could learn something from her. Just sayin'.
August 5Aug 5 4 hours ago, South Austin said: I heard a report on NPR a few years ago that women in particular are drawn to true crime stories, in particular those that involve crimes against women, because they have a strong empathetic connection to them, especially if they have been the victim of some kind of sexual assault or sexual abuse. Every fan club and facebook group related to true crime, wrongful convictions, etc is at least 50% middle aged white women.
August 5Aug 5 On 8/4/2025 at 3:05 PM, atomheartbevo said: Was it Lobo that talked about potential coverups? The whole thing always seemed weird as hell with the cops. JimmyJames
August 6Aug 6 As time has passed far too long in this case with no answers I thought perhaps it might be connected to the I-70 killer. I’m sort of Thrown off by the two different calibers used here though. At any rate no one has found the I-70 either. same time frame for the yogurt shop murders and the I-70 killer was seemingly only interested in killing people working in stores or shops. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-70_killer 12 hours ago, Deej said: And some are just doing research. @Nicole44 Edited August 6Aug 6 by Nicole44
August 6Aug 6 IMO everything about this case points to a serial killer. Of the four victims there was one he had to have, and the others were just in his way. He wasnt alone either. The two different calibres used tell us that. Edited August 6Aug 6 by MissingInAction
August 6Aug 6 Did all the teen boys (wrongly) arrested for this go to McCallum or just Wellborn? I had thought they were all dropouts. Edited August 6Aug 6 by Helobious
August 6Aug 6 i particularly liked the sign on the APD interrogation room that said "quite please". really gives you the feeling they had the attention to detail to crack the case.
August 6Aug 6 6 hours ago, Revolution512 said: Nothing about the crime says inexperienced teenagers but APD gonna APD. Was the fire really started with hairspray & a lighter? They kinda glossed over that.
August 6Aug 6 On 8/5/2025 at 7:29 AM, Kermit said: As someone whose family went through a scenario where a loved one lost their life tragically and way too soon, this is cathartic. I’m so glad that they’re focusing on these kids lives before they died and how much they were loved. A couple of thoughts: 1. When the brother mentioned forgetting a little of his sister everyday, gut-wrenching. You try so hard to remember everything, and overtime they become shadows. Hits way, way too close to home.
August 7Aug 7 The interviews with family were gut wrenching. Murder is just devastating on a family, perhaps only suicide has a worse impact. In high school a buddy’s girl friend was abducted and found dead in a ditch in Mississippi. Her family just disintegrated into divorce and addiction. i don’t know enough yet about the dude or the case that was released from death row. My brother in law lived in Austin and he said he remembered it and had moved away and didn’t know the killers were released and it remains unsolved.
August 7Aug 7 9 hours ago, shadow_operative2.0 said: Was the fire really started with hairspray & a lighter? They kinda glossed over that. I caught that but agree they glossed over that part. Don’t think I’ve ever seen anything in all these years on what started the fire.
August 7Aug 7 Yep, more needs to be explained on that front. Gunshots to heads, we get it. Setting the shop on fire well enough to fuck most shit up, not so much.
August 7Aug 7 Hairspray doesnt burn like that. I know because i used hiarspray as an accelerent in a potato gun. Great way to ignite as a trigger because it combusts instantly. Also what kid from the 80s didnt make a flamethrower out of their moms aquanet? Had to be kerosene or gasoline. Edited August 7Aug 7 by MissingInAction
August 7Aug 7 1 hour ago, MissingInAction said: I know because i used hiarspray as an accelerent in a potato gun. This is one of oddest and most outstanding things I've read on Surly in a while.
August 7Aug 7 On 8/4/2025 at 10:26 PM, Elvis said: I’m not enjoying this documentary at all. I suppose that no one is supposed to though. I guess it’s weird that so many people enjoy murder documentaries. I hadn’t really thought about it through this lens before. Documentaries about topics that are inherently negative like murder are intended to make you feel a certain way and think critically about stuff. The example I always cite is Blackfish, which is specifically designed to make you (rightly) hate Sea World.
August 7Aug 7 On 8/5/2025 at 11:19 PM, MissingInAction said: IMO everything about this case points to a serial killer. Of the four victims there was one he had to have, and the others were just in his way. He wasnt alone either. The two different calibres used tell us that. Don't most serial killers act alone?
August 7Aug 7 1 hour ago, Dennis Taylor said: Don't most serial killers act alone? I am talking straight out of my ass. Except when it comes to blowing shit up.
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