‘It was a lot’: Former KXAN reporter reflects on covering Yogurt Shop Murders in the 90s

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The quadruple homicide at a yogurt shop off Anderson Lane in Austin made headlines in 1991, and KXAN has followed the incident since it occurred.

KXAN’s Nabil Remadna sat down with former KXAN reporter Nancy Miller Barton, who covered the Yogurt Shop Murders in the 90s, to discuss the tragedy.

Use the video player above to listen to the discussion or read an edited transcript of the conversation below.

REMADNA: Explain the impact of the crimes, and the impact the city felt from that tragic news.

BARTON: Hard to believe it was 34 years ago, like that’s a lot of time passing. I actually don’t remember exactly that day when it happened. I remember going to the crime scene. I remember the police vehicles, fire trucks—investigators all over.

What really sits with me more, actually, is the day—that Monday—after, when we went to the school. It was Lanier High School, it’s Navarro now, and we went and we got video at the school, and the principal going on the overhead speakers and telling the kids about what had happened and how upset and sad they were for children to be hearing about their friend’s murder. It was a lot.

REMADNA: What was the mood like in Austin following this event, right after, but also years after?

BARTON: Fear—confusion, I think it became more confusion. “How did this happen?” and “How do we not know four girls are dead—murdered—a building set on fire and we didn’t know?”

They had “Never Forget,” as I recall, there was a song. But also, there were giant billboards for a long time around the city that had huge pictures. They were black, white and red, and had huge pictures of the girls’ faces. I remember when they first revealed them, we had video of the parents looking, and—you don’t need words for that—heartbreaking to have to see that around town all the time.