Sneak peek: Innocence Lost | Forensic Files

Jony yeah uh you hear about the call 2900 West Anderson yeah I'm headed over there
2900 2900 that's that's a uh business I'm JN Jones I was a sergeant investigator I was working night watch
out of homicide when this call comes out okay I'm copying the Fire part you cut out on the first part of that first
it was uh you know firing a business I stand for then they called me on the radio and said we got three
people de triple Fatality and I got about a mile down the road and they said make that
four no that's a shopping center [Music] what place of business is this here this is the I can't
believe and we got out there and uh it was just a seea a red more than 25 years ago I started
reporting on what turned out to be the most horrific Crime Story I have ever encountered it happened here in Austin
Texas in December 1991 I'll never forget how the lead detective described the crime scene for
a long time I shed out what I saw this uh wholesale Carnage we knew immediately that they were
kids Eliza Thomas Amy SS Jennifer Harbison and her sister Sarah at 3:00 that morning um some people were
at my door and then they said there was a fire and um they told us that both of my girls were
dead it wasn't just the fact that four young girls were killed it was how they were
killed I've seen homicides but not four and not four all tied up and not four stripped down and not four burned
they were stacked their bodies were stacked they were burned and they were stacked one of the toughest Parts about
this was having to deal with those parents the next morning and try to look them in the eye and tell them we're
going to do everything in our power to make sure we get the people that did it you have some suspects but none of these
are ready to be arrested no it took years to come up with any answers but finally in 1999 there were suspects and
arrests early this morning the Austin Police Department served four arrest warrants charging four individuals with
capital murder are you one of the killers of those four little girls in that yogurt
shop no no way not at all I'm Robert Springsteen and I'm just a normal guy four children dead in an area where you
think they'd be say a Suburban shopping mall I never thought that tonight more than 25 years after these girls were
murdered that I would still be reporting on this story but as it turns out that closed case wasn't closed after
all it's the first time we have physical proof about who was there did authorities get it wrong did they put
innocent men in prison they've been looking at the wrong people the entire time the killers are still out there I
know for a fact I know one of them [Music]

The murder of four young girls leads to two murder convictions -- but then everything fell apart; 25 years later, there's new DNA evidence. "48 Hours"' Erin Moriarty has the latest on the case she says she can't forget, Saturday, Jan. 21 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

Brief Summary

The episode recounts the 1991 yogurt shop murders in Austin and the flawed investigation that followed.

Key points

The Horrific Crime Scene. A detective describes a crime scene involving four young girls in Austin, Texas.
Arrests Made After Years. Years later, four individuals are arrested for the capital murder of four girls.
The Case Reopened. More than 25 years later, the case is reopened with new evidence.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I can't believe we got out there and it was just a seea a red.

1:10WatchJan 19, 2017

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