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Murdered Innocents
Describes how, in 1991, four teenage girls were brutally raped, murdered, and set on fire in a small yogurt shop, a shocking crime that rocked the town of Austin, Texas and resulted in false confessions and an unexpected twist. Original.
431 pages, Paperback
Published February 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
December 10, 2021
I never thought this book would end. Then to find out after all that the case is still unsolved. Mitchell lost me with the play by play interrogations. No one needed all that detail in one swoop. Usually a true crime writer would weave case facts or info around the interrogations. I read every last one in a monotone voice in my head. "So and so left the room. So and so came back in the room." I about fell asleep it was so mind numbing. I hope one day the families get the answers they deserve.
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May 30, 2017
This was a really good read. In depth book about four girls that were murdered in a yogurt shop in 1991. Corey Mitchell provides detailed information leading to the arrest and capture of the criminals responsible for the terrible act they committed. Four star read on this one.
February 7, 2012
I didn't really want to read the book, but my sisters asked me to because they wanted my opinion on it, so it was not really off to a good start.
The case itself is interesting, but there are many things about the book that are annoying. Mitchell is not a great writer, so the writing is often pretty perfunctory, and then he will try and punch it up using really tortured metaphors or strange phrasings. There is a lot of vulgarity, though much of that is quoting, so could be somewhat inevitable.
The most frustrating part is that you come away not knowing what to believe. The author's notes indicate that this was a deliberate choice so the reader could decide, but the reader is not given enough facts to do so. Some of this is because that's how the case is, with a lot of unknowns, but there are also dropped threads, where more information would clearly be available, but is not provided. Also, you can have a point of view and still provide a balanced account, and that didn't happen. (Charges against Springsteen and Scott were dismissed in 2009.)
Add to that how frustrating the case is on its own, and you simply cannot feel good about the convictions or the Texas justice system in general, and that's certainly a valid point, but there could definitely be a better book about it than what was given.
The case itself is interesting, but there are many things about the book that are annoying. Mitchell is not a great writer, so the writing is often pretty perfunctory, and then he will try and punch it up using really tortured metaphors or strange phrasings. There is a lot of vulgarity, though much of that is quoting, so could be somewhat inevitable.
The most frustrating part is that you come away not knowing what to believe. The author's notes indicate that this was a deliberate choice so the reader could decide, but the reader is not given enough facts to do so. Some of this is because that's how the case is, with a lot of unknowns, but there are also dropped threads, where more information would clearly be available, but is not provided. Also, you can have a point of view and still provide a balanced account, and that didn't happen. (Charges against Springsteen and Scott were dismissed in 2009.)
Add to that how frustrating the case is on its own, and you simply cannot feel good about the convictions or the Texas justice system in general, and that's certainly a valid point, but there could definitely be a better book about it than what was given.
June 14, 2017
I have read other books by Corey Mitchell and thought they were good so I was surprised that I really didn't like this book as much as his others. One thing that really bothers me is a lot of unnecessary detail, such as the following:
To reach the Cold Case Unit offices, Detective Paul Johnson would park his car in the parking lot,
walk past the spraying fountain into the West building on the left-hand side, walk past a few small
businesses on the first floor, head to the elevators, get off on the second floor, and take a quick left
down the hallway. The view was uninspiring—a parking lot.
I also found this book a little bit disjointed in the way it was put together. I understand that there has been a lot happen in the case since the writing of this book and its epilogue but I didn't feel there were enough details as to clues that would lead them to the killer(s). Just didn't find this book on par with his others.
To reach the Cold Case Unit offices, Detective Paul Johnson would park his car in the parking lot,
walk past the spraying fountain into the West building on the left-hand side, walk past a few small
businesses on the first floor, head to the elevators, get off on the second floor, and take a quick left
down the hallway. The view was uninspiring—a parking lot.
I also found this book a little bit disjointed in the way it was put together. I understand that there has been a lot happen in the case since the writing of this book and its epilogue but I didn't feel there were enough details as to clues that would lead them to the killer(s). Just didn't find this book on par with his others.
July 12, 2015
I believe this is the 3rd book I have tried to read by Corey Mitchell, and I have not been able to finish any of them. I have finally come to the conclusion that that is due to the author, not the subject matter. I have been a huge fan of true crime for about 15 years, and for whatever reason, Mitchell's books are the only ones I have never been able to finish. Mitchell is just too wordy, his books are just filled with facts, not a STORY of the facts. This book was back to back reports of all the false confessions random people were making. Mitchell goes enough into the background of the victims, but again, it's just sentence after sentence of facts; think, reading paragraphs on a Wikipedia page. There's no STORY there. No motivation to read more. I love Ann Rule - that woman could make a story about the alphabet. Mitchell needs to take some classes from Rule.
October 20, 2016
I normally enjoy true crime books, being a true crime buff. But this book, I couldn't finish. Not because the case isn't interesting, but the book itself is too long and instead of a story, it read like a never-ending newspaper article. Did we really need to read all of the interrogations with the suspects? A true storyteller would have woven in the facts of the case with quotes from the interrogations to make a point/ draw a conclusion. Instead, Mitchell appears to have copied and pasted entire transcripts. SO DULL. If you're curious about this case, you're better off Googling it and reading various articles about it. Less of a waste of time and money.
July 21, 2018
good reading. sad to say, I googled the updates on the perpetrators and this case is still unsolved!! all appeals proved the original suspects DID NOT COMMITT THE CRIME!!
November 21, 2011
found this very jumpy, and not very thorough. not one of his better books.
January 25, 2023
I liked the book. It shows how the police just wanted the crime solved not the actual murder.
November 13, 2014
I remember this event very well. I was a 7th grade student at Lamar Middle School, connected to these girls by a matter of degrees, though I didn't know them personally. It was a scary time, to say the least.
So, naturally, I was curious when I saw this book on the shelf at Barnes and Noble. The first part, about the girls themselves, was my favorite part. I appreciated the feeling of getting to know them better as people, rather than as "SAJE" or the "Yogurt Shop Girls" or simply the faces of something awful. Also, there was a great deal of information on the case that I didn't know before. And having been in Austin- and within 2 miles of this event- when it happened, that was interesting.
Mitchell weaves several different stories into this book- that of the girls, that of the accused and tried, and the story of those who sought justice. Each story is, of itself, interesting. It seems they should intertwine fairly easily, but they often seemed disjointed. All in all, not a bad book, but not the best I've read.
One is most likely to hold an interest in this book if they have some connection to Austin during that time.
So, naturally, I was curious when I saw this book on the shelf at Barnes and Noble. The first part, about the girls themselves, was my favorite part. I appreciated the feeling of getting to know them better as people, rather than as "SAJE" or the "Yogurt Shop Girls" or simply the faces of something awful. Also, there was a great deal of information on the case that I didn't know before. And having been in Austin- and within 2 miles of this event- when it happened, that was interesting.
Mitchell weaves several different stories into this book- that of the girls, that of the accused and tried, and the story of those who sought justice. Each story is, of itself, interesting. It seems they should intertwine fairly easily, but they often seemed disjointed. All in all, not a bad book, but not the best I've read.
One is most likely to hold an interest in this book if they have some connection to Austin during that time.
June 6, 2014
This book I definitely recommend, because it has led me to some interesting research - specifically, The National Registry of Exonerations ... because all charges were dropped against at least two of the convicted; because the real killers are still out there, because the families still await real justice ... and that's why I recommend this book: it's actually a textbook about how police can railroad & intimidate people into making false confessions, and what happens to a person when they get caught in that maw! ... which led me to the aforementioned site: this is apparently more of a rampant epidemic that any of the physical illnesses I have, and one that everyone needs to be aware of!!!
July 26, 2009
I read the book and felt that it was jumpy - not smoothly written. It didn't truly cover all aspects of the case, and left me feeling that the railroad is alive and well in Austin, Texas, where murder begets legal murder, even when the accused can't be proven guilty without a shadow of a doubt.
Four murderees, four alleged murderers with forced confessions. It was not justice it was revenge.
Four murderees, four alleged murderers with forced confessions. It was not justice it was revenge.
March 1, 2010
I love true crime books. This one started out good, but as I got halfway through the book, I started to lose interest in finishing it. It seemed to draw itself out once it started talking about the capture of the suspects and the trial.
May 22, 2013
Loved this book....What a terrible way to die.
July 19, 2021
I haven't read a true crime book in a while, so I forgot how attached you can get to the families involved. I couldn't imagine losing my child the way these parents did. It was such a horrific crime. When the author talks about how the girls died during the trials, it was just so disturbing.
And, I can't believe how long it took to solve this case. It seems that they really messed up the investigation.
Spoiler alert: I went on Google after I finished this book because I wanted to know what happened to the two people that were charged with the murders. They were actually released from jail in 2009, so they didn't spend very long in jail. Their convictions were actually overturned. And if they really didn't do it, that's fine, I don't believe in jailing a person just to close up a crime. I hate to hear about innocent people being punished for a crime they didn't commit. While reading this book, I kept on thinking the police investigation was a little wonky. The author of the book passed away a couple of years ago, so no update about that was added to the book (at least not the copy I read anyways). I couldn't find anything online that they police are investigating anyone else for these 4 murders. Did the police just decide to give up? Is it an active cold-case? I can't imagine being the parents of any of these girls. Very sad all around.
And, I can't believe how long it took to solve this case. It seems that they really messed up the investigation.
Spoiler alert: I went on Google after I finished this book because I wanted to know what happened to the two people that were charged with the murders. They were actually released from jail in 2009, so they didn't spend very long in jail. Their convictions were actually overturned. And if they really didn't do it, that's fine, I don't believe in jailing a person just to close up a crime. I hate to hear about innocent people being punished for a crime they didn't commit. While reading this book, I kept on thinking the police investigation was a little wonky. The author of the book passed away a couple of years ago, so no update about that was added to the book (at least not the copy I read anyways). I couldn't find anything online that they police are investigating anyone else for these 4 murders. Did the police just decide to give up? Is it an active cold-case? I can't imagine being the parents of any of these girls. Very sad all around.
July 29, 2018
I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the in depth detail given to let us know the feelings involved from all sides. The gruesome details let's the reader know the sickness of the person(s) involved in this heinous crime. If you enjoy reading true crime, give this a go.
I went to the authors page to get updates, only to discover his page was up for sale.
After further research, I discovered he passed away in 2015.
*SPOILER*
Having investigated further about this case, mainly because I was pissed the one kid never went to trial, I was taken aback to learn the other two men had been released from prison. Then to also discover DNA did NOT match any of them. I'm not a proponent of the death penalty for this exact reason! My heart hurts for these families and I hope justice is one day served.
I went to the authors page to get updates, only to discover his page was up for sale.
After further research, I discovered he passed away in 2015.
*SPOILER*
Having investigated further about this case, mainly because I was pissed the one kid never went to trial, I was taken aback to learn the other two men had been released from prison. Then to also discover DNA did NOT match any of them. I'm not a proponent of the death penalty for this exact reason! My heart hurts for these families and I hope justice is one day served.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2021
This was a good book. I read the Lowery book on the case before this one. The Lowery book is a bit more thorough and has the benefit of more hindsight. As for the Mitchell book, I liked it, but not as much as the Lowery book. Mitchell’s book, just my opinion, paints what happened as more black and white; whereas, the Lowery book explored more theories of the crime.
After reading both books, and listening to Stephanie Harlowe’s podcast where she clearly uses both books for research, I’m still uncertain about who committed these crimes. After Lowery’s book, I was convinced the four men were innocent. Now, after the Mitchell book, I’m not so certain. I wish someone would definitively solve this case as it it is one of the few cases that really baffles me.
After reading both books, and listening to Stephanie Harlowe’s podcast where she clearly uses both books for research, I’m still uncertain about who committed these crimes. After Lowery’s book, I was convinced the four men were innocent. Now, after the Mitchell book, I’m not so certain. I wish someone would definitively solve this case as it it is one of the few cases that really baffles me.
October 31, 2022
dec 6th 1991 jennifer harbison and her friend eliza thomas and sarah harbison and amy ayers were inside the i cant believe its yogurt shop closing up for the night when they were interupted by someone coming through the back door. it took years and lots of work to catch who was responsible with false confessions and police intimidation in the end 4 guys were charged. the 2 found guilty micheal scott got life and robert springsteen the 4th got the death penelty. was justice really served for these girls and will the whole story about what happened ever be told...many people knew about it but were to afraid to come forward to help solve this case.in the end 4 girls died that had great futures ahead of them for no reason...
May 22, 2017
Excellent Read!
Almost from the very beginning, you know how the book will end ------ this does not distract from the read. 4 stars instead of 5, is due to the boring and monotonous telling of the trials every word.
Almost from the very beginning, you know how the book will end ------ this does not distract from the read. 4 stars instead of 5, is due to the boring and monotonous telling of the trials every word.
February 19, 2018
Interesting and sad story
The story itself was gripping, but the storytelling sometimes seemed lacking. There was a lot of judgement in the book, and it didn't always seem to be appropriate.
The story itself was gripping, but the storytelling sometimes seemed lacking. There was a lot of judgement in the book, and it didn't always seem to be appropriate.
July 8, 2020
To me this is the superior book on the crime. However, it was written before a lot of other information would later come out. As such, it is not the "full story." However, Mitchell did dig and hit on the information that needed to be hit on. I think he was fairly objective in his writing.
September 30, 2017
Excellent account of the murder of 4 teen-aged girls by 4 teen-aged boys in 1991. The author clearly presented the case with an analysis of the girls, the boys, and then the court cases.
July 29, 2019
A compelling true crime story that kind of gets lost in the storytelling
July 8, 2022
The thing about true crime stories is that some of them are written very well, while others are still well written, but boring and drag out.
August 30, 2022
there no justice in this world.
how can humans be so cruel ???
https://www.statesman.com/story/news/...
how can humans be so cruel ???
https://www.statesman.com/story/news/...
January 22, 2023
Long and drawn out
Enjoyed the start of book but it got too long winded. The trial parts felt like it was never going to end.
Enjoyed the start of book but it got too long winded. The trial parts felt like it was never going to end.
June 30, 2025
Slow Read
Reading about the trials seemed slow and sleepy at times. It was difficult for me, at times,to continue reading until I finished the book.
Reading about the trials seemed slow and sleepy at times. It was difficult for me, at times,to continue reading until I finished the book.
August 14, 2023
This case was so heartbreaking while also immensely entertaining regarding the trial. This was extremely detailed and felt like a podcast while listening. However, while engaging to listen to as an audiobook, I would have 1000% given up reading this with my eyeballs, and is why I can't give this a perfect score.
June 6, 2016
This is one of those books that makes me feel guilty for rating "I really liked it" because it's not a book you "like." I liked the author's style but got bored reading through all the court hearings knowing, of course, that that's a huge part of the story. You can't write enough about the murders to fill a book.
Possible Spoiler Alert: I read updated news online; don't do that before you read the book.
Will this crime ever be solved?
Possible Spoiler Alert: I read updated news online; don't do that before you read the book.
Will this crime ever be solved?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews