In December 1991, police in Austin, Texas, found four teen girls murdered in a yogurt shop. Now an Alabama filmmaker’s look at the seemingly random crime and its convoluted aftermath is set to debut at a major film festival.
Mobile native Margaret Brown recently announced that “The Yogurt Shop Murders,” a series she directed for A24 and HBO, will premiere in March at the South by Southwest Film Festival.
Brown’s past projects include the documentary films “Order of Myths,” about racial lines in Mobile’s Mardi Gras celebrations; “The Great Invisible,” about the Deepwater Horizon Disaster; and “Descendant,” an award-winning project that drew new attention to the story of the slave ship Clotilda and the Africatown community. This will be her first time directing a series and her first project in the true-crime genre.
According to a description on the festival website, “The Yogurt Shop Murders” series “dives into the immense trauma left by the crime and details the maze of the investigation. Interviews with family members, investigators, and suspects, along with a trove of archival footage, reveal a crime scene ravaged by fire and water, an overwhelmed police department, and a terrified city. Countless twists and turns uncover false confessions, overturned convictions, and endless speculation. The central question of the series revolves around the experience of loss and the ways in which we bear its scars.”
The case became a subject of long-term interest in part because the crime scene was gruesome and the results of multiple investigations were inconclusive: Two men were convicted but those convictions later were overturned. According to the Internet Movie Database, the case has been the subject of episodes of “People Magazine Investigates” and “48 Hours.”
The SXSW Fest takes place March 7-15. According to the festival website, “The Yogurt Shop Murders” will be screened at noon March 10. The project is being produced by Fruit Tree, a production company co-founded by actress Emma Stone and her husband, comedian and director Dave McCary.
No release date has been announced for “The Yogurt Shop Murders.”
Read MoreIn 2024 the Coral Reefer Band tested the waters to see if they could still find an audience without Jimmy Buffett at the helm, and arena-filling crowds turned out. Now they’ve landed a 2025 gig opening for some classic-rock heavyweights.
Alabama musicians and longtime Buffett collaborators Mac McAnally and Will Kimbrough were among those sharing the news this week that the Coral Reefers will open for the Doobie Brothers on a run of 19 shows between early August and mid-September.
“Having The Coral Reefer Band on board with us at these shows really makes this a special experience for the audience and all of us,” founding Doobie Brother Patrick Simmons said in a band announcement. “Doobies and Reefers, hmm… sounds like a perfect match!”
According to the Doobie Brothers’ tour announcement, their North American summer tour will support the release of a new studio album, to be titled “Walk This Road.” The album is slated for release in early June.
Unfortunately for Buffett’s Gulf Coast fans, the tour dates announced so far include only one show in the Deep South, a Sept. 15 stop in Franklin, Tenn. However, the announcement said that more dates are in the works.
The Doobies’ new album features Simmons, Tom Johnston, John McFee and Michael McDonald, making it “the first album by the foursome in over 40 years,” according to promotional materials. The four have toured together in recent years. Two songs have been released from the collection, including the title track.
Read MoreAlabama football star receiver Ryan Williams has secured an NIL deal which relates back to him originally supporting his sister.
Williams is now a partner with Sally Hansen, a nail product company. The Saraland native announced the deal on Instagram recently upon turning 18.
Williams, as a freshman receiver for the Crimson Tide, became known for having painted nails. He keeps them painted for a family reason.
“My little sister, she just loves doing nails,” Williams said in September, “and I support her fully.”
Williams is heading into his second season with the Crimson Tide. He caught 48 passes for 865 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024 to go with four rushes for 48 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
The AFCA named him a second-team All-America selection. The FWAA placed him on its freshman All-America team, too. SEC coaches also named him to the All-SEC first team.
Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.
Read MoreBrooks has released all new monochromatic Ghost Max SE colors that will only be available for a limited-time.
Both the men’s and women’s Ghost Max SE now come in two new colors each. The women’s limited-edition colors include Rose/Tuscany and Lilac/Lavender while the men’s new colors are Green/Sea and Stone/Oak.
Women’s Ghost Max SE – $160
The women’s Ghost Max SE is available in two limited-edition colors.
The Ghost Max SE comes in four color options overall, all of which are stylish, monochromatic designs. It also comes with an advanced cushioning system composed of nitrogen-infused DNA LOFT v3 foam, offering a soft and protective feel.
RELATED: Brooks running shoes you can get on sale this week
Highlighted Product Feature: One standout feature of the Brooks Ghost Max SE is its GlideRoll Rocker technology, which promotes effortless transitions from heel to toe, enhancing a smooth running experience. This technology is particularly beneficial for runners seeking to maintain a consistent pace without fatigue.
Other Features: The nitrogen-infused DNA LOFT v3 foam provides an exceptionally lightweight and protective cushioning layer, allowing for a soft landing and reducing impact during runs. This feature sets the Ghost Max SE apart, making it ideal for long-distance running while ensuring comfort and support.
Those interested in the Ghost Max SE can checkout the full listing on Brooks’ website here.
Read MoreThe No. 3 Florida Gators play against the No. 22 Mississippi State Bulldogs in an SEC basketball game tonight. The matchup will begin at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN 2. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.
The Gators enter this matchup with a 20-3 record, and they are coming off an impressive 90-81 win against No. 1 Auburn.
During the victory, five Florida players scored double-digit points: Alex Condon, Denzel Aberdeen, Will Richard, Walter Clayton Jr., and Thomas Haugh.
Notably, Clayton Jr. scored 19 points and shot 4-8 from three-point range. With this in mind, he will be a key player to watch tonight.
The Bulldogs enter this matchup with a 17-6 record, and they are coming off a 76-75 win against Georgia. During the victory, Josh Hubbard led the Mississippi State offense. He scored 16 points and leads the team in scoring this season, so he will try to continue his offensive success this evening.
Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.
Read MoreA bill to legally define male and female solely by biological sex advanced Tuesday through the Alabama House Committee on Health.
Opponents at the committee’s public hearing raised concerns that the bill will lead to further discrimination against transgender people and violate their right to privacy.
“This bill surreptitiously targets trans people,” biologist Samuel Bartley wrote in a statement that was read at the hearing.
“It conflates existence with crime. It decides where someone is and is not allowed to exist.”
Rep. Neil Rafferty, R-Birmingham, proposed an amendment for “a reasonable expectation of privacy” that would prevent genital inspections or any other type of verification process at bathrooms as a consequence of the bill, but it died in committee.
House sponsor Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, said the bill did not seek to create “a bathroom police.” But Rafferty argued that it could, as it does apply to public accommodations in the state.
The bill, SB79, passed the Alabama Senate last week by a vote of 26-5, with Democratic senators casting the no votes.
It was brought forth by Sen. April Weaver, R-Brierfield, and defines a female as someone whose reproductive system produces ova and a male as someone whose reproductive system produces sperm.
But Bartley’s statement argued that writing laws based on these definitions was an “affront” to biology itself.
“A fundamental tenant of biology is that definitions shift with new information,” Bartley wrote.
“Claiming that definitions are immutable betrays that these are not biologists that made this bill. But if they are, they should be deeply ashamed.”
“The definitions in this bill contain factual information,” the statement continued. “But this information is misused and irrelevant to the bill’s findings.”
During the committee meeting, Rafferty agreed that defining sex legally may not be as “common sense” as Weaver and DuBose have claimed it is.
When asked by Rafferty what lawmakers were trying to accomplish with this bill, DuBose brought up transgender women participating in sports as an example of how the “misuse” of gendered terms “hurts women.”
Gov. Kay Ivey mentioned the bill during her recent State of the State address, when she talked about her priorities for the legislative session that started Tuesday.
“There are only two genders: Male and female. I look forward to finally putting my signature on the What is a Woman bill by Representative Susan Dubose,” Ivey said.
Rafferty was the only no vote in today’s committee meeting.
The bill will now go to the House for a full vote.
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UMS-Wright has not had to search for a football coach in more than a quarter century.
That now changes after legendary coach Terry Curtis announced his retirement from the school after 26 seasons, eight state championships and 361 career wins at Shaw, Murphy and UMS-Wright.
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Read MorePhiladelphia offensive coordinator Kellen Moore helped the Eagles defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans to cap the NFL’s 2024 season.
In the NFL’s 2025 season, Moore will have his home games in the Superdome after the New Orleans Saints reached an agreement on Tuesday for him to become their head coach, NFL Network, nola.com and ESPN reported.
The Saints posted a 5-12 record in the 2024 season, their worst showing since going 3-13 in 2005, and missed the playoffs for the fourth year in a row.
New Orleans fired coach Dennis Allen nine games into his third season as its head coach after a 23-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 3 extended the Saints’ losing streak to seven games and dropped their record to 2-7.
Special-teams coordinator Darren Rizzi completed the season as New Orleans’ interim head coach.
Allen had an 18-25 record in New Orleans. He served seven seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Saints before following Sean Payton as the head coach.
Moore has been an offensive coordinator in the NFL for the past six seasons — with the Dallas Cowboys from 2019 through 2022 and the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023 before joining the Eagles as for 2024.
As Boise State’s quarterback, Moore finished seventh in 2009, fourth in 2010 and eighth in 2011 in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. He spent six seasons in the NFL as a player but appeared in only three regular-season games.
Moore is the sixth head coach hired in the NFL since the end of the 2024 regular season. The other new head coaches in 2025 will be Liam Coen with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Pete Carroll with the Las Vegas Raiders, Aaron Glenn with the New York Jets, Ben Johnson with the Chicago Bears and Mike Vrabel with the New England Patriots.
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.
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