Heart Starts Pounding: Horrors, Hauntings and Mysteries

Episode 153: Cold Cases Solved This Year

Host: Kaylin Moore
Date: November 25, 2025

Overview

In this gripping episode released during Thanksgiving week, Kaylin Moore explores three recently solved cold cases, illustrating how advances in forensic and DNA technology, as well as determined investigation, continue to bring long-overdue justice and closure to victims' families. The stories range from infamous, decades-old murders with national impact, to hidden family tragedies and astonishing turns in seemingly quiet lives. Kaylin’s tone is both empathetic and sharp, mixing chilling detail with a sense of hope and gratitude for progress in the field of true crime.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Yogurt Shop Murders: Breakthrough After Decades (04:39–29:47)

• Case Recap (04:39)
  Four teenage girls—Eliza Thomas (17), Jennifer (17) and Sarah Harbison (15), and Amy Ayers (13)—were brutally murdered at "I Can't Believe It's Yogurt" in Austin, TX, in 1991. The girls were tied, gagged, sexually assaulted, and killed before the shop was set ablaze.

• Initial Police Response & Investigation Flaws (08:20)

  • Local police, inexperienced with violent crime, quickly targeted local teens—Maurice Pierce, Forrest Welburn, Robert Springsteen, and Michael Scott—relying heavily on coerced and inconsistent confessions.
  • No physical evidence linked any suspects to the scene.
  • "You can really hear how flawed these interrogations were… they keep asking leading questions. It's like they know the boys have no idea what happened in this crime." (Kaylin Moore, 21:30)

• Breakthrough via Technology & Legislation (25:00)

  • The 2021 Homicide Victims Families Rights Act led to a renewed focus and required cold cases to leverage the latest DNA tech.
  • Det. Dan Jackson re-tested a .380-caliber bullet casing and DNA from under Amy’s fingernails.
  • Bullet casing matched a murder in Kentucky; DNA profile matched an unsolved South Carolina murder.
  • In 2018, genealogist CeCe Moore had identified the perpetrator of that crime—Robert Eugene Brashers, an interstate serial killer.

• The Shocking Perpetrator (27:50)

  • Brashers’ DNA definitively linked him to the Yogurt Shop Murders.
  • He had never been a suspect and died in 1999 by suicide after a police standoff.
  • Kaylin underscores CeCe Moore’s pivotal role:
    • “She’s basically the only reason that Brashers was in any system and connected to any crime, period.” (Kaylin Moore, 29:05)
  • The case’s resolution brings bittersweet closure to victims’ families and the Austin community long haunted by grief.

Notable Quotes

• “At the end of the day, only [Brashers’] DNA was found at the scene. So we may never know exactly what happened that night, but there’s at least a little bit of closure for families…” (Kaylin Moore, 29:30)

2. The Murder of Aliza Sherman: A Decade of Secrets Unraveled (29:47–37:52)

• The Crime (29:47)

  • In 2013, fertility nurse and mother Aliza Sherman was stabbed to death outside her attorney’s office in downtown Cleveland, mid-day, in a brutal and seemingly public attack.

• Early Suspicions & Family Background (31:18)

  • Aliza was amid a contentious divorce from Sanford Sherman; 22 police calls had been made to their family home over 13 years.
  • "I am really afraid he is going to have me killed," she wrote her lawyer in 2012.

• Investigation Goes Cold (33:30)

  • Despite circumstantial evidence, Sanford was never formally charged—no direct evidence tied him to the crime.
  • The investigation stagnated, only reigniting in 2021 when the Ohio Attorney General’s office took over.

• Breakthrough Using Digital Evidence (34:32)

  • Investigators focused on Aliza’s attorney, Gregory Moore.
    • Moore’s phone was offline during the attack.
    • His keycard and building footage had strange gaps; crucial security footage and a message from Aliza were missing.
    • Past allegations, including staging a bomb threat to delay trial, suggested his tendency for criminally manipulative behavior.
  • In 2025, Moore was indicted for aggravated murder and conspiracy.
    • It remains unclear if he acted alone or if Sanford Sherman was involved.

Memorable Moment

• “[Aliza] was always an advocate for her to be strong and independent... admired in her community for her kindness and her generosity, which made her murder all the more puzzling to police.” (Kaylin Moore, 30:52)

• “[Police] discovered something very clearly suspicious. There were 21 minutes missing from the security footage from the time when Aliza must have been attacked.” (Kaylin Moore, 36:05)

3. Doris Worrell: Truth Emerges From Two Decades of Silence (37:52–49:00)

• The Crime (37:52)

  • In 2006, Doris Worrell was found shot to death in “John’s Sports Park,” the family business in Douglas, Georgia.
  • Her husband John discovered her body; the only other potential witness was their 18-year-old nanny, Paola Yarberry.

• Early Investigation & False Leads (39:25)

  • John’s alibi was confirmed; two men linked to the business were briefly arrested, then released for lack of evidence.
  • Police used Paola’s immigrant status to pressure her, but she denied any knowledge, eventually leaving for Venezuela.

• Years Pass, Family Perseveres (41:30)

  • Doris’s sister, Leanne Tuggle, tirelessly lobbied for progress.
  • The case faded locally, with even the tipline billboards fading to illegibility.

• Shocking Revelation: The Husband & The Nanny (43:50)

  • John moved his family to Costa Rica—where Paola had relocated.
  • In 2025, Paola finally came forward: John, fearing a divorce and custody battle, had discussed with her his plan to resolve the situation permanently.
  • “[John]…told her that he was looking for someone who could do something that couldn’t be undone, something that would make his life much easier.” (Kaylin Moore, 46:10)

• Arrest & Pending Trial (47:30)

  • Based on Paola’s revelation, John is charged with orchestrating Doris’s murder.
  • He pleads not guilty; is denied bond as a flight risk, and awaits trial.
  • “Getting justice for a murdered family member…does not get rid of the pain or grief…but hopefully there is some ounce of solace…” (Kaylin Moore, 48:32)

Closing Reflections and Looking Forward (49:00–50:05)

• Advances in forensic technology are solving long-unsolved crimes, but full closure remains rare and complicated for victims’ families.
• Kaylin hopes for more breakthroughs, specifically mentioning the persistent mystery of Asha Degree.
• The episode ends with an optimistic call for listeners to stay curious and grateful for progress in justice ("there’s a lot of good that can come from these kinds of episodes and by talking about these cases…").

Memorable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “You can really hear how flawed these interrogations were…[Police] keep asking leading questions. It’s like they know the boys have no idea what happened.”
  — Kaylin Moore, 21:30

• “She’s basically the only reason that Brashers was in any system and connected to any crime, period.”
  — Kaylin Moore, 29:05

• “There were twenty-one minutes missing from the security footage from the time when Aliza must have been attacked.”
  — Kaylin Moore, 36:05

• “He told her that he was looking for someone who could do something that couldn’t be undone, something that would make his life much easier.”
  — Kaylin Moore, 46:10

• “Getting justice for a murdered family member…does not get rid of the pain or grief…but hopefully there is some ounce of solace…”
  — Kaylin Moore, 48:32

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:39] Start: The Yogurt Shop Murders
• [21:30] Discussion of Police Interrogation Problems
• [25:00] Technological Breakthroughs in the Case
• [29:47] Transition to Aliza Sherman Case
• [33:30] Why the Investigation Stalled
• [34:32] Digital Evidence Breaks the Case
• [37:52] The Doris Worrell Case Begins
• [46:10] Paula’s Testimony Exposes John’s Role
• [49:00] Kaylin’s Final Thoughts and Hopes for Future Cases

Tone & Takeaways

Kaylin’s storytelling is heartfelt and measured, weaving in empathy for victims with cautious hope for the power of modern forensic science. Her approach strikes a careful balance between darkness and light, remarking on the gratitude inherent in closure without shying away from the lasting pain of loss. The episode is timely, poignant, and carefully structured to keep true crime enthusiasts emotionally engaged and optimistic about justice and community healing.

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