Austin Campbell York, an 18-year-old male of Caucasian ethnicity from McKinney, Texas, tragically lost his life on March 12, 2004. He was a junior at McKinney North High School, where he played football for the Bulldogs and participated in track. Austin was also involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and served as the Junior Class Secretary in the Student Council.
He was employed by Market Street Grocery and was a Junior Deacon at the First Christian Church in McKinney.
Austin's death was part of a horrific incident known as the McKinney quadruple murder or the Truett Street massacre. On the day of his death, Austin, along with his friends Mark Barbosa and Matthew Self , were at Mark's house when three armed men, Eddie Williams, Javier Cortez, and Raul Cortez, broke into the residence. The intruders were attempting to rob the house and believed that Mark's aunt, Rosa Barbosa, had taken money from her check-cashing business. When the men couldn't find any money, they forced Rosa to give them the key and alarm code to the business. During the robbery, Rosa was shot and killed.
The intruders then forced Mark, Austin, and Matthew into a bedroom and shot them execution-style before fleeing the scene. Matthew Self was still alive when the police arrived but tragically passed away the following day. The case remained unsolved for over three years until a credible tip led to the arrest of Eddie Williams and the Cortez brothers in 2007. Raul Cortez was sentenced to death, while his brother Javier received a four-year federal prison sentence for weapons charges. Eddie Williams was sentenced to 20 years in prison for murder.
The tragic loss of Austin York and his friends deeply affected the McKinney community, and their memories are honored by those who knew and loved them. The case also highlighted the importance of community vigilance and cooperation with law enforcement to bring justice to victims and their families.
