Thirty-four years after four teenage girls were killed in an Austin yogurt shop, a judge has formally declared four men innocent. This decision ends a long legal process that saw two men sent to prison based on confessions they later said were forced. Michael Scott, Robert Springsteen, Maurice Pierce, and Forrest Welborn are now legally clear of the 1991 crime. While the legal system once named these men as the killers, recent DNA evidence and police reviews point to a different person.
The Timeline of the Case
In December 1991, four girls—Amy Ayers, Eliza Thomas, Jennifer Harbison, and Sarah Harbison—died during a robbery at a yogurt shop. The shop was set on fire after the attack. For years, the case had no clear answers.
1991: The murders occur in Austin, Texas.
1999: Police arrest Michael Scott, Robert Springsteen, Maurice Pierce, and Forrest Welborn.
2001-2002: Springsteen and Scott are convicted and sentenced. Springsteen is sent to death row.
2009: The men are released from prison after DNA from the crime scene does not match them.
2024: Investigators identify Robert Eugene Brashers as a suspect through new DNA testing.
2025: Judge Dayna Blazey officially declares all four original suspects innocent.
Comparing the Suspects and Evidence
The shift in the case happened because old evidence was looked at with new tools. The following table compares the two groups linked to the case:
| Feature | The Original Four Men | Robert Eugene Brashers |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence Type | Confessions given during long police talks | DNA match from the crime scene |
| Legal Status | Declared Innocent in 2025 | Named as the killer in 2024 |
| Past Crimes | No similar violent history reported | History of assault and setting fires |
| Location | Lived in the Austin area | Arrested near the border 2 days after the crime |
The central evidence against the four men was based on their own words during police questioning, while the evidence against Brashers is based on biological samples.
The Role of Confessions
During the original trials, the state used statements from Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen. The men later stated that police put them under heavy pressure to admit to the crimes. They spent years in prison—Springsteen on death row—before their convictions were overturned.
"I lost the chance to build a family… My daughter was 3 years old when I was arrested," said Michael Scott during the hearing.
Investigators now note that the details in those confessions do not match the physical evidence found at the shop. This raises a question for investigators: Why did the details provided in the 1999 confessions fail to align with the DNA results found years later?
The New Findings on Robert Brashers
In September 2024, police announced that Robert Eugene Brashers was the likely killer. Brashers died in 1999, but investigators found his DNA at the yogurt shop. They also found that his way of committing crimes was very similar to what happened at the shop.
Matching Actions: Victims in other crimes by Brashers were tied with their own clothes.
Assaults: Brashers had a history of sexual assault, similar to what happened to the victims in Austin.
Arson: Brashers used fire to hide his crimes in other cases.
Timing: He was arrested at a border checkpoint near El Paso only two days after the Austin murders.
Analysis from Legal Experts
Lawyers involved in the case say this is a rare event. Austin defense attorney Sam Bassett noted that a formal declaration of innocence is "very unusual" and carries more weight than just dropping charges. It means the court believes the men did not commit the crime at all.
Travis County District Attorney José Garza pushed for this declaration to fix the record. He stated that the move was necessary to provide a final answer for the men who had been under suspicion for three decades. While the four men are now clear, the families of the victims continue to wait for a final resolution, as the main suspect, Brashers, cannot be tried in court.
Findings and Next Steps
The formal declaration of innocence allows the three living men—Scott, Springsteen, and Welborn—to move forward without a criminal record for this case. Maurice Pierce, who died before this hearing, was also cleared.
Compensation: The men may now be able to seek money from the state for the time they spent in prison.
Civil Claims: The family of Maurice Pierce could pursue legal action for the time he spent in jail.
Closure: The Austin Police Department has shifted its focus to Robert Eugene Brashers to fully close the file on the 1991 murders.
The case remains a significant example of how DNA technology can change the outcome of old investigations where confessions were the main evidence.
Sources Used
CBS News: Men once wrongfully accused of Texas yogurt shop murders are declared innocent — Context on the new suspect Brashers and his arrest record.
Associated Press (AP): Judge declares 4 men wrongly accused of 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders innocent — Details on the sentences and family impact.
Fox News: Texas judge declares yogurt shop murder suspects innocent after 34 years — Information on the pressure used during police questioning.
CBS Austin: Four men declared innocent in Austin's 1991 Yogurt Shop Murders — Coverage of the courtroom hearing and Judge Blazey's ruling.
Texas Standard: Four men accused in Austin’s yogurt shop murders have been exonerated — Details on DA José Garza's motion to clear the names.
Austin American-Statesman: 'He lost hope': See inside Austin yogurt shop murders exoneration hearing — Reporting on the legal arguments and the history of the case.