by Austin, Texas — More than three decades after one of the city’s most horrifying crimes, a judge has formally declared four men innocent in the 1991 rape and murder of four teenage girls at a North Austin yogurt shop — a case that haunted the community for years.
In an emotional courtroom hearing, State District Judge Dayna Blazey told the men, “You are innocent,” calling the ruling “an obligation to the rule of law and the obligation to the dignity of the individual.”
The declaration marks the end of a long legal nightmare for Robert Springsteen, Michael Scott, Forrest Welborn and Maurice Pierce, who for decades insisted they were wrongly accused.
Crime That Shocked Austin
The victims — Amy Ayers, 13; Eliza Thomas, 17; and sisters Jennifer and Sarah Harbison, 17 and 15 — were found bound, gagged and shot in the head at the “I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt” shop in 1991. The building was then set on fire in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence.
The brutality of the killings stunned Austin and led investigators to chase thousands of leads. Eventually, in 1999, authorities arrested four local teenagers: Springsteen, Scott, Welborn and Pierce.
Springsteen was sentenced to death, and Scott received life in prison. Though Welborn and Pierce were never convicted, they lived for years under the weight of suspicion.
“Let us not forget that Robert Springsteen could be dead right now, executed at the hands of the state of Texas,” his attorney said during Thursday’s hearing.
Convictions Overturned, Charges Dismissed
Springsteen and Scott were convicted largely on confessions they said were coerced. Both convictions were overturned in the mid-2000s.
New DNA testing — unavailable at the time of the original investigation — revealed genetic material from an unknown male at the crime scene. In 2009, a judge ordered the charges dismissed.
Welborn was never indicted after two grand juries declined to charge him. Pierce spent three years in jail before charges were dropped.
During the hearing, family members spoke about years of incarceration, harassment and broken lives.
“I lost my family. I lost my youth,” Michael Scott said. “Every day I have carried the weight of a crime I did not commit.”
Marisa Pierce, daughter of Maurice Pierce — who died in 2010 — addressed her late father through tears.
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“Daddy, you have your name back. The world knows what you were trying to say all along.”
New DNA Evidence Points to Different Killer
The case remained cold for years until renewed attention in 2025 brought new scrutiny. Investigators announced that advanced DNA testing and ballistics reviews identified a different suspect: Robert Eugene Brashers.
Authorities linked Brashers to multiple violent crimes across several states during the 1990s, including a 1990 killing in South Carolina and a 1997 assault in Tennessee.
The connection to the Austin case came when DNA recovered from under Amy Ayers’ fingernail matched Brashers.
Investigators also determined that Brashers had been stopped near El Paso two days after the yogurt shop murders in a stolen car containing a pistol matching the caliber used in one of the killings.
Brashers died in 1999 during a police standoff in Missouri.
“We could not have been more wrong,” said Travis County First Assistant District Attorney Trudy Strassburger, acknowledging the grave miscarriage of justice.
Path Forward After Formal Exoneration
The formal declaration of innocence may open the door for financial compensation for the years lost behind bars and under suspicion.
Family members expressed relief that their loved ones’ names have finally been cleared.
“My son’s name has finally been cleared after more than 25 years,” said Phil Scott, Michael Scott’s father. “Son, be proud.”
For Austin, the ruling closes one chapter of a tragic and painful history — while raising sobering questions about wrongful convictions and the lasting damage they leave behind.
What are your thoughts on this decades-long case and its final outcome? Share your perspective respectfully in the comments below.
