Judge Clears 4 Men Wrongly Accused of 1991 Austin Yogurt Shop Murders

The men were formally declared innocent after new evidence linked the killings to a suspect who died in 1999.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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A Texas judge has formally declared four men innocent of the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders, closing a dark chapter in the city's history. The four men - Michael Scott, Forrest Welborn, Robert Springsteen, and Maurice Pierce - were wrongfully accused of the brutal killings of four teenage girls. After decades of investigations and false confessions, new DNA evidence has linked the murders to a suspect who died in a 1999 standoff with police.

Why it matters

The declaration of innocence is an important step for the men and their families, who lived under the specter of the unsolved murders for over 25 years. It also highlights the fallibility of the criminal justice system and the need for rigorous evidence standards, especially in high-profile cases. The case shook the Austin community and its inability to solve the crime for decades.

The details

In 1991, four teenage girls - Amy Ayers, 13; Eliza Thomas, 17; and sisters Jennifer and Sarah Harbison, 17 and 15 - were bound, gagged, and shot at the 'I Can't Believe It's Yogurt' shop where two of them worked. The building was then set on fire. Investigators chased thousands of leads and false confessions before arresting the four men in 1999. Springsteen and Scott were convicted based on coerced confessions, but their convictions were later overturned. Welborn was charged but never tried, while Pierce spent three years in jail before being released. In 2009, new DNA tests led a judge to dismiss the charges against Springsteen and Scott. It wasn't until 2025 that investigators linked the murders to Robert Eugene Brashers, who died in a 1999 standoff with police.

  • In 1991, the four teenage girls were murdered at the yogurt shop in Austin.
  • In late 1999, the four men were arrested for the murders.
  • In the mid-2000s, the convictions of Springsteen and Scott were overturned.
  • In 2009, a judge dismissed the charges against Springsteen and Scott due to new DNA evidence.
  • In 2025, investigators linked the murders to Robert Eugene Brashers, who died in 1999.

The players

Michael Scott

One of the four men wrongfully accused of the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders.

Forrest Welborn

One of the four men wrongfully accused of the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders.

Robert Springsteen

One of the four men wrongfully accused of the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders, who was initially convicted and spent several years on death row.

Maurice Pierce

One of the four men wrongfully accused of the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders, who died in 2010.

Robert Eugene Brashers

The suspect who was linked to the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders through new DNA evidence, but died in a 1999 standoff with police.

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What they’re saying

“You are innocent.”

— Dayna Blazey, State District Judge

“Over 25 years ago, the state prosecuted four innocent men … (for) one of the worst crimes Austin has ever seen. We could not have been more wrong.”

— Trudy Strassburger, Travis County First Assistant District Attorney

“Let us not forgot that Robert Springsteen could be dead right now, executed at the hands of the state of Texas.”

— Amber Farrelly, Springsteen's attorney

What’s next

The declaration of 'actual innocence' will be a key step for the men and their families to seek financial compensation for the years they spent in jail or in prison.

The takeaway

This case highlights the importance of rigorous evidence standards and the need to correct wrongful convictions, even decades later. It also underscores the lasting trauma experienced by those wrongfully accused and the community affected by unsolved crimes.