Texas judge declares yogurt shop murder suspects innocent after 34 years

DNA evidence identifies real killer, ending wrongful conviction

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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A Texas judge formally declared four men innocent Thursday in the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders, closing a decades-long legal nightmare that nearly sent one to execution and left families branded as killers for years. District Judge Dayna Blazey delivered the ruling before a packed courtroom, calling it "an obligation to the rule of law and the obligation to the dignity of the individual." The ruling comes after cold case detectives announced they had connected the killings to Robert Eugene Brashers, a serial offender who died during a 1999 standoff with police in Missouri.

Why it matters

This case highlights the devastating impact of wrongful convictions, with four men having their lives upended for over 25 years before being exonerated. It also underscores the importance of advancements in forensic technology, which allowed investigators to finally identify the real perpetrator and bring closure to the victims' families.

The details

In 1991, firefighters responding to a blaze at the I Can't Believe It's Yogurt shop in Austin instead uncovered a gruesome scene - the bodies of four teenage girls, each shot in the head. Investigators arrested four men as teenagers, and Springsteen and Scott were sent to prison after juries relied heavily on confessions they long maintained were extracted under pressure. Appellate courts later threw out both convictions in the mid-2000s. Advances in DNA testing in 2009 identified another male suspect, leading to the dismissal of charges against Springsteen and Scott. In 2025, new DNA testing and a review of ballistics evidence linked the murders to Robert Eugene Brashers, a serial offender who died by suicide in 1999.

  • In 1991, the four teenage girls were murdered in the Austin yogurt shop.
  • In 1999, the four men were arrested as teenagers for the murders.
  • In the mid-2000s, appellate courts threw out the convictions of Springsteen and Scott.
  • In 2009, a judge dismissed the charges against Springsteen and Scott due to advances in DNA testing.
  • In 2025, new DNA testing and ballistics evidence linked the murders to Robert Eugene Brashers.

The players

Dayna Blazey

A Texas judge who formally declared the four men innocent in the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders.

Robert Eugene Brashers

A serial offender who was identified through DNA evidence as the perpetrator of the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders. Brashers died by suicide during a 1999 standoff with police in Missouri.

Michael Scott

One of the four men who was wrongfully convicted and spent years in prison for the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders before being exonerated.

Forrest Welborn

One of the four men who was arrested and charged but never stood trial for the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders before being exonerated.

Robert Springsteen

One of the four men who was convicted and spent years on death row for the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders before being exonerated.

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What they’re saying

“You are innocent.”

— Dayna Blazey, Texas 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

“My son's name has finally been cleared after more than 25 years of being called the monster, the murderer and everything else. Son, be proud.”

— Phil Scott, Father of Michael Scott

“I lost my family. I lost my youth. My daughter was 3 years old when I was arrested. We had just celebrated our first wedding anniversary. I lost the chance to build a family. Every day I have carried the weight of a crime I did not commit.”

— Michael Scott

“Daddy, you have your name back. The world knows what you were trying to say all along.”

— Marisa Pierce, Daughter of Maurice Pierce

What’s next

The judge's ruling of "actual innocence" may open the door for the men and their families to seek restitution for the years lost to prison and the lasting toll of being publicly labeled as killers.

The takeaway

This case serves as a sobering reminder of the devastating consequences of wrongful convictions, and the importance of advancements in forensic technology to ensure the true perpetrators of heinous crimes are brought to justice, while also restoring the dignity of those who were wrongfully accused.