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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas justice connected Thursday declared 4 men who were wrongfully accused of the 1991 Austin yogurt store murders innocent, formally clearing their names successful a courtroom for the archetypal clip since the killings of 4 teenage girls that haunted the metropolis for decades.
“You are innocent," authorities District Judge Dayna Blazey said during a proceeding successful a packed Austin courtroom.
The declaration closed a acheronian section for the men and their families, and for a metropolis shaken by the brutality of the transgression and investigators' inability to lick it. Blazey called her bid "an work to the regularisation of instrumentality and the work to the dignity of the individual.”
Cold lawsuit detectives announced past twelvemonth that they had connected the killings to a fishy who died successful a 1999 standoff with constabulary successful Missouri.
Two of the 4 archetypal suspects, Michael Scott and Forrest Welborn, were successful the packed courtroom with household members to perceive prosecutors archer the justice that they are innocent. Robert Springsteen, who was initially convicted and spent respective years connected decease row, did not attend. Maurice Pierce died successful 2010 successful a confrontation with constabulary aft a postulation stop.
“Over 25 years ago, the authorities prosecuted 4 guiltless men ... (for) 1 of the worst crimes Austin has ever seen,” Travis County First Assistant District Attorney Trudy Strassburger said astatine the opening of the hearing. “We could not person been much wrong.”
A declaration of “actual innocence” could besides beryllium a cardinal measurement for the men and their families if they question fiscal compensation for years they spent incarcerated oregon struggled to unrecorded nether a unreality of suspicion.
“My son's sanction has yet been cleared aft much than 25 years of being called the monster, the murderer and everything else,” said Phil Scott, Michael Scott's father. “Son, beryllium proud.”
Killings shocked Austin and confounded investigators
Amy Ayers, 13; Eliza Thomas, 17; and sisters Jennifer and Sarah Harbison, ages 17 and 15, were bound, gagged and changeable successful the caput astatine the “I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt” store wherever 2 of them worked. The gathering was acceptable connected fire.
Investigators chased thousands of leads and respective mendacious confessions earlier the 4 men, who were teenagers erstwhile the girls were killed, were arrested successful precocious 1999.
Springsteen and Scott were convicted based mostly connected confessions they insisted were coerced by police. Both convictions were overturned successful the mid-2000s.
Welborn was charged but ne'er tried aft 2 expansive juries refused to indict him. Pierce spent 3 years successful jailhouse earlier the charges were dismissed and helium was released.
Prosecutors wanted to effort Springsteen and Scott again, but a justice ordered the charges dismissed successful 2009 erstwhile caller DNA tests that were unavailable successful 1991 revealed different antheral suspect.
“Let america not forgot that Robert Springsteen could beryllium dormant close now, executed astatine the hands of the authorities of Texas,” Springsteen lawyer Amber Farrelly said astatine the commencement of an affectional proceeding successful which respective household members spoke of lives ruined by incarceration and years of harassment by investigators.
In a connection his lawyer work successful court, Welborn said helium mislaid friends, struggled to support jobs and was astatine 1 clip homeless. Michael Scott testified that his arrest, condemnation and situation condemnation yet broke up his family.
“I mislaid my family. I mislaid my youth. My girl was 3 years aged erstwhile I was arrested. We had conscionable celebrated our archetypal wedding anniversary. I mislaid the accidental to physique a family,” Scott said. “Every time I person carried the value of a transgression I did not commit.”
Pierce's daughter, Marisa Pierce, targeted her comments astatine erstwhile constabulary investigators and prosecutors, who she said harassed her begetter adjacent aft helium was released, tormenting him until the confrontation erstwhile helium was killed.
“Daddy, you person your sanction back," she said. "The satellite knows what you were trying to accidental each along.”
Connection to a caller fishy revealed
After Scott and Springsteen were released, the lawsuit efficaciously went acold until 2025, erstwhile an HBO documentary bid attracted caller nationalist attraction to the unsolved crime.
Then investigators made a stunning announcement past September: New DNA subject and reviews of aged ballistics grounds pointed to Robert Eugene Brashers arsenic the sole killer.
Since 2018, authorities had utilized precocious DNA grounds to nexus Brashers to the strangulation decease of a South Carolina pistillate successful 1990, the 1997 rape of a 14-year-old miss successful Tennessee and the shooting of a parent and girl successful Missouri successful 1998.
The nexus to the Austin lawsuit came erstwhile a DNA illustration taken from nether Ayers’ fingernail came backmost arsenic a lucifer to Brashers from the 1990 killing.
Austin investigators besides recovered that Brashers had been arrested astatine a borderline checkpoint adjacent El Paso 2 days aft the yogurt store killings. In his stolen car was a pistol that matched the caliber utilized to termination 1 of the girls successful Austin.
Police besides noted similarities successful the yogurt store lawsuit to Brashers' different crimes: The victims were tied up with their ain clothing, sexually assaulted and immoderate transgression scenes were acceptable connected fire.
Brashers died successful 1999 erstwhile helium changeable himself during an hourslong standoff with constabulary astatine a motel successful Kennett, Missouri.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.
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