Full Breakdown
Austin Reaches $35 Million Settlement with Wrongfully Accused Yogurt Shop Murder Suspects
5/13/2026, 11:58:55 PM
Settlement and Exoneration
In May 2026 Austin announced a tentative $35 million settlement with Robert Springsteen, Michael Scott, Forrest Welborn and Maurice Pierce’s family, all cleared in February after DNA and ballistic evidence identified serial killer Robert Eugene Brashers as the sole perpetrator of the 1991 yogurt-shop murders.
Background
On Dec 6 1991 four teenage girls—Amy Ayers (13), Eliza Thomas (17), Jennifer Harbison (17) and Sarah Harbison (15)—were bound, gagged, shot in the head and the shop set ablaze, sparking a massive but fruitless investigation.
Key Figures
The accused were teenagers: Robert Springsteen (later on death row), Michael Scott (life sentence), Maurice Pierce (held three years before charges dropped, died 2010) and Forrest Welborn (never indicted). The real killer, Robert Eugene Brashers, linked to murders in several states, died by suicide in 1999.
Timeline
Key dates: Dec 6 1991 murders; 1999 convictions of Springsteen and Scott and Brashers’ suicide; 2004 Supreme Court new-trial order; Sep 2025 DNA links Brashers; Feb 2026 exoneration; May 2026 settlement.
Data and Settlement Details
The $35 million total covers all claimants; individual payouts remain undisclosed. Springsteen spent ten years on death row, Scott served life, Pierce three years, and Welborn never faced trial.
Impact and Reform
The deal requires Austin to ban unsupervised minor interrogations—a change championed by the Innocence Project of Texas—and may necessitate a municipal loan, affecting future bond capacity.
Official Statements & Responses
City Manager T.C. Broadnax said the settlement “closes the final chapter of a devastating story” and hopes it brings closure. District Attorney José Garza apologized, and Council Member Marc Duchan said the city will use a debt instrument rather than a direct loan.
Criticism & Opposition
Some council members warned the $35 million payout could strain Austin’s debt capacity and called for transparent allocation of funds.
On-the-Ground Impact
Michael Scott said, “I lost my family. I lost my youth. I lost my adulthood,” reflecting the personal devastation of the wrongful convictions.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The settlement amount is public, but how the $35 million will be divided among the exonerated individuals and Pierce’s family is undisclosed, and the timeline for the interrogation ban remains unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “For 34 years our community sought answers to this senseless and heartbreaking crime, and, thanks to the dedicated commitment of the Austin Police Department, we delivered those answers in September 2025. We are pleased to have reached an agreement with those who were wrongly accused and wrongly convicted in this case and hope that this settlement brings a sense of closure to everyone affected by this horrific event.” — T.C. Broadnax, Austin City Manager
- “I lost my family. I lost my youth. I lost my adulthood,” — Michael Scott, exonerated former suspect
- “But rather than go down that route, we all chose to do it in good faith and come to an agreement.” — Tony Diaz, attorney for Michael Scott
- “This could be used as a catalyst to make things right and … hopefully do away with wrongful convictions,” — Tony Diaz, attorney
What’s Next
Austin will enforce the minor-interrogation ban, monitor compliance, and explore further safeguards to prevent future wrongful convictions, while the settlement sets a precedent for large municipal restitution in Texas.
