Men wrongly accused of grisly yogurt shop murders in Texas reach $35 million settlement with city
The deal would compensate three men and a fourth family after judges cleared them in a case later tied to another suspect.
- On Tuesday, the city of Austin reached a tentative $35 million settlement with four men wrongly accused of the 1991 yogurt shop murders. The agreement addresses the wrongful convictions of Robert Springsteen, Michael Scott, Forrest Welborn, and Maurice Pierce.
- Springsteen, Scott, Welborn, and Pierce were arrested in 1999 after a years-long search for suspects in the 1991 murders of four teenage girls at an Austin yogurt shop. Springsteen and Scott were convicted following coerced confessions, while Pierce and Welborn faced charges that were eventually dropped.
- Authorities formally exonerated the men in February after DNA evidence linked serial killer Robert Eugene Brashers to the 1991 crime. Brashers died in 1999, and investigators confirmed he acted alone in the murders.
- Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax stated the settlement "closes the final chapter of a devastating story in Austin's history." The city council must still approve the payment before it takes effect.
- Ongoing negotiations regarding police reforms aim to prevent future wrongful convictions and safeguard vulnerable individuals in the justice system. Attorneys for the men expressed hope this settlement will catalyze improved investigative practices.
36 Articles
36 Articles
4 men spent years in prison for a 1991 Austin murder. Now, they'll be getting $35M after DNA revealed the real murderer
The city of Austin has reached a tentative $35 million settlement to resolve claims from four men who were wrongly accused of the 1991 murders at an I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt shop. The agreement covers Robert Springsteen, Michael Scott, Forrest Welborn, and the family of the late Maurice Pierce, all of whom spent years caught in a legal nightmare for a crime they did not commit. The settlement is one of the largest wrongful conviction payouts …
Men Wrongly Accused Of Texas Yogurt Shop Murders Set To Receive $35 Million From The City Of Austin
The men wrongly accused of the 1991 murder of four teenage girls at a yogurt shop in Austin, Texas, are set to receive a large payment from the city. Under a tentative settlement reached on Tuesday, three men and the family of a fourth who were wrongly accused will receive a total of $35 million in restitution once it is approved by the city council. “This settlement closes the final chapter of a devastating story in Austin’s history,” Austin Ci…
Yogurt shop murders: Men wrongly accused of grisly Texas killings reach $35 million settlement
The city of Austin will pay $35 million to three men and the family of a fourth who were wrongly accused of the 1991 rape and murder of four teenage girls at a yogurt shop, a case that initially sent one of the men to death row and another to life in prison, under a tentative settlement reached Tuesday.
Austin to Pay $35 Million to Men Wrongly Convicted of 1991 Murders: DNA Finally Exposed the Real Killer
The 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders destroyed four innocent lives before science finally named the real killer. See what 34 years of injustice actually costs.
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