Austin yogurt shop murders: Travis County DA announces hearing to clear 4 previous suspects

AUSTIN, Texas - The Travis County District Attorney has announced a hearing to clear the names of the four men who were previously accused of the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders.

This comes after the Austin Police Department announced evidence linking Robert Brashers to the murders.

The backstory:

In 1999, Michael Scott, Robert Springsteen, Maurice Pierce, and Forrest Welborn were charged with capital murder in the 1991 high-profile quadruple murder, sexual assault, and arson case.

Welborn’s case was presented twice to a grand jury, but it was no-true billed.

Pierce was indicted, but prosecutors later dismissed the case ‘pending further investigation.’ Pierce was later killed in a police shooting in 2010.

Springsteen and Scott were convicted, but their convictions were reversed in 2006 and 2007 because of ‘constitutional deficiencies during the course of their trials.’ Springsteen and Scott spent 10 years and 8 months in jail.

In September 2025, the Austin Police Department announced that DNA and ballistic comparisons linked Robert Eugene Brashers to the case.

The state is asking the court to ensure Scott, Springsteen, and Welborn are represented by counsel so they can continue with proceedings.

Michael Scott's attorney reacts to hearing

What they're saying:

Michael Scott's attorney, Tony Diaz, has been representing him for decades.

"It’s affected his life in ways I don’t think we can really comprehend," says Diaz. "Michael Scott has been living in his own hell since this case started."

After being arrested, Scott was involved in an 18-hour interrogation with APD detectives that resulted in his confession, which Diaz says was coerced.

"Of all the videos that I’ve seen of that nature where someone is being interviewed by police, I’ve never seen anything like this," says Diaz.

In the video, a detective can be seen pointing a dark object at the back of Scott’s head.

"They put a gun behind his head. And asked him, ‘Was this the gun? Was this what it was like when you put the gun to her head?" says Diaz, who goes on to claim that Scott was subject to hours of physiological torment by detectives.

"They also said, ‘if you tell us you did it, you won't get the death, you won't get the needle.’ 27 years old, someone tells you that. What are you thinking? You’re not thinking, you’re terrified," Diaz said.

After several hours of interrogation, Scott eventually signed a written confession, which Diaz says was not even written by himself but rather typed by detectives and given to Scott for his signature.

"They actually wrote his statement for him, and then he signed it. They typed it up, and then he signed it."

In 2002, Scott was sentenced to life in prison for his suspected role in the murders. Robert Springsteen was sentenced to the death penalty after he also confessed to the murders. Both men’s confessions implicated each other and were used as key pieces of evidence in their convictions.

Their convictions were reversed in 2006 and 2007 due to "constitutional deficiencies during the course of their trials." 

As prosecutors prepared for another trial, DNA evidence was reviewed and found that results from a sexual assault kit at the scene excluded all four original suspects as contributors. Springsteen and Scott were released in 2009, after spending more than 10 years in jail.

"Every DNA test, every fingerprint test, every blood exam, everything that they did, hair, came back to other people," says Diaz.

In September 2025, APD announced that DNA and ballistic comparisons linked Robert Eugene Brashers to the case, clearing Scott’s path to innocence.

"I knew the day would come. I didn't know if it was going to come during my lifetime or Mike's lifetime," says Diaz.

"Walking around with a cloud over your head, and the stigma, and being accused of the heinous crime that he’s committed, is not something humans are designed for."

This week, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office announced that they will be holding a hearing to clear the names of Scott and the three other men previously accused of the yogurt shop murders.

"After the evidence is heard. That a judge will have to find the only thing possible. And that is, there is no way that Mike Scott was ever involved in these murders," says Diaz.

Diaz says that since Scott was released from prison, he has lived a reclusive life but intends to "reform" into society. Diaz claims that Scott has hopes of helping to bring change to the tactics that officers can use to elicit confessions from suspects.

What they're saying:

"It has been over twenty-five years since the four men wrongfully accused have been waiting for the criminal justice system to clear their names," said Travis County District Attorney José Garza. "We hope this hearing offers the transparency they need to help them move forward and supports the healing process for the families of the four young girls, as well as for our Austin community."

What's next:

The hearing is scheduled for Feb. 19 at 9 a.m.

Austin's 1991 yogurt shop murders

The backstory:

In September 2025, after more than three decades, Austin police investigators identified Robert Eugene Brashers as the man responsible for the unsolved 1991 quadruple murder at an Austin yogurt shop.

The crime happened shortly before midnight on Friday, Dec. 6, 1991. 

An Austin police patrol officer saw a fire coming from the "I Can't Believe It's Yogurt! (ICBY)" shop located at 2949 West Anderson Lane. After the Austin Fire Department extinguished the fire, firefighters found four dead bodies.

The deceased were 17-year-old Jennifer Harbison, 15-year-old Sarah Harbison, 17-year-old Eliza Thomas, and 13-year-old Amy Ayers. Jennifer and Eliza were employees at the shop, and Sarah and Amy were with them as they closed for the night. 

All four girls were nude and had been shot, bound, and gagged. Due to fire and water damage from the sprinklers, evidence collection was challenging.

AustinCrime and Public Safety