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Austin advances $35 million settlement for men cleared in 1991 yogurt shop murders

Austin advances $35 million settlement for men cleared in 1991 yogurt shop murders

Money Moves Austin, TX local

A new lawsuit moves the payout for Robert Springsteen, Michael Scott, Forrest Welborn and Maurice Pierce's estate into court review.

Today: Lawsuit filed to advance $35 million settlement

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Four men were charged in the 1991 murders of four teenage girls in an Austin yogurt shop. Two were convicted and spent years in prison before DNA testing cleared them. On Nov. 13, 2026, a lawsuit filed in Travis County moved a $35 million settlement for the men into court review.

The filing is the latest step in a decades-long effort to compensate Robert Springsteen, Michael Scott, Forrest Welborn and the estate of Maurice Pierce. The settlement would resolve claims against the city without a trial, but it still needs court and city approval.

Why it matters

The payout would compensate men who lost years to a case built on coerced confessions, and it tests how Austin handles wrongful-conviction claims.

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Key Indicators

$35M
Settlement amount
Agreed payout to four men or their estates.
4
Men exonerated
Three surviving men and one deceased man.
2
Wrongful convictions
Springsteen and Scott were convicted; Welborn and Pierce were never tried.

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People Involved

RS
Robert Springsteen
Exonerated defendant
Cleared in 2026; settlement pending
MS
Michael Scott
Exonerated defendant
Cleared in 2026; settlement pending
FW
Forrest Welborn
Exonerated defendant
Cleared in 2026; settlement pending
MP
Maurice Pierce
Exonerated defendant (deceased)
Cleared posthumously in 2026; estate part of settlement
RB
Robert Eugene Brashers
DNA match in yogurt shop murders
Died in 1999
 Jose Garza
Jose Garza
Travis County District Attorney
Filed to exonerate the four men in 2025
DB
Dayna Blazey
Travis County District Judge
Declared the four men innocent in 2026
TB
T.C. Broadnax
Austin City Manager
Announced $35 million settlement in May 2026
 Hector Polanco
Hector Polanco
Former Austin police detective
Lead detective in yogurt shop case; previously accused of coercing false confessions

Organizations Involved

City of Austin
City of Austin
Municipal government
Agreed to $35 million settlement in May 2026

The city is the defendant in the wrongful-conviction settlement.
TC
Travis County District Attorney's Office
Prosecutorial agency
Filed to exonerate the four men in 2025

The office prosecuted the original cases and later moved to clear the men.
Austin City Council
Austin City Council
Legislative body
Must approve the settlement

The council must approve the $35 million settlement.
Austin Police Department
Austin Police Department
Local Law Enforcement
Investigated the 1991 murders

The department investigated the yogurt shop murders and employed detective Hector Polanco.

Timeline

December 1991 November 2026

16 events Latest: Today Showing 8 of 16
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  1. Lawsuit filed to advance $35 million settlement

    Today Legal

    A Travis County lawsuit moved the settlement into court review.

  2. Austin agrees to $35 million settlement

    Settlement

    The city manager announced the payout, which still needed City Council approval.

  3. Judge declares four men innocent

    Legal

    Judge Dayna Blazey dismissed all charges with prejudice and declared them innocent.

  4. DA files to exonerate four men

    Legal

    Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza filed paperwork to formally clear the men.

  5. DNA links Robert Brashers to yogurt shop murders

    Investigation

    Cold-case detectives matched DNA from the crime scene to Brashers.

  6. Maurice Pierce dies during altercation with police

    Death

    Pierce died during an altercation with an Austin police officer.

  7. Springsteen and Scott released on bond

    Legal

    A federal judge released them after new DNA testing failed to match either man.

  8. Charges dismissed against Springsteen and Scott

    Legal

    Prosecutors formally dismissed the charges shortly after their release.

  9. Appeals court finds trial errors in Scott case

    Legal

    The same court ruled prosecutors violated Scott's constitutional rights.

  10. Appeals court finds trial errors in Springsteen case

    Legal

    The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled prosecutors violated Springsteen's constitutional rights.

  11. Springsteen's death sentence reduced to life

    Legal

    The Supreme Court's Roper v. Simmons ruling barred death sentences for juvenile offenders.

  12. Charges against Maurice Pierce dismissed

    Legal

    Prosecutors dropped charges against Pierce for lack of evidence.

  13. Michael Scott convicted and sentenced to life

    Legal

    Scott was convicted in the same case and sentenced to life in prison.

  14. Robert Springsteen convicted and sentenced to death

    Legal

    A jury convicted Springsteen in the yogurt shop murders and sentenced him to death.

  15. Robert Brashers dies during police standoff

    Crime

    Brashers, later linked to the murders by DNA, shot himself during a standoff.

  16. Four teenage girls killed in yogurt shop fire

    Crime

    Four teenage girls were shot and killed in a North Austin yogurt shop fire.

Scenarios

1

Court approves $35 million settlement

Likely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: City of Austin and plaintiff attorneys

A Travis County court reviews the agreement and finds it fair. The Austin City Council then authorizes payment. The men and Pierce's estate receive the $35 million.

2

Settlement delayed or reduced by court or council

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: No public official has predicted this; it is a possible outcome if the court or council objects.

The court could find the $35 million amount unreasonable, or council members could vote to reduce it. Either step would send the parties back to negotiation and delay payment.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1989-2014

Central Park Five settlement (2014)

Five Black and Latino teenagers were convicted in the 1989 Central Park jogger case. DNA and a confession cleared them in 2002. New York City settled their civil rights lawsuit for $41 million in 2014.

Then

The settlement ended a long legal fight and paid the men for years lost in prison.

Now

It became a benchmark for wrongful-conviction payouts and public acknowledgment of coerced confessions.

Why this matters now

Like the Austin case, it involved false confessions, DNA exoneration and a city payout.

1988-2001

Christopher Ochoa and Richard Danzinger (1988-2001)

Ochoa and Danzinger were convicted of a 1988 Austin murder. Ochoa falsely confessed after a long interrogation by detective Hector Polanco. DNA and another man's confession cleared them in 2001.

Then

Both men were released after serving more than a decade in prison.

Now

The case became an example of false confessions and detective misconduct in Austin.

Why this matters now

Polanco was also a lead detective in the yogurt shop case, which produced similar false confessions.

March 2005

Roper v. Simmons (2005)

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that executing people for crimes committed as juveniles violates the Eighth Amendment. The decision affected Robert Springsteen, who was 17 at the time of the yogurt shop murders.

Then

Springsteen's death sentence was reduced to life in prison.

Now

The ruling set a national limit on juvenile death sentences.

Why this matters now

It changed Springsteen's sentence but not his conviction, which stood until 2026.

Sources

(2)
KXAN Austin Death Penalty Information Center