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The Texas Yogurt Shop Exonerations | Case by Case

For decades, Maurice Pierce, Robert Springsteen, Michael Scott and Forrest Welborn lived under the shadow of the yogurt shop murders, a crime that left an indelible mark on Austin and forever changed the lives of the the families of the victims: Eliza Thomas, Amy Ayers, and sisters Jennifer and Sara

Published July 28, 2026, 5:37 PM
Updated July 28, 2026, 5:47 PM4.7K
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The Texas Yogurt Shop Exonerations | Case by Case

For decades, Maurice Pierce, Robert Springsteen, Michael Scott and Forrest Welborn lived under the shadow of the yogurt shop murders, a crime that left an indelible mark on Austin and forever changed the lives of the the families of the victims: Eliza Thomas, Amy Ayers, and sisters Jennifer and Sarah Harbison. All four men were ultimately declared innocent and later exonerated after investigators linked another man to the killings. After reporting on this case for more 30 years, "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty speaks with Pierce's widow and daughter about the devastating toll of a wrongful accusation, their family's fight to clear his name, a financial settlement, and what justice means when it arrives decades too late.

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