The lawyers for two of the men accused in the murders of four teenage girls back in 1991 were in court Tuesday for a pretrial hearing.
Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen are accused of killing Eliza Thomas, Jennifer Harbison, Sarah Harbison and Amy Ayers inside the I Can't Believe It's Not Yogurt Shop in North Austin.
The defense asked the judge to allow for new DNA testing of original evidence from the crime scene.
They contend the state did not do all the initial testing in original trial and feel with new technology they can find new results.
"There's nothing better than DNA," Springsteen's attorney Joe James Sawyer said. "I'm sorry it is a double edged sword and our clients have said, 'Yeah, charge ahead, get it all.'"
 |  |
 | |  |
| | | | | | | |
Yogurt Shop
The pretrial hearing took place Tuesday.
 
Background information
News 8's Catie Beck gives details about the pretrial and the case.
| | |
| | | | | |
|
The state argued that the evidence was tainted since the first case and is not fit to be used for testing. But the judge is willing to roll the dice in efforts of finding new evidence and gave the OK for the new tests to be done.
Scott's trial will be first.
His lawyers said the earliest they can be ready for trial is June 1.
Judge Mike Lynch wants Scott's trial to begin before June so both Scott and Springsteen's trials can be complete by the end of next year.
"I agree with the judges ruling," Sawyer said. "I am enthusiastic about it and think that we should seek to gather all the evidence we can."
And Scott's wife is enthusiastic as well -- for the hope that this time her husband may get another outcome.
"I'm seeing a little more reasonable and unbiased reasoning, and I'm seeing some back peddling on the state's behalf," Jeannine Scott said.
But all the reasoning Tuesday came down on the side of the defense, who now has their work cut out.
To learn more about this case, visit the News 8 Austin Yogurt Shop Murders information page.
