New DNA evidence and the possible addition of two pro bono defense attorneys added controversy to the Yogurt Shop Murders pretrial Wednesday.
Four young women were found murdered at a North Austin I Can't Believe its Yogurt shop in 1991.
But 17 years later, the suspects accused of killing Amy Ayers, Eliza Thomas and Jennifer and Sarah Harbison are still fighting their convictions.
Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen were back in court Wednesday as controversy swirls around some DNA evidence found on the victims.
More DNA results are giving the defense more argument that their clients are innocent.
"We have the wrong people, there are killers out still," Springsteen's attorney Alexandra Gauthier said.
An early report has found more DNA from three of the four female victims in the case.
The DNA found inside the girls is shown to come from multiple male sources, and none of them match defendants Springsteen and Scott.
"What we need to be doing now is looking for the owners of the DNA we found, of the profiles we've got" Scott's attorney Carlos Garcia said.
These DNA results are preliminary. The final report will go before the court at the next pretrial, at which time the defense will ask the judge to release the clients on bond.
 |  |
 | |  |
| | | | | | | |
Yogurt Shop Murders
Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen were back in court Wednesday. News 8's Catie Beck shares the details of the pretrial.
 
| | |
| | | | | |
|
To rule out the DNA findings, defense attorneys said the state is clinging to coerced confessions and a theory that the crime scene was contaminated.
"If the crime and the confession don't fit, it's what you've got, and what you have now are false confessions," Gauthier said.
Scott's wife said her claims of innocence have been said from the beginning, and now DNA is proving her right.
"It's very clear to me that the state's case is crumbling faster than they could put mortar on a dam that's leaking," Jeannine Scott said.
The defense hopes the dam will break and their clients will be released.
In addition, Judge Mike Lynch said he would likely allow the defense to add two additional attorneys to their side of the case. He said the state has a multitude of resources to help them and so long as the two attorneys, signing on from New York, would be working at no cost to the county, then he will likely allow it.
Charges against suspects Maurice Pearce and Forrest Welborn were dismissed.
None of the new DNA evidence matches either of them.
Meanwhile, the next pretrial hearing for Springsteen and Scott will take place March 4.
