The U.S. Supreme Court ruled the death penalty unconstitutional for crimes committed by juveniles.
The 5-4 decision will impact about 28 death row inmates in Texas and 70 inmates nationwide.
Locally, it may have an even wider impact, not just for the one inmate that may be spared the death penalty, but for anyone connected to the 1991 infamous yogurt shop murders.
On Dec. 6, 1991, four teenage girls were murdered in a North Austin yogurt shop. Eight years later, police found and prosecuted four suspects. Only two were convicted and sentenced for direct participation in the murder of Amy Ayers, Eliza Thomas, Jennifer Harbison, and her sister, Sarah Harbison.
One of those convicted was Robert Springsteen, who was 17 at the time and is now on death row. Springsteen is appealing his 2001 conviction with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
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Death sentence ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled juvenile offender cannot be executed.
 
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Michael Scott was sentenced to life. Due to lack of evidence charges against Maurice Pierce, the accused ringleader, were dropped. His case, however, remains open. Two grand juries refused to indict Forrest Welborn, the accused lookout. All charges against him were dropped.
Carlos Garcia was one of Scott's lawyers.
"It appears the courts are finally catching up with science. I mean science has been telling us that people under the age of 21, they're brains are not fully developed. I mean, they have poor impulse control, for example," Garcia said.
Garcia won a life sentence for his client, which is what Springsteen's sentence could be commuted to life.
Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle released a statement Tuesday saying it appears Springsteen's sentence will be changed to life in prison.
Life without parole is not an option in Texas, so Springsteen would serve the same sentence as Scott - life in prison with the possibility of parole after 35 years.
Garcia said victims' families shouldn't feel any sense of injustice.
"I don't know what to tell [the victims' families]. You know life in prison is not an easy punishment. It's not mercy to get life in prison. I mean, the conditions in prison are not such that people want to get that," Garcia said.
Even less mercy, if four state bills that seek life without parole for certain cases gain any momentum.
It remains to be seen if the more severe life sentence gains supporters now that the death penalty is no longer an option for juvenile offenders.
