Yogurt shop suspects
By Christian R. González

MAURICE EARL PIERCE
Birth date: 9/3/75

Accused of being the ringleader of the group by Robert Springsteen IV. Just days after the yogurt shop murders he was arrested at Northcross Mall for having a gun. This led to the interrogations of Springsteen, Pierce and Michael Scott because they were friends. However, at the time, none of them were considered suspects. Pierce was the only suspect among the four who had a car – he always drove.

In 1989, he attended Lamar Middle School as a seventh grader; he was then transferred to Dobie Middle School and then to the Robbins Academy. Robbins, now closed, was an alternative school. He stopped going to school and worked odd jobs including babysitting his sister's children. He enrolled in the ninth grade at Anderson High School but dropped out after three months. He only had minor brushes with the law prior to the murders.

Pierce was arrested in Lewisville, near Dallas. He is married to Kimberli Pierce and they have a daughter. Kimberli and Maurice dated for 10 years before being married in 1997. He was 16 at the time of the murders. If convicted he could get 35 years in prison.

Due to lack of evidence, all charges against Pierce were dropped and he was released from jail on Jan. 28, 2003.

MICHAEL JAMES SCOTT
Birth date: 2/6/74

In 1991, Scott was a sophomore at McCallum High School. He was in special education and was forced to repeat the 10th grade. A friend who knew all the suspects said he was the cutup of the group. He dropped out of school a year after the murders in 1992. For a few weeks before the murders, Scott lived with Springsteen. Later, he moved to Buda and was working at a repair shop in San Antonio. He Married Jeannine Marie Stark in Austin in March 1998. He was 17 at the time of the murders. Prosecutors sought the death penalty against Scott. He was convicted on Sept. 22, 2002 and sentenced to life in prison.

ROBERT BURNS SPRINGSTEEN IV
Birth date: 11/26/74

Springsteen was born in Chicago. His parents divorced when he was one-and-a-half years old. He moved to West Virginia with his mother. His dad lived in Austin. He lived with his father for one year in 1991. He said he held jobs in Austin and recalled working at Mr. Gattti's. A friend who knew all the suspects said Springsteen wasn't obnoxious but spoke his mind.

Springsteen dropped out of McCallum High School two weeks after murders; he said he was only at the school for three months. Although in his confession he said he was already out of school when the murders happened. He said he was sent an alternative learning center for behavioral problems and decided to drop out.

In 1999 Springsteen married Robin Moss, who was 46, in West Virginia. He was arrested there for public intoxication. As part of the sentence, for that offense, he got his GED.

He said in his videotaped confession that he enjoyed playing PlayStation video games and computer games. He said his only real friend, in West Virginia, was Roy Rose. He held various jobs there, including manager at a McDonald's.

He was 17 at the time of the murders. He was convicted in the murders on May 30, 2001. He was sentenced to death.

FORREST WELBORN
Birth date: 8/21/76

Welborn dropped out of McCallum High School in 1993. He committed minor crimes prior to the yogurt shop murders. A friend who knew all four suspects said he was the quietist of the group. He opened an auto-repair store in Lockhart where he was living when arrested. He lost his business after being arrested and could not find a job after being released on $375,000 bail. On Friday, June 30, 2000, a judge dismissed the four capital murder charges against him because a grand jury failed twice to indict him. In his videotaped confession Springsteen said Welborn acted as the lookout and stayed in the car during the murders. Welborn was 15 at the time of the murders.

Austin American Statesman

Crime scene

Yogurt shop victims
By Christian R. González

AMY LEIGH AYERS
Birth date: 1/31/78

Ayers was an eighth grader at Burnet Middle School where she was on the yearbook staff. She was in the junior Future Farmers of America program. She showed hogs at the Travis County Fair and Rodeo. She also won the arts and crafts division of the fair with a needlepoint doorstop. She wanted to be veterinarian. She liked George Strait and loved cats. She was 13 years old.

JENNIFER ANN HARBISON
Birth date: 5/9/74

Attended St. Louis Catholic Church. She was a senior at Lanier High School and president of the school’s Future Farmers of America program. She was also the manager for the Lanier drill team, the Vikettes, and was a member of the track team. Before working at the “I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt!” store she worked at an Albertson’s grocery store. She was 17 years old.

SARAH LOUISE HARBISON
Birth date: 10/28/76

She was a freshman at Lanier High School and a junior varsity cheerleader. She was a member of the student council and the Future Farmers of America program. She raised lambs for the Travis County Livestock Show and Rodeo. She collected rocks and seashells. She was 15 years old.

ELIZA HOPE THOMAS
Birth date: 5/16/74

Attended St. Louis Catholic Church. She was a senior at Lanier High School. She enjoyed reading and country dancing. She wanted to be veterinarian and a rancher. She raised a pig named “Stony” as a project for the Future Farmer’s of America. Her mother always believed that she would be a writer. Her principal said she was into agricultural mechanics and excelled at welding and small-engine repair. She worked at the “I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt!” shop. She was 17 years old.

Robert Burns Springsteen IV biography