Wrongly Convicted Database Record

 

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Michael Scott

 

Charge:

Murder

Sentence:

Life Imprisonment without possibility of parole

Years Imprisoned:

10

Year Crime:

1991

Year Convicted:

2002

Year Cleared:

2009

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Texas

County or Region of Crime:

Travis

City of Crime:

Austin

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

"Michael Scott was co-defendant of Robert Springsteen. Both men were wrongly convicted of the 1991 murder of four girls at an Austin, Texas yogurt shop, which was set on fire in an apparent effort to cover-up the murders. Scott and Springsteen were arrested on October 6, 1999 as suspects in the crime. Scott confessed to the crime under intense police questioning, and implicated Springsteen in the crime. Springsteen then confessed under intense police questioning and implicated Scott in the crime. Both men were indicted for four counts of capital murder based on their confessions that implicated the other man. Springsteen was convicted of four counts of murder in June 2001 and sentenced to death. Scott was convicted of four counts of murder in September 2002 and sentenced to life in prison without parole. In May 2006 the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned Springsteen's conviction, ruling that Scott's confession was improperly introduced as evidence in Springsteen's trial. Springsteen. In June 2007 the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned Scott's conviction, ruling that Springsteen's confession was improperly introduced as evidence in Scott's trial. In April 2008 it was publicly disclosed that DNA testing of crime scene evidence excluded both Scott and Springsteen as a perpetrator of the crime. In June 2009 Springsteen and Scott were released from prison on their own recognizance after prosecutors informed state District Judge Mike Lynch that they were not prepared to go to trial in July 2009. On October 28, 2009, Travis County, Texas, prosecutors moved to dismiss all charges against Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen, The two men were incarcerated for ten years. Springsteen was on Texas' death row for almost five years."

Conviction Caused By:

"False confession by Scott in 1999 implicated Robert Springsteen in the 1991 crime. Springsteen then was questioned and falsely confessed, implicating Michael Scott in the crime."

Innocence Proved By:

"On October 28, 2009, Travis County, Texas, prosecutors moved to dismiss all charges against Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen based on the new DNA evidence that excluded them."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

25

Age When Released:

35

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"Murder counts tossed in Texas yogurt shop slayings, Associated Press story, Austin American-Statesman, October 28, 2009"

Information Location 1:

http://www.statesman.com/search/content/gen/ap/TX_Yogurt_Shop_Murders.html

Information Source 2:

"Yogurt shop murder case timeline, Austin American-Statesman, October 29, 2009"

Information Location 2:

http://www.statesman.com/search/content/news/stories/local/2009/10/29/1029yogurttime.html

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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org

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