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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Murder |
Sentence: |
Death and later resentenced or commuted to Life |
Years Imprisoned: |
10 |
Year Crime: |
1991 |
Year Convicted: |
2001 |
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: |
"Robert Springsteen was co-defendant of Michael Scott. 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. Springsteen filed two applciations for compensation under Texas' compensatoin statute, but it was denied because the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals had not issued a writ of actual innocence as required by the statute. In May 2013 Springsteen filed a state lawsuit requesting that the court declare him "actually innocent" so he will be eligible for more than $700,000 and other benefits under Texas state law. On December 21, 2016 the Texas State 3rd Court of Appeals ruled that because the reversal of his conviction was not based on "actual innocence," he is not eligible for state compensation. Springsteen filed a federal civil rights lawsuit that was dismissed." |
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: |
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Compensation Awarded: |
"No. Denied by State of Texas, and federal civil rights lawsuit dismissed." |
Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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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 |
Information Source 3: |
"Springsteen Sues for Wrongful Conviction, By Jordan Smith (staff writer), The Austin Chronicle, May 31, 2013" |
Information Location 3: |
http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2013-05-31/springsteen-sues-for-wrongful-conviction/ |
Information Source 4: |
"Man convicted, released in Yogurt Shop murders won’t receive compensation, By Calily Bien, KXAN-TV (Austin, TX), December 21, 2016" |
Information Location 4: |
http://kxan.com/2016/12/21/man-convicted-released-in-yogurt-shop-murders-wont-receive-compensation/ |
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Comments About Case: |
Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org