Investigators later learned at least one victim had been sexually assaulted and that the blaze destroyed potential evidence. The brutality of the killings and the ensuing investigation "haunted Austin for decades," reporting has said. The four men identified in the proceeding are Michael Scott, Robert Springsteen, Forrest Welborn and Maurice Pierce. Springsteen and Scott were convicted largely on confessions they maintained were coerced by police; both convictions were overturned in the mid-2000s. Two of the original defendants, Michael Scott and Forrest Welborn, were expected to attend the hearing; Springsteen was not expected to attend.

Source: thestar February 19, 2026 16:44 UTC