Exoneration and Calls for Reform

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Best of all, Groons's ingredients are fully backed by over thirty five thousand research publications to deliver optimal cellular absorption and natural crash free energy that effortlessly keeps up Fast paced schedule. Save up to fifty two percent off with codecase at groons. co. That's codecase at GRuns. co The phrase most often associated with justice Principle meant to anchor the system is innocent until proven guilty But from my father and three of his peers That principle did not exist That's Marissa Pice, speaking about her late father, Maurice Piers Pice was one of four men originally suspected in the nineteen ninety one murders of four teenage girls, Eliza Thomas, Amy Ayres, and sisters Jennifer and Sarah Harbison They were at a I can't believe it's yogurt shop in Austin, Texas You come off the p for What did you see when you first walked into the yogurt shop It just wholesale carnage. Sergeant Jones was looking at the badly burned bodies of four teenage girls who had been bound and gagged and shot in the head The yogurt shop have been set on fire to cover the killers' tracks. The case has for years become known as the yogurt shop murders Nearly thirty five years later, all four men were declared innocent and exonerated after the Austin Police Dpartment. tide another man to the crimes. We now have evidence linking a specific individual to this case Robert Eugene Brasers. And now the city of Austin has made an offer of thirty five million dollars to be split amongst the wrongfully accused men including the family of Maurice's Pers died before this settlement. was reached. It's blood money for us. He died for this money. so Really, it was never about the money for us. It wass about the reform and the changes that need to happen not only in Austin, but apparently across the country In the end This is a story about eight victims fourour girls who were killed at the yogurt shop four boys who are wrongfully accused of killing them. What I think we need to remember is that over all these years, as terrible as it was for Sarah, Jennifer, Amy, and Eliza's families Four boys and their families were hounded and treated as pariahas. I'm forty eight Hours Crespondent Eron Moriardi, and this is case by case I've been reporting on this case since almost the beginning and nearly my entire career at CBS News. The signs of pain and outrage are everywhere around Austin So the police have formed an elite unit. His only mission is to catch who ever killed those girls The gunshot wounds show that actually two different kinds of guns have been used, a three hundred eighty and a twenty two. then, one of the early suspects was Maurice Pierce, who was sixteen years old at the time. Here's a clip from one of our forty eight hours episodes on the case. You'll also hear from the first lead detective, John Jones He was arrested eight days after the murders at a mall near the yogurt shop, carrying a twenty two Hellerberg gun type used in the murders The twenty two s were unmatchable So you can't say it wasn't his gun But there was no way to prove that it was his gun U He gave a statement Jones says Maurice Pice claimed that he was driving a getaway car and that three acquaintances, Fororest Wellbourne, Michael Scott and Robert Springssteeen were involved in the murders But Pierce's story began to fall apart. It started to crater when We wired him up to go talk to us And we were listening in on the wire And it was pretty obvious for us didnid't know what Maurres was talking about And when Wellborn, Scott and Springsteam were brought in for questioning They too denied any involvement And with me today to discuss this case and the lasting impact on the wrongfully accused and their families is Maurice Pice's widow, Kimberly Piers and their daughter, Marissa Piers. I want to thank both of you for being here today. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you know you have to talk about this suuffering. Um just how It got It was so unreal In nineteen ninety one U seems like such a long time ago. Let's start the beginning. I mean, what did you think, Kimberly? I mean, I know that everybody in Austin had heard about this terrible, terrible murder of four young girls. and all of a sudden, your boyfriend is pulled in And question about this case. Was that scary? I mean, it was scary at the time. It was very scary for him. I didn't see him until he got released. so I know when I saw him, he had, you know, a bit all of his nails, his lips were all, you know, bleeding because he bit his lips and just very nervous, um act I mean, I know initially his mom and dad didn't know where he was because they didn't notify his parents. so they didn't. They basically, you know, woke up and he wasn't home. and so they're calling, you know, like any other parent, we're calling the hospitals. Kim really, how did he describe the questioning? He was just ready to get out of there. I mean, that's really he was just he was ready to go. He's like, I'm just glad it's over and He didn't have to tell me anything because I was with him that night. So I never questioned him as far as You know, there wasn't a conversation like, did you do it because I was with him and I knew he didn't do it. How did Maurice end up pointing the finger at his best friend Forrest? How did that come about? Why did they then wire Maurice and have him go in and talk to Forrest? because detective Polanco told Maurice that the gun that he had was the murder weapon that killed the four girls at the yogurt shop Kimberly, what did you What did you think when you heard that They'd already went down a rabbit hole with me in my questioning that I already knew that they were lying So I didn't believe anything that they said. They were telling me he was in a cult Um him and Forrest were in a cult like animal sacrifices, then they When that didn't work, that's when they tried to say that he was at the yogurt shop visiting one of the girls like trying to u make me jealous and I was like, they're lying. You know that they later on to Mauri confessed to being part of that. That wasn't true, was it? I mean, he never confessed. J When they said that was the murder weapon, he basically said, I didn't have it for this chunk of time And so I don't think he said Brest did it, but he's like somebody that was with forest or forest if he had gave the gun to somebody else at the mall or something. he didn't have it at that time So if I'm understanding you, this is very helpful. So it wasn't that Maurice pointed the finger at Forrest. he's saying, all right, if you're telling me the truth that this gun was involved in the murder, well, I didn't have it at this time. My friend Forrest did. So that's then why they put a wire on Maurice and had him go talk to Fororece I found it really interesting, Marisa, that at the exoneration hearing, you talked about that and you said that In that room, there was no evidence, only a detective and a narrative, a narrative that was so completely false. I'm using your words It feels evil. What do you mean by that Well You know, there's the person that u raaised me The person that I know, the person that loved me and taught me all of life lessons. and then there's this this fabrication, this creation of a of a mastermind and a ring leadader on the news in articles And so that's the narrative that I was referencing detective, doing the question to Maurice for hours was Hector Paleno Lead detective John Jones took a statement after that But he had doubts and told me when I started bad it was clear that Forest Wellbard, New nothing. And there was nothing to connect Maurie's peers. None of the four guys were charged. And so did you feel that it was over at that point? We did. So there's a period of time. that's when Marissa. born and Marissa's growing up But then, almost eight years later in nineteen ninety nine a new investigation and interrogations pushed two of the four men, Robert Springsteeen and Michael Scott to seemingly confess Michael Scott's confession came first. He was questioned over four days Come on Michael, you're doing good. Tell us. Let's do this today. Let's do it Same girl I remember one girl screaming terrified. Scott told investigators that he and the others only intended a simple robbery He said they cased the yogurt chop earlier that day. And then after dark, he said They came back Armed with two guns I had't gung go off I only pro t on I hear another grin go up Investigators claimed that Springsteen later corroborated much of what Scott said is friend. But after intense questioning, he went further. Springsteam told them he shot one girl and raped her Both men later recanted those confessions, saying that they were coerced Springsteeen Scott, along with Maurice Piers and Fororest Wellborne, were arrested How did you find that out When did you find out that Robert Springsteeen and Michael Scott had suddenly confessed after all those years and implicated Maurice I mean, basically we're figuring out when he got picked up on october sixth of nineteen ninety nine And Marissa, do you remember? How old were you? What was that like U I was seven And um It was intense. It was Devastating. it was confusing it was a lot of things for a seven year old to have to, um, tryry to grasp I think my mom and dad tried really hard to Shield me I was seven Um, It was it was a lot though How did you explain it to Marissa, Kimberly I mean, all of a sudden Her dad that she's known for seven years is suddenly in jail. I didn't tell her why he was in jail. I just told her he was in jail. I mean, at first so that day, they came really early before work. I mean, it was a whole SWT team Um And But I heard all the commotion, like the dogs were barking and I went out, I was still in my, you know nightgown. And, uh They pointed all their guns at me, right? because I'm coming out of the house. They have him hog tied on the ground. Did you even know what it was about yet? Did you know what was happening Oh, I knew what it was about, yes, because they had talked to him U not too long before he got arrested by Yeah, it was just I sent her to school because I didn't, you know, you're in shock and you're like, I don't know exactly what I'm gonna to do. And then U, the principal called me becausecause the news was there at her school And so then I figured out, well, I can't send her to school. So Um Yeah, then everything just started happening. I had to quit my job, We moved. I wanted to be, I don't know, somewhere where I felt like it would be less known I don't want her to be messed with at school Um I didn't work that whole first year because I was trying to be there for Maurice. I don't think we ever thought it was going to last that long when you're When there is no evidence and there's You know that you're innocent, you just I don't know, you just think that it's all huge Mistake misunderstanding B then I interviewed Forstwellgoard Um And he clearly did not seem to know anything Were you there that night? No Were you there as a lookout? No Nancy You had nothing to do with this. Nothing at all Time I did a very long interview with him and the DA at the time, Ronnie Earl, tried to get a hold of that interview because he wanted to know if there was anything incriminating in there. How difficult was that for the two of you when These cases got so much attention I mean, it's guilt by association. I feel like the way that you get treated by The media and the families was You might as well have been the murderer yourself. Maurice never went on trial He never went on trial. The only two who went on trial were Michael Scott and Robert Springsteing because they were the only ones who had Quote unquote, confessed. There was no other evidence. and yet Maurice spent more than three years in prison, is that correct Yes. Michael Scott and Robert Springsteam were both convicted. Scott was given life in prison. Robert Springsam was put on death rbe two thousand three, then Maurice is finally released And he's released according to the DA who's still DA at that point, Ronnie Earl, and he says There isn't enough evidence to quote convictim right now So it wasn't really over, even though he's released, was it No, it wasn't over. They continue to harass him, harass me There was definitely times when I'm he felt like he was clearly being followed. So by police officers? Right. kind of told did that take on, Maurice Um I mean, being in jail took the hardest toll on him in order to survive in there and to be for twenty three hours a day He had to somehow shut off his feelings. And so it's hard You don't just you know, come out and your're free man and your feelings turn on again. He was just a much harder, different person when he came out. And I want to make it clear They although he was in in jail for overver three years There was no physical evidence that tied him to the murder. is that correct? And no statement that tied him to the murror. Correct. And yet You believe he was targeted by police when he was released Absolutely When the weather gets warmer, we all reach for clothes that are comfortable, versatile, and look great no matter the occasion. That's exactly why there's Qints. 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All you need is the idea, Shopify handles the rest Go to shopify. com slash pave to start your free trial today. That's shopify d. com slash pave shhopify. com slash pave So now we go to two thousand six, two thousand seven. I'm just going through the history here. The The convictions of Michael Scott and Robert Springsteeen are overturned U It's on constitutional basis. the Sixth Amendment allows a defendant to be able to confront an accuser. but here you had These two quot unquote confessions that were used against these guys, but they were not allowed to question each other. So they are released And at that time there's a new DA And she thinks, okay, I'm gonna retry these guys but I'm going to make sure I have more evidence. So'm going I'm going to retest that DNA that partial male DNA. profile that by them we know exists but had never been able to be tied to anyone. And all of a sudden, she tests it. in fact, it shows not only Were those two guys excluded by that DNA? but so was Maurice and Forrest. All four guys Did that make Maurice's life any better No I mean that's why perception is reality He was still perceived to be a murderer, a mastermind guilty Um And again, us by association. So Um You know, I didn't get jobs because he was my husband So it's, you know, been very difficult for all of us for a long, long time. Kimberly had to just stay. I know, I mean, I know you love Maurice, but that had to be hard How do you not stay Um, We were together since we were thirteen and fourteen think We grew up together, we made mistakes together. We had her young um, together Um, you know, I He was my best friend. So it's It's hard that he's gone. It's hard to live with what they did to him Well, let's talk about that. That I think is what I think I've been putting off going to. and twenty ten. Do you need something at Amaris that we can start this is you, please? Of course, of course Thank you It makes me a little tary right now. What happened in twenty ten Uum Murace went through a stop sign. He did a rolling stop, a California stop, whatever you want to call it. Um, He parked his car at his sister's house thoughtought out, went into the house And then they chased him So he Uh You know, went through her house and went through the backyard and obviously started jumping fences and running, evading Um and Cnect and how that we Let me reach you what the police say. I want you to tell me what's accurate, what's not here So this is how the Austesome pololice department describe what happened on that day in twenty ten in december twenty ten Maurice was stopped for traffic and fled on foot PD officer Frank Wilson caught Pierce and the two struggled Pierce removed offfficer Wilson's knife from his belt and then stabbed him in the neck Officer Wilson shot killed peers Officer Wilson survived his injuries. Marissa, is that how you would describe what happened Um, I mean, I guess I don't, I don't know If my dad wanted to harm This officer, Frank Wilson, he My dad was a, you know A capable man. he If he wanted to, he he could have And he didn't want to. He was just trying to run You know His mind went into survival. That was it. and he just wanted to get away and And naturally so, I wish people, you know, could understand that I know that my father was not trying to harm Um That officer. Marissa was on the phone with him when he died Oh my Godd Tell me about it, Marisissa I was on the phone I was on the phone when it happened. Um And that's how I knew that he just wanted to get away because he had told me could hear it in his voice, the fear that was taking over said they're after me They're after me and um I heard him put his car In Park I heard him open a door Heard him run And then, um And then he let me go. hung up. And I believe I believe that he hung up when he knew that this officer was on him So that way like I said, he's always He's always found a way to Sield me And I think that was intentional And he let me go, but it was only moments later that he called me back. And uh time He whispered very quietly to me in in my head I believe that he was hiding, you know And I just promised him like we're going to figure it out. It's okay. You're fine. You're safe. I love you. We're gonna find you U, but He was whispering because at that point he was taking his last breaths Um And in those last moments, he had just said I'm sorry I don't think you're gonna see me again And I love you Find out, Kimberly Marissa U M Marissa came to my house Yeah o'clock in the morning. Yeah. And she's like daddy Daddy is gone and, uh Yeah, I just I don't know. I didn't know how to Like is it real? We're not right there. We can't see it It sounded pretty real I just felt like they They finally got him. It was hard to hear that an Austin police officer shot him Um, I was angry. pissed off. You You know, that The Awsa Police Department say that the officer was it was a matter of defending his life that he killed him in self defense But you say it was murder. Why do you say that U they've lied so much over the past thirty years in regards to the yogurt shop case. I certainly don't believe them The night that Maurice was shot So in my mind, they murdered him and that's how I will always remember it Um, I Personally, I feel like the timing of it was . You know, Robin Mike get released in two thousand nine APD is mad that they don't have anybody in custody S blame They're getting pressure still from everyone to solve the case And u think they were going to get marised no matter what and make him pay for it because I don't see how He was shot. Iver Rlling through a stop sign Um, I just don't see it. That's how I feel. I don't think Maurice found his knife and stabbed him in the neck. I don't see it questions about that night. You definitely have some questions left And then you're talking about So this was two thousand december twenty ten And then Six years And we're talking about September twenty twenty five The Austin Police Department identified a completely different man Robert Eugene Brashiers as the man responsible for the murders of Amy, Eliza, Jennifer, and Sarah The only The only physical evidence located at that scene has been matched to him Rrasher died by suicide in nineteen ninety nine after a standoff with police in Missouri And his DNA has since been and before this connection He has been connected to murders and rapes across the country How did you find out? Did you find out when we did? Or did at least the DA's office give you a call a heads up Nobody called me. My sister in law called me. Maruricea's sister called me She saw it on the news and she called me. It just all seems surreal. likeike until you start seeing stuff on the news and start Googling it, looking it up yourself, you're like, is it real? And it was. and then I Cemplated Coming to the press conference but I felt like, um You know, I wanted to allow the victims' families to have their time. so I didn't I didn't come. We me Marissa came to my house and we watched it together Obviously, this announcement was huge too the families of the girls. I mean, you know. So I want you to hear a little bit of of what Barbara Sarah and Jennifer's mom had to say about finding out that after Almost thirty five years, the case had finally been solved. Here's a little bit from her It has been so long and all we ever wanted for this case was the truth We never wanted anyone to go to jail or be charged with anything that they did not do Vengeance was never it. It was always the truth U I was there at that press conference on And we we and we asked as reporters, is there any connection to this guy and the four guys that have been always suspected of killing the girls and we were told no. Is there going to be an apology to the men who had been accused and they said, well, when we do more investigation If we were wrong, we'll apologize, that I'm paraphrasing, but that's what was said Tell me what you were feeling at that moment I mean, that's how they always treated us so it wasn't any different I'm I was just ready to move on. to the the next steps of I mean, that's when Marissa went into action and started you know, cold calling attorneys, you know, who? Who will help us? officially Clear his name even though he's dead ' it means something Best thing that's ever happened to you financially, go. Easy. Sold my car on Carvana. Amazing offer. Really? I hit two hundred on a scratcher. Did the scratcher come to your house and hand you a check? No. How many scratchers did you hit to get that? I hit a button on carvana dot com once. Okay, that's fair. It's like the lottery, except you always win Not like the lottery at all actually. Exactly inexplicably good Offers worth bragging about Sell your car today on Carvana. Pickp these may apply I think one of the hardest things to hear in that press conference And if you were watching on television, you probably remember this too. was to find out that there was a miss opportunity just two days after the girls killed U They' the real killer Bashers. is stopped at a checkpoint. It was near El Paso And he had a three eighty gum with him it fit the description of the gun that had been used by the murders There was a twenty two and a three hundred eighty that was used in the murders They know he's in a stolen car. They know he has a three hundred eighty. Yeah, that was hard to hear. Um The judicial system failed us in multiple states. U, Florida let them go early for who knows why He should have still been in jail when he committed the overshot murders. Um Even in ' ninety nine, he shot himself with the same gun. I was like, how's he get the gun back likeike Maybe Nibin would have been tested then. like maybe they would have picked it up and figured it out. likeike I would like to know how when when was the last time, you know? I think I should make it clear that Nyin is that data center that keeps track of ballistics and weapons used in crimes It felt like a series of unfortunate events that led to the arrest and murder of Maurice is what it felt like. There were so many things had of play out went wrong that. resulted in his death Is it hard that he hard for you to accept that he doesn't know His family knows, everyone in Austin knows. and Maurice did not live long enough to find out It's hard that they knew the truth and they just didn't care. and that it didn't matter that they were ruining fourour boys' lives. I feel that today Like nobody really cares about the four boys or the harm that it caused them. or our families. And it's still focused more on The serial killer Um And the victims' families then Four boys. You don't think today that anybody is interested or cares about what you all went through in all h this way as well Not as much. Yeah You began working with the Innocence Project of Texas. Marissa, it really was important for your father to be cleared. and exonerated. that. Was there any question that was going to happen I mean was it I mean, because we know that that hearing was held W there any question before it was held, whether in fact, there would be an apology and And there would be an exoneration of all four men, including your dad Not in my mind. um it It came to pass and we were able to be there and experience it and see it for him I I was not there. I watched it afterwards. And when Mike Scott, who was the only one of the four who actually testified at that hearing to stand I didn't even recognize him. He looked like an old guy. In my mind, I was still seeing the Michael Scott even from nineteen ninety nine and when he went on trial And it really showed me How much time had gone by and the weight that had been on these these individuals Did that help to finally have this hearing where att least The state of Texas and most of America could see that your fathererss Name had been cleared. I was definitely grateful I was happy to see it Myself Um But in my mind, it's a little too late There's He's not here to experience the things that he should have been able to do to see that the people finally hear him and are listening to him and know his innocence because we've known all along Familyiess known all along What about you, Kimberly U I mean, I think it was a little cathartic to go through it, write this statement say what I wanted to say I honestly thought it would never be solved in my lifetime So it was kind of a relief to finally Just hear it all. I mean, the DA did apologize, you know, publicly day was it a good day For us, we're hoping that out of it U All of the things that went wrong will be brought to light and someome serious reform will you know, come out of it All right, and that's what I want to get to because I know that is really the reason why you're sitting down with us. I know that you really want to talk about the changes So the city of Austin. has agreed to pay U All four men And in your case, the family of Maurie's Pers Uh, thirty five million dollars And it's been reported that your family will get ten million. Is that correct Yes. I think some people will look and say That's a lot of money to people. Other people will say it's not enough. What do you think Oh, it's definitely not enough for his life It was very hard to try to say that that was enough So tell me about some of the changes you would really like to be you'd really like to see. Um, I would like a u advocate to be appointed to any juvenile being questioned as a witness or a suspect. Um, Especially in a murder case, there should have been I mean, they didn't they violated our rights. They didn't call our parents. They talked to us without them.. Obviously, that shouldn't happen. Paul Johnson admits that you know, the entire interrogation was not U Tate Wh only excererts or parts of it. U that should not be allowed to happen that should be You want the whole thing taped. And Paul Johnson became the lead detective Corre right. I don't need ertts, I don't need, you know, you feeding him information after you've shown him you know, the graphic photos of the girls, you know, dead when he was sixteen years old, right? Like That should not be what's happening. So in fact, Maurice early on, even at age sixteen, they're showing him pictures of the victims to try to get him to Mhm. to confat. Yes. And you want to see that change. Well, they should not be allowed to lie to, I mean, anyone, but especially juveniles. You know, Marie thought they're not allowed to lie to you. They're the cops. They're telling the truth. L he honestly thought it was the truth. He had no doubt in his mind they were telling him the truth. They're the law Um even when Right? They were questioning Mike like when that the one detective puts the gun to the back of his head you know like you did it like that's that should not be allowed Um ever Right? If you're getting a confession that way Problematic clelearly coerced. And then we also want all of Paul Johnson's cases reviewed