Men once wrongfully accused in Austin yogurt shop murders seek formal declaration of innocence

A Texas judge will consider a formal declaration of innocence for four men who were wrongfully accused in the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders. Cold-case investigators say DNA and other evidence point to Robert Eugene Brashers, who died in 1999.

A Texas judge will hear a petition seeking a formal declaration that four men were wrongfully accused in the 1991 Austin yogurt shop killings. The case drew renewed attention after cold-case detectives reported new evidence linking the crime to a different suspect. Those developments prompted the scheduled court hearing and raised the possibility of clearing the names of the accused. Key facts: - A judge will consider a petition for a declaration of "actual innocence" in a hearing set for Thursday before state District Judge Dayna Blazey. - Four men were arrested in 1999 in connection with the 1991 killings; the article notes one of the men was initially convicted and spent years on death row before that conviction was overturned. - Cold-case investigators have said DNA and other evidence point to Robert Eugene Brashers as the likely perpetrator; Brashers died in a 1999 standoff with police. - A declaration of actual innocence would be a formal step that could allow the men and their families to pursue financial compensation for time spent in custody. Summary: If the judge issues a declaration of actual innocence, it would formally clear the four men of the accusations tied to the 1991 Austin case and could open the way to compensation claims. The outcome of the hearing is undetermined at this time.