Exonerated man's widow calls settlement in yogurt shop murders "blood money"

The widow and the daughter of Maurice Pierce, one of the four men wrongfully accused in the 1991 Texas yogurt shop murders , have confirmed they signed a multimillion-dollar settlement with the city of Austin. Kimberli and Marisa Pierce spoke with correspondent Erin Moriarty in a new episode of the podcast "48 Hours: Case by Case." Moriarty has reported on the yogurt shop murders for over 30 years. Maurice Pierce's widow Kimberli made clear that their priority has never been financial compensation. "It's blood money for us. He died for this money," Kimberli Pierce said. "It's about the reform and the changes that need to happen, not only in Austin, but apparently across the country." They also went into great detail about what they believe happened when Maurice Pierce was shot and killed by police in 2010. Maurice Pierce was one of four men, along with Michael Scott, Robert Springsteen and Forrest Welborn, who were wrongfully accused in the murders of four teenage girls in Austin on Dec. 6, 1991. Eliza Thomas, Amy Ayers, and sisters Jennifer and Sarah Harbison were tied up, shot and left inside the yogurt shop as it was set ablaze. The four men were exonerated in February after investigators linked another man, Robert Eugene Brashers , to the killings. The city of Austin subsequently offered a $35 million settlement. Because Maurice Pierce died in 2010, his share of $10 million will go to Kimberli and Marisa Pierce. …