Shivangi Sinha
The Yogurt Shop Murders and the legal proceedings that followed were highly controversial. One of the accused was Forrest Welborn, who was just 15 years old at the time. He consistently maintained his innocence and was questioned twice by investigators. Despite intense interrogations, there was no physical evidence linking him to the crime. His alleged statements, like those of the others, later came under scrutiny. CBS’ ’48 Hours: The Yogurt Shop Murders’ details the case, the disputed confessions, and what happened in the aftermath as the convictions were challenged.
Forrest Welborn Never Confessed to Any Crime in Front of the Police
Forrest Welborn was first linked to the December 6, 1991, case at the I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt! store, where Amy Ayers, Eliza Thomas, and sisters Jennifer and Sarah Harbison were killed. Just eight days later, after Maurice Pierce was taken in for questioning, he named Welborn as one of those involved. Welborn was only 15 years old at the time. Maurice alleged that he had given the gun, which was believed to be the murder weapon, to Welborn and claimed that his friend had admitted to the killings. Police then had Maurice wear a wire and speak to Welborn, but it soon became clear that the teenager had no idea what Maurice was referring to.
However, with no physical evidence linking him to the crime, no charges were ever pressed against Forrest Welborn or the other boys. In 1999, when the investigation was reopened, Welborn was brought in for another interrogation on capital murder charges. While Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen allegedly confessed, Welborn consistently maintained his innocence. A grand jury reviewed the case and “no-billed” him shortly after, meaning they declined to issue a formal indictment due to insufficient probable cause.
Forrest Welborn is an Innocent Man Today
In Scott’s alleged confession, Forrest Welborn was accused of acting as a getaway driver, but there was no evidence to support this claim. By 2003, all charges against him were formally dropped. He never served a day behind bars and kept a low profile as the legal proceedings of others went through. At the February 2026 exoneration hearing, Welborn was officially recognized as innocent alongside the others. He was not required to appear in court and has remained out of the public eye for decades.
Read More: Robert Waters: What Happened to the Accused Killer?
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