www.texas-justice.com  

 

This is an urgent appeal from the wife of Robert Springsteen IV. Rob is currently held in the South Central Regional Jail, without indictment, in connection to the Yogurt Shop murders that occurred in Austin, Texas in 1991.

I, and family members, have been devestated by the events that have unfolded over the past several weeks. We have been thrown in to shock by suddenly finding ourselves thrust in to a life and death situation where we have no control. We have had to seek help from officials and professionals whom we must entrust with Robert's life. West Virginia appears to be ready to hand over one of it's own to a state wanting to kill him without questioning anything. The dotting of the "i"s and crossing of the "t"s in the legal documentation seems to be the only interest of the court and the governor. We cannot get a voice in the proceedings and issues are becoming political in nature.

 The reason my husbands's life is hanging in the balance is because of his naive cooperation with the Austin police on September 15, 1999. Contrary to what has been reported, Robert was never a fugitive, nor did he make any attempt to flee his home at any time. He believed there was no reason for him to run because he had done nothing wrong. We presumed there were checks and balances in place to protect innocent people and that our patience and trust in the justice system would prevail. We have been amiss in those beliefs and presumptions. Instead, we find Robert is treated as if he had already been convicted by virtue of negative media coverage immediately following his arrest. 

It is well known that Austin developed a "special unit" in August of this year to "solve" the Yogurt Shop Murders. The unit's directive was to put the murders to rest by the year 2000. Strangely, they were able to unravel this eight year old murder in weeks without the help of new evidence. It is also common knowledge, that the Austin police, in their zeal to satisfy public outcry for not having found the perpetrators of the horrific crime, have previously attempted to coerce statements from innocent indivicuals through supicious practices. This case has become an obsession that appears to have clouded certain judgements and provided freedom to do what ought not to be done. I have wondered in my private moments since this ordeal began, if it was possible those involved in this case felt justified in their conduct if only to bring closure to this awful chapter in the lives of the families of the slain girls and to the city of Austin itself. However, I can not believe that good people anywhere, would want to see sacrificial sheep offered on an alter built of hate, to ease their sorrow. Therefore, I can only conclude, they are not aware of the particulars that have led to the "solving" of this crime.

I have read and heard claims of numerous improprieties within our justice system in the past and have paid little or no attention. Those situations did not directly effect my life, so I, like many of you, had no interest in further investigation in the facts surrounding the allegations. I had been lulled into believing that only guilty people had to worry, and that we hard working, ordinary people, were somehow immune to being caught up in such circumnstances. Again, my logic was faulty. Now I fear, we are just another claim of aggression that will not be investigated further by those of you who read this.

You may take for granted that you are not at risk for something like this to occur in your world. Perhaps you feel safe in the normalcy of your life as we once did. Maybe you won't know the fear of having the one you love snatched our of your life without warning or justification. You won't worry about seeing your home on TV and your life portrayed, however incorrectly, in the media. You'll not feel the loneliness of separation. You won't have to agonize about how to come up with hundreds of thousands of dollars to enable you to do no more than hold your own in a system willing to spend millions to obtain a desired result. I used to feel safe too. The truth is, my husband is innocent. He is a good person who has been caught in a nightmare. We, his family, are overwhelmed and helpless.

There have been other incidents surrounding this matter that are clearly not right. Strange coincidences and flagrant disregard for the rights for individuals abound both here and in Texas but I am not at liberty to disclose that information. Nonetheless, in lighrt of what we have already experienced, releasing Robert to this system and trusting them to be fair and honest, is an absurd concept. Maybe, this time, citizens should look at what has happened, and then look again Perhaps, this time, you should become concerned instead of assuming it could never happen to you.

We have empowered the legal and judicial system either by our votes or by our silence. Where are the watchdogs who monitor justice and guard the common man?

We are desperate for help. We are faced with an entity that appears bent on our destruction whose resources can overcome us with little effort. If our cry is not heard, we will be only a small whimper, barely audible, as the "machine" swallows us whole. Consider what you would do. How would you fight for your life?

Robin

Charleston, West Virginia