After more than three decades of dead ends, false leads, and heartbreak, a breakthrough in one of Texas’s most notorious cold cases has brought a chilling sense of closure. Austin police have identified a suspect in the 1991 Yogurt Shop Murders—a crime that has haunted the city since four teenage girls were brutally killed.
Who Was Identified as the Suspect?
On September 27, 2025, authorities named Robert Eugene Brashers as the man responsible for the quadruple homicide at an I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt! shop in Austin. Brashers, who died by suicide in 1999, was linked to the crime through advanced DNA analysis .
Brashers’ Disturbing Criminal Past
Brashers was no stranger to violence. His criminal record included:
- Attempted murder
- Burglary
- Impersonating a police officer
Investigators now believe Brashers may have been a serial predator, with DNA evidence potentially connecting him to other unsolved crimes .
The Victims: Remembering the Four Lives Lost
The murders on December 6, 1991, shocked Austin and left a permanent scar on the community. The victims were:
| Victim | Age |
|---|---|
| Amy Ayers | 13 |
| Eliza Thomas | 17 |
| Jennifer Harbison | 17 |
| Sarah Harbison | 15 |
Timeline of a Haunting Investigation
The case was marred by false confessions and wrongful arrests. In the early 2000s, four men were charged—but later exonerated—after their confessions were deemed coerced . For years, the investigation stalled.
Key milestones include:
- 1991: The four girls are found murdered.
- 2001: Four suspects arrested; charges later dropped.
- 2018: Full suspect DNA profile developed and entered into CODIS .
- 2025: DNA match identifies Brashers as the killer .
How DNA Cracked the Case
Investigators used cutting-edge forensic genealogy and DNA phenotyping to generate a suspect profile. This profile was matched to Brashers through familial DNA searching, a technique that has solved dozens of cold cases nationwide .
Community Reaction and Legacy
The announcement has brought a mix of relief and sorrow to Austin. For families of the victims, it’s a long-awaited answer—but not the justice they had hoped for, as Brashers cannot be prosecuted .
[INTERNAL_LINK:cold-cases] Cold case investigators emphasize that this breakthrough underscores the importance of preserving evidence and advancing forensic technology.
