DNA evidence cracks cold case, connects dead suspect to murders of 4 teens at Austin yogurt shop
Share and Follow

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Investigators have identified a suspect in a Texas quadruple cold case murder more than three decades old. 

Police in Austin said on Friday that they had linked Robert Eugene Brashers to the murders of four teen girls at a yogurt shop in 1991 through DNA. 

Brashers, who committed suicide in 1999, was also suspected of being a serial predator at the time, according to the Austin American-Statesman. 

He was convicted of attempted murder after shooting a woman in the head in 1985, and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was released in 1989, however, after only serving three years in prison, the Statesman reported. 

Robert Brashers mug shot

Police in Austin said on Friday that they had linked Robert Eugene Brashers to the murders of four teen girls at a yogurt shop in 1991.  (Missouri State Highway Patrol)

He fatally shot himself following a police standoff at a motel where he had been hiding with his wife, daughter and two stepdaughters, after releasing them from the motel. 

DNA evidence also linked Brashers after his death to three rapes and murders in Missouri and South Carolina – including a mother and daughter – and a rape in Tennessee. 

Robert Springsteen and Michael Scott, who were teenagers at the time of the murders, were charged and convicted of the killings in 2001 and 2002. 

Yourt shop murders location

The location where four girls were killed at a yogurt shop in 1991. (AP Photo/Paul J. Weber)

They were sentenced to death and life in prison respectively, but their convictions were overturned on appeal, including because no DNA evidence linked them to the crimes. 

What became known as the “Yogurt Shop Murders” remains infamous in Austin as one of its most violent cases, and is still open. HBO premiered a docuseries called “The Yogurt Shop Murders” last month about the killings. 

Amy Ayers, 13; Eliza Thomas, 17; and sisters Jennifer and Sarah Harbison, ages 17 and 15, were bound, gagged and shot in the head at the “I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt” store where two of them worked. The building was then set on fire.

Victims' memorial

Tributes lay on a memorial Friday for four teenage girls who were killed in a yogurt shop in 1991 in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Paul J. Weber) (AP Photo/Paul J. Weber)

“Our team never gave up working this case,” Austin police said in a statement on Friday. 

The department has a news conference planned on Monday to discuss the new evidence in the case. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Trump says US struck Islamic State targets in Nigeria after group targeted Christians

US Launches Strikes on ISIS in Nigeria Following Attacks on Christian Communities, Announces Trump

President Donald Trump has announced the execution of a “powerful and deadly…
California migrant truckers suing state DMV over canceled commercial drivers licenses

California Migrant Truckers Challenge DMV: Legal Battle Over Revoked Commercial Licenses

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is currently embroiled in a…
Nickelodeon star Tylor Chase is hospitalized as loved ones unite

Nickelodeon Actor Tylor Chase Hospitalized: Family and Friends Rally Together

Tylor Chase has found the medical care he desperately needs in a…
Lawyer for man accused in Tupac Shakur murder asks judge to toss evidence from search

Attorney for Suspect in Tupac Shakur Case Seeks Dismissal of Search Evidence

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Attorneys representing the man accused of murdering legendary…
UPS plane crash in Louisville claims 15th victim weeks after fiery takeoff failure

Tragic UPS Plane Crash in Louisville: 15th Victim Succumbs Weeks After Catastrophic Takeoff Incident

NTSB releases preliminary report on UPS plane crash Charley Pereira, a former…
Santa with CCW gets pulled over, tells Ohio deputy 'you got to protect yourself' during festive traffic stop

Ohio Deputy Pulls Over Armed Santa, Who Advocates for Self-Protection During Festive Traffic Stop

Santa Claus nearly found himself in a bit of a holiday predicament,…
President of TPUSA chapter twice denied by university's student government vows to fight: 'not backing down'

TPUSA Chapter President Challenges University’s Student Government Rejection: A Determined Stand for Free Speech

PHOENIX — A determined Loyola University New Orleans student is pledging to…
Inside the campaign to replace Karoline Leavitt

Exploring the Efforts to Succeed Karoline Leavitt

The role of White House Press Secretary, currently held by Karoline Leavitt,…