DNA Links Austin Yogurt Shop Murder Suspect to Multiple US Crimes

After more than 34 years, Austin police identified Robert Eugene Brashers as the suspect in the 1991 Yogurt Shop Murders, where four teenage girls were bound, gagged, shot, and the shop set on fire. Brashers, who died by suicide in 1999, was linked through advanced DNA testing and ballistics analysis, including a match from DNA found under the fingernails of 13-year-old victim Amy Ayers. He was found to have passed through the El Paso border shortly after the murders, driving a stolen car and carrying a pistol matching the murder weapon. Investigators also connected Brashers to at least three other violent crimes across multiple states, noting his modus operandi of binding victims with their own clothing and carrying multiple weapons. The breakthrough has brought relief and closure to the victims' families and the Austin community, who had previously seen four wrongfully accused suspects exonerated. Police and prosecutors acknowledged past investigative mistakes and emphasized the importance of transparency and collaboration in finally resolving this cold case.