AUSTIN, Texas — In a significant development in the haunting case of the 1991 Yogurt Shop Murders, DNA evidence has identified Robert Eugene Brashers, a deceased man, as a new suspect in the killings of four teenage girls in Texas. Authorities linked Brashers, who died by suicide in 1999, to a series of violent crimes across the country. Austin police made the announcement following renewed public interest in the case after the release of an HBO documentary series last month.
The grim murders took place at the 'I Can't Believe It's Yogurt' store, where 13-year-old Amy Ayers, 17-year-olds Eliza Thomas and sisters Jennifer and Sarah Harbison, aged 17 and 15, were found bound, gagged, and shot in the head before the store was set on fire. This case, notorious throughout Texas, saw prosecutors sifting through countless leads, false confessions, and deteriorated evidence as they sought justice for the victims.
The investigation has a complicated history; four men were initially arrested in 1999, with two of them, Robert Springsteen and Michael Scott, confessing to the crimes before recanting their statements, claiming they were coerced by law enforcement. Their convictions were later overturned, and both were released in 2009 when new DNA evidence indicated an alternative suspect.
Previously, in 2018, DNA linked Brashers to several violent crimes across state lines, including a 1990 homicide in South Carolina and multiple assaults in Missouri and Tennessee. As the case remains open, the Austin police are set to hold a news conference next week to provide more details on their latest findings.
The grim murders took place at the 'I Can't Believe It's Yogurt' store, where 13-year-old Amy Ayers, 17-year-olds Eliza Thomas and sisters Jennifer and Sarah Harbison, aged 17 and 15, were found bound, gagged, and shot in the head before the store was set on fire. This case, notorious throughout Texas, saw prosecutors sifting through countless leads, false confessions, and deteriorated evidence as they sought justice for the victims.
The investigation has a complicated history; four men were initially arrested in 1999, with two of them, Robert Springsteen and Michael Scott, confessing to the crimes before recanting their statements, claiming they were coerced by law enforcement. Their convictions were later overturned, and both were released in 2009 when new DNA evidence indicated an alternative suspect.
Previously, in 2018, DNA linked Brashers to several violent crimes across state lines, including a 1990 homicide in South Carolina and multiple assaults in Missouri and Tennessee. As the case remains open, the Austin police are set to hold a news conference next week to provide more details on their latest findings.
