UPDATE: Austin police have identified deceased serial killer Robert Eugene Brashers as the prime suspect in the shocking 1991 yogurt shop murders that claimed the lives of four teenage girls. This urgent development comes after DNA and ballistics testing linked Brashers to the brutal slayings, which have haunted Texas for over three decades.
On December 6, 1991, the bodies of Jennifer Harbison (17), her sister Sarah Harbison (15), Eliza Thomas (17), and Amy Ayers (13) were discovered inside the “I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt!” shop in north Austin. Authorities found the girls bound, stacked on top of one another, and each shot in the head—some showing signs of sexual assault. This incident marked one of Texas’ most notorious cold cases.
The case remained unsolved for decades, but it gained renewed attention when Austin Mayor Kirk Watson announced the breakthrough, confirming Brashers’ involvement through advanced forensic techniques. The horrific details of the crime have resurfaced, igniting public interest and outrage.
Brashers, who died by suicide in 1999 after a standoff with police in Missouri, had a violent criminal history. He was previously convicted for attempted murder in 1985 in Florida, where he shot a woman twice in the head for rejecting his advances. Despite his lengthy criminal record, Brashers was relatively unknown until 2018, when DNA evidence tied him to multiple murders, including those of two women and a 12-year-old girl in the early 1990s.
The emotional toll of the yogurt shop murders has left a lasting impact on the Austin community. Families of the victims have long awaited justice, and today’s announcement offers a glimmer of hope for closure.
Authorities are now urging anyone with additional information about the case or Brashers to come forward, as they continue to investigate this harrowing chapter in Austin’s history.
As the story unfolds, more details are expected. Stay tuned for the latest updates on this developing case that has shocked and saddened many for years.
