Yogurt Shop Murders
Police Identify Killer After 3-Plus Decades …
But He’s Already Dead
Published
Police in Texas have identified the killer of 4 teens after more than 3 decades with the help of DNA testing — but the suspect won’t ever spend a day in prison because he’s already dead.
Austin PD officials announced Friday they believe Robert Eugene Brashers gagged and shot to death the four victims inside the “I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt” shop on December 6, 1991. Each victim had been shot in the head.
The bodies of Eliza Thomas, 17, Jennifer Harbison, 17, Sarah Harbison, 15, and Amy Ayers, 13, were discovered after the killer set the store ablaze. One of the girls had been sexually assaulted and a partial male DNA profile was extracted from the victim.
The DNA profile did not match the genetic profiles of 4 men who were originally believed to have committed the quadruple homicide. Two of the men were tried in court and sentenced to prison before their convictions were overturned. All of the men were eventually cleared of any wrongdoing.
Enter Brashers, who fatally shot himself during a 1999 standoff with police in Kennett, Missouri. Brashers was also connected to several murders and sexual assaults in other states.
A dedicated team of investigators came across Brashers more recently during their 34 year probe. Police then matched the gun he used to kill himself to a bullet casing cops recovered from a drain in the yogurt shop after the murders.
Cops then tested Brashers’ DNA with the partial DNA profile from one of the victims — and got a match!
Unfortunately, though, Brashers will never see the inside of a prison cell.
