Robert Eugene Brashers identified as the perpetrator of the 1991 murders of four teenage girls at an “I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt!” shop in North Austin.
Last Updated on 1 day by Vijay Kumar
Austin police have officially identified Robert Eugene Brashers as the perpetrator of the 1991 murders of four teenage girls at an “I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt!” shop in North Austin. The identification was confirmed on September, 2025, following advanced DNA testing that linked Brashers to the crime scene.
The victims—Amy Ayers (13), Eliza Thomas (17), and sisters Jennifer (17) and Sarah Harbison (15)—were found bound, shot in the head, and set on fire inside the store on December 6, 1991.
Robert Eugene Brashers, who died in January 1999 by suicide amid a standoff with police. Retired Austin detective John Jones noted that the firearm he used is thought to correspond with a bullet casing found in a drain inside the yogurt shop, was a known serial killer and rapist with a history of violent crimes across multiple states.
Investigators have linked him to other murders and sexual assaults in South Carolina, Missouri, and Tennessee. A bullet casing found at the Austin crime scene matched the firearm Brashers used in his suicide, further confirming his involvement.
Previously, four local teens Robert Springsteen, Michael Scott, Maurice Pierce, and Forrest Wellborn were wrongfully convicted based on confessions later recanted. Their convictions were overturned in 2009 after DNA evidence excluded them as suspects. The case remained unsolved until recent advancements in DNA technology led to Brashers’ identification.
The identification of Brashers brings long-awaited closure to the victims’ families and the Austin community. Austin police have scheduled a news conference to provide more details and discuss the ongoing investigation.
My name is Vijay Kumar. I work as content writer and founder of this website. I am studying BSC IT. I has been writing content since 2022. I also learn about journalism.