Who was Robert Eugene Brashers? Serial killer ‘behind’ the infamous Austin Yogurt Shop murders

Nearly 34 years after one of Austin’s most haunting crimes, investigators now believe they finally have an answer. Law enforcement sources confirmed to KVUE that Robert Eugene Brashers has been identified as the man responsible for the 1991 Yogurt Shop Murders, in which four teenage girls were brutally killed inside an I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt store in North Austin.

On December 6, 1991, 13-year-old Amy Ayers, sisters Jennifer and Sarah Harbison (17 and 15), and 17-year-old Eliza Thomas were found dead after the shop went up in flames. For decades, the case frustrated detectives, produced false leads, and haunted the city. But now, thanks to genetic genealogy, investigators believe they’ve unmasked the killer.

A Breakthrough Through DNA Technology

Authorities say Brashers was identified when advanced genetic genealogy techniques were applied to a preserved DNA profile from the crime scene. This is not the first time Brashers’ DNA has been tied to a string of violent crimes across the U.S.—in fact, his name has been linked to murders and assaults stretching from the early 1990s until his death.

A Violent Trail Across States

Brashers’s known history of violence is chilling:

• 1990, Greenville, South Carolina – The murder of 28-year-old Genevieve Zitricki, later tied to him through DNA.

• 1997, Memphis, Tennessee – The rape of a 14-year-old girl, also confirmed years later.

• 1998, Portageville, Missouri – The murders of Sherri Scherer, 38, and her 12-year-old daughter Megan. Megan was also sexually assaulted before being killed.

  
  
  

At the time of the Scherer murders, investigators recovered a partial DNA profile. Unfortunately, it wasn’t strong enough to be entered into CODIS, the national DNA database.

Just one year later, in 1999, Brashers took his own life. His suicide might have closed the book for him, but it didn’t end the investigation.

Years of Dead Ends and New Science

Detectives from multiple states spent years chasing leads. The cases appeared on America’s Most Wanted and generated tips, but solid answers remained elusive. Then, in 2006, new DNA technology allowed Missouri authorities to resubmit evidence from the Scherer case, developing a more complete genetic profile. That profile eventually linked the Missouri murders to Zitricki’s killing in South Carolina.

By 2017, further testing tied Brashers to the Memphis assault as well. Still, investigators lacked a name—until 2018, when they partnered with Parabon NanoLabs. Using genetic genealogy, Parabon identified Brashers as a strong suspect.

Closing the Loop

Investigators then obtained DNA from Brashers’s relatives, and the results pointed squarely at him. Later that year, his remains were exhumed. Laboratory testing confirmed the match: Brashers’s DNA aligned with multiple crime scenes.

Now, Texas officials believe the same DNA trail connects him to the Yogurt Shop Murders. After decades of speculation, wrongful arrests, and unanswered questions, the case that terrified Austin may finally be solved.

FAQ Section

Q1: Who is believed to be responsible for the 1991 Yogurt Shop Murders in Austin?
Investigators now believe Robert Eugene Brashers, a serial killer linked to multiple crimes across the U.S., committed the Yogurt Shop Murders.

Q2: How were investigators able to identify Robert Eugene Brashers as the suspect?
He was identified through genetic genealogy technology, which matched preserved DNA from the crime scene with DNA from Brashers and his surviving relatives.

Q3: When did the Yogurt Shop Murders happen?
The murders occurred on December 6, 1991, at an I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt shop in North Austin.

Q4: Who were the victims of the Yogurt Shop Murders?
The victims were Amy Ayers (13), Sarah Harbison (15), Jennifer Harbison (17), and Eliza Thomas (17).

Q5: What other crimes has Brashers been linked to?
Brashers has been connected by DNA to the 1990 murder of Genevieve Zitricki in South Carolina, the 1997 rape of a 14-year-old in Tennessee, and the 1998 murders of Sherri and Megan Scherer in Missouri.

Q6: Why did it take more than 30 years to solve the Yogurt Shop Murders?
DNA technology in the 1990s wasn’t advanced enough to generate full profiles. Breakthroughs in the 2000s and the rise of genetic genealogy in the 2010s made it possible to finally identify Brashers.

Q7: Did Robert Eugene Brashers face justice for his crimes?
No. Brashers died by suicide in 1999, years before investigators fully connected him to the Yogurt Shop Murders and other crimes.

Q8: What role did Parabon NanoLabs play in the investigation?
In 2018, investigators worked with Parabon NanoLabs, a company specializing in genetic genealogy, to trace Brashers through family DNA and confirm his identity.

Q9:What were the Yogurt Shop Murders?
The Yogurt Shop Murders refer to the 1991 killings of four teenage girls inside an I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt store in North Austin, Texas.

Q10: Who were the victims of the Yogurt Shop Murders?
The victims were Amy Ayers (13), sisters Jennifer (17) and Sarah Harbison (15), and Eliza Thomas (17).

Q11: Who is Robert Eugene Brashers?
Robert Eugene Brashers was a violent criminal linked through DNA to multiple murders and assaults across the U.S. He died by suicide in 1999.

Q12: How was Brashers connected to the Yogurt Shop Murders?
Through preserved DNA evidence and advanced genetic genealogy, investigators matched Brashers’s DNA to the crime scene.

Q13: What other crimes has Brashers been linked to?
Brashers was tied to the 1990 murder of Genevieve Zitricki in South Carolina, the 1997 rape of a 14-year-old in Tennessee, and the 1998 murders of Sherri and Megan Scherer in Missouri.

Q14: How did investigators confirm Brashers as the suspect?
His relatives’ DNA was compared, and later his remains were exhumed for direct testing, confirming matches to multiple crime scenes.

Q15: Why did the case take decades to solve?
DNA technology in the 1990s was limited, and the profiles collected weren’t strong enough for CODIS. Advances in genetic genealogy eventually provided the breakthrough.

Q16: What role did Parabon NanoLabs play?
Parabon NanoLabs applied genetic genealogy in 2018 to identify Brashers as a prime suspect, which was later confirmed with DNA testing.

Q17: How did Brashers die?
He died by suicide in 1999, years before investigators identified him as the perpetrator.

Q18: Does this solve the Yogurt Shop Murders case completely?
While investigators now believe Brashers was responsible, law enforcement continues to review evidence and confirm all possible connections.