1991 Austin Yogurt Shop Murders Solved After 34 Years

In December 1991, four teenage girls were found murdered in a North Austin yogurt shop, a case that remained unsolved for over three decades. Recent advancements in genetic genealogy have now identified the perpetrator as Robert Eugene Brashers, an American serial killer who died by suicide in 1999.

Brashers's DNA has been linked to multiple crimes, including a 1990 murder in Greenville, South Carolina; the 1997 rape of a 14-year-old in Memphis; and the 1998 double murder of a woman and her 12-year-old daughter in Missouri.

The victims in the Austin case were 17-year-old Jennifer Harbison, her 15-year-old sister Sarah Harbison, 17-year-old Eliza Thomas, and 13-year-old Amy Ayers. Jennifer and Eliza were employees at the yogurt shop, while Sarah and Amy had stopped by before closing time. The girls were found bound, gagged, and shot in the head, with the building set on fire to destroy evidence.

In 1999, four men were arrested and charged with the murders, but their cases were later overturned or dismissed due to lack of evidence and concerns over coerced confessions. The identification of Brashers as the perpetrator brings a long-awaited resolution to the case.