Police in Austin crack the 34-year-old case of the ‘Yogurt Shop Murders’ using DNA analysis

Breakthrough in 1991 Yogurt Shop Murders

Recent DNA and ballistic analyses have finally connected a serial killer to the notorious 1991 Yogurt Shop Murders, which have haunted the Austin community for over three decades.

During a press conference on Monday, the Austin Police Department revealed that genetic evidence has linked Robert Eugene Brashers to the murders of four teenage girls at a yogurt shop in North Austin. “Thirty-four years later, the Austin Police Department has made a significant breakthrough in one of the most tragic events in our city’s history,” stated Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis. “This unimaginable crime weighs heavily on our community and on the families of the victims as we continue our relentless pursuit of justice.”

Investigators noted that the major development stemmed from advanced testing which established a match between DNA found under the fingernails of 13-year-old Amy Ayers and Brashers, who was previously linked to murders in Missouri and South Carolina.

Bob Ayers, Amy’s father, expressed immense pride in his daughter, saying, “I’ve never been so proud of my daughter in all my life.” He emphasized that the collection of DNA likely occurred during a struggle with the assailants. “All of our family knew there was something about Amy that would help us solve this,” he added, concluding simply, “This is over.”

Brashers, who died by suicide in 1999 following a standoff with Missouri State Police, had been connected to various violent crimes across the nation. In 2018, Missouri officials announced that DNA evidence tied him to additional murders. Specifically, he was linked to a strangulation case in South Carolina in 1990, and the shooting of a mother and daughter in Missouri in 1998.

In June, detectives resubmitted ballistic evidence from a .380 caliber shell casing collected at the yogurt shop. The results corresponded with an unresolved shooting in Kentucky from 1998, although specifics about that case remain undisclosed. In August, investigators in South Carolina confirmed a connection to the 1990 murders, as DNA evidence from Amy Ayers’ fingernails matched Brashers.

Austin officials are still piecing together why Brashers was in the area at the time of the murders. He was apprehended near El Paso just days later, claiming he was driving a stolen truck from Georgia to visit his father in Arizona. A handgun discovered at that stop matched the model connected to the yogurt shop incident.

The tragic events of December 6, 1991, saw the discovery of the bodies of 17-year-old Eliza Thomas and her sister, along with their friends, 15-year-old Sarah Harbison and 13-year-old Amy Ayers. Authorities believe the girls were abducted, some likely assaulted, and a fire was started to destroy evidence. The investigation faced substantial setbacks due to fire and flood damage that compromised much of the physical evidence. Thousands of tips were received, but very few led to significant breakthroughs, leaving the case dormant for years.

Amy’s mother, Pam Ayers, expressed the emotional toll of these revelations, stating, “I can’t say I’m happy… I’m a bit paralyzed. It’s hard for me to handle knowing it was a serial killer.”

Although Brashers is no longer alive, police are actively investigating to uncover any potential links to other unsolved cases. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson expressed hope that this development will help the community heal, suggesting that it’s time to move past the horror that marked Austin’s history.