More than three decades after the brutal slaying of four teenage girls inside an Austin yogurt shop, police have finally identified the man believed to be responsible. Thanks to modern DNA advancements and relentless detective work, serial killer Robert Eugene Brashers has been named as the prime suspect in the 1991 Yogurt Shop Murders, a case that haunted Texas for years.
Detective Dan Jackson, who took over Austin Police Department’s cold case unit in 2022, was tasked with solving one of the city’s most disturbing crimes. Despite being shot in the line of duty, Jackson remained committed to cracking the case—a journey now featured in the HBO documentary The Yogurt Shop Murders.
Brashers, who died by suicide in 1999, was already linked to multiple murders and sexual assaults across the U.S. His identification in this case brings long-awaited closure to the victims’ families and the community that had lived under the shadow of the tragedy since December 6, 1991.
That night, Eliza Thomas (17), Jennifer Harbison (17), Sarah Harbison (15), and Amy Ayers (13) were found bound, shot, and left in a burning yogurt shop. Much of the evidence was destroyed in the fire, and early forensic limitations left investigators with few leads.
For years, the case was mired in controversy after four teenage boys were wrongly implicated—two even convicted before DNA evidence cleared them in 2009.
“This is when Austin lost its innocence,” Jackson said. “Now, maybe, the community can begin to heal.”
While the official investigation remains open, the breakthrough marks a major milestone in forensic science and justice. After 34 years, the families of the victims—and the city of Austin—finally have the answer they’ve been waiting for.
