{"id":2491927,"date":"2025-09-27T16:17:01","date_gmt":"2025-09-27T20:17:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dna-evidence-links-a-dead-man-to-the-1991-killings-of-4-girls-at-texas-yogurt-shop\/"},"modified":"2025-09-27T16:18:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-27T20:18:09","slug":"dna-evidence-links-a-dead-man-to-the-1991-killings-of-4-girls-at-texas-yogurt-shop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dna-evidence-links-a-dead-man-to-the-1991-killings-of-4-girls-at-texas-yogurt-shop\/","title":{"rendered":"DNA evidence links a dead man to the 1991 killings of 4 girls at Texas yogurt shop"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdna-evidence-links-a-dead-man-to-the-1991-killings-of-4-girls-at-texas-yogurt-shop%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2491927&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article reports a significant breakthrough in a decades-old <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/macho-camacho-cold-case-collapses-as-witness-flees-island\/\" title=\"\u2018Macho\u2019 Camacho Cold ... Collapses As Witness Flees Island\">cold case involving<\/a> the 1991 murders of four teenage girls at an Austin, Texas yogurt shop. Austin police announced that DNA evidence linked Robert eugene Brashers, a man who died by suicide in 1999 during a police standoff, too the brutal killings. The victims-Amy Ayers, Eliza Thomas, and sisters Jennifer and Sarah Harbison-were bound, gagged, shot in the head, and the crime scene was set on fire. Previously, two men had been convicted for the murders but were later freed after new DNA testing revealed another suspect.<\/p>\n<p>Brashers had been connected through DNA to other violent crimes in several states, including strangulation, shootings, and rape. The renewed attention to the case coincided with the release of an HBO documentary series titled &#8220;The Yogurt Shop Murders.&#8221; Authorities emphasized that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/alec-baldwin-releases-statement-after-fatal-prop-gun-incident-my-heart-is-broken\/\" title=\"Alec Baldwin Releases State...t After Fatal Prop Gun Incident: \u2018My Heart Is Broken\u2019\">investigation remains open<\/a> and more details would be provided at an upcoming news conference. The case had long challenged investigators due to damaged evidence and numerous false leads, but <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >police maintained thier commitment<\/a> to solving it. <br \/> <!DOCTYPE html><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">DNA evidence links a dead man to the 1991 killings of 4 girls at Texas yogurt shop<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2256745\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash;<\/strong> Police named a dead man Friday as a new suspect in the 1991 unsolved killings of four teenage girls at an Austin yogurt shop, saying DNA evidence led to a &ldquo;significant breakthrough&rdquo; in the brutal crime that has haunted <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/texas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Texas<\/a>&rsquo; capital and stumped investigators for decades.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, Austin police said DNA tests led investigators to Robert Eugene Brashers, who died by suicide in 1999 during a standoff with law enforcement. He has since then been&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/general-news-f713abeb28824e1d89a66459da465972\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">linked to several killings<\/a>&nbsp;and rape in other states.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3827684\/hurricane-humberto-imelda-save-carolina\/\">Humberto&rsquo;s rhythm with Imelda could save Carolinas<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3827614\/thieves-steal-1-million-worth-in-craft-whiskey-from-washington-distillery\/\">Thieves steal $1 million worth in craft whiskey from Washington distillery<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3827668\/champaign-stabbing-illinois-mental-health-crime\/\">Champaign stabbing raises concerns over Illinois mental-health law<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The announcement came amid renewed attention on the case with the release last month of &ldquo;The Yogurt Shop Murders,&rdquo; an HBO documentary series. Police said the case remains open and scheduled a Monday news conference to detail their findings.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3827522\/trump-says-former-fbi-director-wray-has-explaining-to-do-after-new-jan-6-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>TRUMP SAYS FORMER FBI DIRECTOR WRAY HAS &lsquo;EXPLAINING TO DO&rsquo; AFTER NEW JAN. 6 REPORT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The murders stunned Texas&rsquo; capital city and became known as one of the area&rsquo;s most notorious crimes. Austin police investigators and prosecutors had stumbled over the case for years as they waded through thousands of leads, several false confessions and badly damaged evidence from the burned-out crime scene.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Our team never gave up working this case,&rdquo; Austin police said.<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/redistricting-texas-nicole-collier-capitol-protest-10f8e3f721a507237d5272ccd1b2f81b\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/uvalde-texas-school-shooting-documents-released-73f9576a18f9cd27917ebbbeb074f7ff\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/alex-jones-infowars-sandy-hook-shooting-e4373ce5c5ff0206f5665e95dcc869e3\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Amy Ayers, 13; Eliza Thomas, 17; and sisters Jennifer and Sarah Harbison, ages 17 and 15, were bound, gagged and shot in the head at the &ldquo;I Can&rsquo;t Believe It&rsquo;s Yogurt&rdquo; store where two of them worked. The building was then set on fire.<\/p>\n<p>Investigators have said that around closing time, someone entered the store through the back door, attacked the girls and set the fire. The bodies were found when firefighters were still battling the blaze.<\/p>\n<p>The autopsy report offered glimpses of the lives of teenage sisters and friends: Ayers wore small, white earrings. Sarah Harbison was wearing a gold necklace and a Mickey Mouse watch. Jennifer Harbison wore a high school ring and a Timex watch.<\/p>\n<p>It also suggested the horror: their hands were tied with underwear and mouths were gagged with cloth. Ayers was shot twice.<\/p>\n<p>In 1999, authorities arrested four men on murder charges. Two of them, Robert Springsteen and Michael Scott, were teenagers at the time of the murders. They initially confessed and implicated each other. But both men quickly recanted and said their statements were made under pressure by police.<\/p>\n<p>Still both were tried and convicted. Initially Springsteen was sent to death row, but his sentence was then reduced to life in prison.<\/p>\n<p>Their convictions were overturned and they were set for retrial a decade later.<\/p>\n<p>A judge ordered both men freed in 2009 when prosecutors said new DNA tests that weren&rsquo;t available in 1991 had revealed another male suspect.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/3444699\/timeline-increasing-incidents-political-violence-in-the-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">POLITICAL VIOLENCE ON THE RISE IN THE US: A TIMELINE OF KEY INCIDENTS<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In 2018, Missouri authorities said DNA evidenced linked Brashers to the strangulation of a South Carolina woman in 1990, and the shooting of a mother and daughter in Missouri in 1998. The evidence also connected him to the 1997 rape of a 14-year-old girl in Tennessee.<\/p>\n<p>Brashers&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/general-news-f713abeb28824e1d89a66459da465972\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">died in 1999<\/a>&nbsp;when he shot himself during an hours-long standoff with police at a motel in Kennett, Missouri.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DNA ties deceased man to 1991 Texas yogurt shop murders<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":2491930,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AP25269860023592.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[64175,32149,40131,64176,64174],"class_list":["post-2491927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-1991-killings","tag-cold-case","tag-dna-evidence","tag-forensic-investigation","tag-texas-yogurt-shop"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AP25269860023592.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2491927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2491927"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2491927\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2491932,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2491927\/revisions\/2491932"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2491930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2491927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2491927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2491927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}