DNA breakthrough ties 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders to suspect, police say

A suspect has been identified in the 1991 I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt shop murders in Austin, Texas, after decades of investigation. Police on Friday said Robert Eugene Brashers has been linked to the killings through a broad range of DNA testing. Brashers died by suicide in January 1999 during a standoff with law enforcement, and investigators emphasized that the case remains open and active as new forensic work is pursued.

The four victims were teenagers who were found dead inside the storage room of the I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt shop on December 6, 1991. Eliza Thomas, 17; Jennifer Harbison, 17; Sarah Harbison, 17; and Amy Ayers, 13, were discovered naked, gagged, tied up, and stacked atop one another after the shop closed for the night. Each had been shot in the back of the head, and authorities indicated that at least one of the girls had been sexually assaulted. The crime scene was set on fire, destroying much of the physical evidence and leaving soot-covered fingerprints that complicated the initial investigation.

In the years following the murders, Austin law enforcement pursued more than a thousand leads and wrestled with confessions that did not always hold up under scrutiny. The case drew national attention as investigators battled false leads, damaged evidence from the blaze, and the absence of clear DNA links for many years. At one point, investigators focused on four teenage boys — Robert Springsteen, Michael Scott, Maurice Pierce, and Forrest Welborn — as possible perpetrators. Springsteen and Scott later confessed while in custody, were tried, and received death and life sentences respectively, but their convictions were ultimately overturned on constitutional grounds and they were released in 2009. The other two men were cleared in subsequent proceedings.

Two Mexican nationals, Porfirio Villa Saavedra and Alberto Jimenez Cortez, were briefly arrested in connection with the case in 1992, and Mexican authorities said they confessed before authorities recanted. Saavedra, who had ties to a motorcycle gang, later asserted that police coerced a confession, and investigators did not pursue him as a suspect thereafter. In the intervening decades, Austin police said they pursued hundreds of leads, exhausted thousands of tips, and reanalyzed evidence as DNA testing methods evolved, but Brashers’ linkage marks the most significant development in years.

The new identification comes as the department notes that advances in DNA profiling and testing techniques have widened the ability to connect individuals to cold-case crimes. Police said the link to Brashers emerged after investigators conducted a broad review of the case’s forensic material using updated laboratory methods. They emphasized that no formal charges had been filed against Brashers, who died before investigators could pursue a prosecution, and that the investigation remains active with the goal of ensuring all viable leads are pursued.

The city and the victims’ families have waited for decades for closure in a case that left a lasting scar on Austin and the surrounding community. The Yogurt Shop murders inspired extensive media coverage, and HBO released a documentary series titled The Yogurt Shop Murders that brought renewed public attention to the case. Police officials said they will hold a press conference on Monday to outline the latest findings, discuss how the new DNA link was established, and describe the steps the department will take next as investigators continue to review records, interview potential witnesses, and reexamine evidence from the scene. The press briefing is expected to address questions from reporters and provide an update on whether additional investigative steps could lead to new charges or a clearer understanding of the sequence of events in 1991.

As Austin reflects on a case that has lingered for more than three decades, the public record remains clear: four young lives were taken in a violent, brazen attack that destroyed a neighborhood yogurt shop and left a city grappling with unanswered questions. The newly announced connection to Brashers does not erase the complexity of the investigation or the emotional toll on families, but it marks a notable point in a long arc of forensic reevaluation and persistent law enforcement effort. Investigators stressed that the case is not closed and that the department will continue to pursue every viable lead in partnership with prosecutors and external experts to determine whether any additional steps can bring accountability and closure to those affected.