DA moves to exonerate four after DNA ties serial killer Robert Brashers to 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders
Travis County prosecutors in December 2025 moved to begin exonerating four men after the Austin Police Department identified serial killer Robert Eugene Brashers as the likely perpetrator of the 1991 yogurt shop murders through DNA testing in September 2025. Investigators also noted a bullet casing recovered from a drain at the scene is consistent with the gun Brashers used to kill himself in 1999, strengthening the link.
đ Key Facts
- Travis County prosecutors filed in December 2025 to begin exonerations of the four men previously accused in the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders.
- The Austin Police Department identified Robert Eugene Brashers as the suspect via DNA in September 2025.
- CBS reported the connection to Brashers was made through DNA, providing a key link beyond earlier announcements.
- Retired Austin detective John Jones says a bullet casing found in a drain at the yogurt shop is consistent with the gun Brashers used to kill himself in 1999.
- The case now centers on serial killer Robert Eugene Brashers in connection with the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders.
- The DNA identification of Brashers and the bullet-casing link were central new pieces of evidence that prompted the DA's move to seek exonerations for the four accused men.
đ Relevant Data
Innocent Black Americans are seven times more likely than white Americans to be falsely convicted of serious crimes.
Race and Wrongful Convictions in the United States 2022 â National Registry of Exonerations
Black exonerees spent on average four years longer in prison before exoneration than white exonerees.
Reconsidering racial and ethnic bias in wrongful convictions â Springer Link
13% of exonerations in the US arise from false confessions.
False Confessions: An Integrative Review of the Phenomenon â PMC
Black individuals comprise approximately 41% of known serial killers in the US, despite making up about 13% of the population.
Radford/FGCU Annual Report on Serial Killer Statistics: 2023 â ResearchGate
đ° Sources (2)
- Retired Austin detective John Jones says a bullet casing found in a drain at the yogurt shop is consistent with the gun Robert Eugene Brashers used to kill himself in 1999.
- CBS reports the Brashers connection was made through DNA, adding detail beyond prior announcements of identification.
- Confirms timeline: APD identified Brashers as the suspect via DNA in September 2025; Travis County DA filed in December 2025 to begin exonerations of the four previously accused men.