\u201cAPD investigators have been in touch with the families,\u201d a statement read, adding the investigation remains ongoing. \u201cWe ask for your patience as we continue this process and remain mindful of the many people whose lives have been deeply affected by this case.\u201d <\/p>\n
A docuseries, The Yogurt Shop Murders<\/a>, debuted on HBO in August 2025 and renewed interest around the unsolved case. The new developments are the subject of \u201cYogurt Shop Murders,\u201d<\/a> a special edition of 20\/20 airing Friday, February 27, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.<\/p>\n Advancements in DNA technology\u2014including one that helped identify one of the most famous killers in U.S. history, the Boston Strangler\u2014brought detectives tantalizingly close to solving the case, but to no avail. After the new findings from investigators about Brashers, four previous suspects in the case were fully exonerated in February 2026.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what we know about the yogurt shop murders, Brashers and previous suspects, and where the case stands now. <\/p>\n What Were the Austin Yogurt Shop Murders?<\/p>\n On December 6, 1991, firefighters responded to a blaze at an I Can\u2019t Believe It\u2019s Yogurt store in Austin. But once the fire was under control, a more grisly discovery emerged. <\/p>\n Responders found the bodies of four teenage girls, including two workers, who were killed by gunshots to the head. And, multiple victims were sexually assaulted, according to the San Antonio Express-News<\/a>. The remains were quickly identified as belonging to Eliza Thomas, 17, Amy Ayers, 13, and sisters Jennifer Harbison, 17, and Sarah Harbison, 15.<\/p>\n Barbara and Skip Suraci, the mother and stepfather of murder victims Jennifer and Sarah Harbison, place decorations at a memorial in 1992.<\/p>\n Investigators surmised the fire was started intentionally to cover up the killings and, while much of the evidence was compromised, they discovered two initial clues. A bullet found in a store sink suggested a .22 caliber revolver was one of two guns used during the crime. Additionally, a couple who left the store around 11 p.m. testified to police that Jennifer Harbison had locked the door behind them to prevent additional customers from entering. They saw two men who \u201clooked out of place\u201d sitting at a table with only a single drink.<\/p>\n The Austin Police Department established a task force solely dedicated to solving the quadruple homicide, but finding the truth proved elusive.<\/p>\n Who Was Originally Convicted of the Yogurt Shop Murders?<\/p>\n At least 50 individuals confessed to the yogurt shop murders over the next decade, according to The Austin Chronicle<\/a>. <\/p>\n In October 1999, police arrested four men in connection to the crime: Robert Burns Springsteen Jr., Michael James Scott, Maurice Pierce, and Forrest Welborn. All four were charged with capital murder. The charges against Pierce and Welborn, who were juveniles when the crime took place, were eventually dropped because of lack of evidence, according to Today<\/a>. However, in 2001 and 2002, respectively, Springsteen and Scott\u2014who separately confessed to the crimes to detectives\u2014were tried and convicted. Springsteen received the death penalty (later commuted<\/a> to life in prison), while Scott was given a life prison sentence. But by 2009, both Springsteen and Scott had their charges dismissed and were released. The Texas Court of Appeals ruled<\/a> Springsteen had received an unfair trial because he wasn\u2019t allowed to cross-examine Scott, who had implicated him in his written confession. A court determined Scott\u2019s rights under the Sixth Amendment were violated for the same reason.<\/p>\n Detectives also admitted to unethical interrogation methods, including holding a gun to Scott\u2019s head and withholding key evidence, according to People<\/a>. Perhaps most importantly, genetic testing of DNA found on one of the bodies didn\u2019t produce a match for either suspect. <\/p>\n No one has was arrested in the case in the years following their release. Still, a promising clue brought investigators and the victims\u2019 families tantalizingly close to more answers. <\/p>\n How Was the DNA First Tested?<\/p>\n In 2017, Austin police matched a DNA sample from the crime scene with one the FBI had uploaded to a public research database overseen by the University of Central Florida. The sample is a single DNA strand, or Y-STR, that includes a Y chromosome. Although they can\u2019t identify an individual from this snippet, these sections could help pinpoint a suspect\u2019s male lineage, according to the Austin American-Statesman<\/a>.<\/p>\n One of the most notable examples of this involves Albert DeSalvo<\/a>, who confessed to being the notorious \u201cBoston Strangler\u201d responsible for killing 13 women during the 1960s. Although DeSalvo was never convicted of any of the murders prior to his 1973 death, a Y-STR found on one of the victims was tested decades later. It produced a match with his nephew, confirming DeSalvo was responsible for that murder, though his role in the other 12 is still disputed.<\/p>\n DNA testing helped connect Albert DeSalvo to one of the Boston Strangler murders decades after his death.<\/p>\n Although investigators in the yogurt shop case hoped to do similar research on the Y-STR in question, the FBI initially refused to grant access to the research sample for legal reasons based on the anonymity of the Florida study. \u201cThe FBI did not perform forensic DNA testing in [the Austin] case and cannot speak to this case,\u201d the agency said in a statement.<\/p>\n Did the DNA Strand Produce a Match?<\/p>\n The FBI ultimately agreed to work with the Austin Police Department for further testing at the urging of U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul, who represents part of the Texas capital. However, the results weren\u2019t what investigators had hoped, according to the CBS program 48 Hours<\/a>.<\/p>\n More accurate analysis performed on the crime scene sample in 2020 raised the number of identifiable DNA markers from 16 to 25. However, this more complete picture ultimately led the FBI to \u201cconclusively exclude the male donor of the FBI\u2019s sample\u201d as a match\u2014meaning the case was at another dead end.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was the greatest disappointment because we really thought we had it,\u201d McCaul said.<\/p>\n But lead detective Dan Jackson, who took over the case in 2022, didn\u2019t give up and helped find a pair of breakthrough links. <\/p>\n Detective Dan Jackson took over the yogurt shop murders investigation in 2022.<\/p>\n How Was Suspect Robert Eugene Brashers Identified?<\/p>\n The Austin Police Department has identified Robert Eugene Brashers as the likely perpetrator in the yogurt shop case and detailed its new findings in a news conference<\/a> on September 29, 2025.<\/p>\n Brashers died at age 40 in January 1999 after shooting himself during a standoff with police, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol<\/a>. He had an extensive criminal history, including a 1986 conviction of attempted second degree murder. Authorities have linked Brashers to other notable cases, including the 1998 killings of Sherri Scherer, 38, and Megan Scherer, 12, inside their home in Portageville, Missouri, according to The Washington Post<\/a>.<\/p>\n Austin Chief of Police Lisa Davis said Brashers was matched to the only physical evidence at the Austin crime scene, identified as a spent .380 shell casing located in a floor drain. <\/p>\n Detective Jackson resubmitted the casing to the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, a database created to link firearms to crime scenes. This matched the alleged weapon used in the yogurt shop murders with one from another unsolved murder case in Kentucky.<\/p>\n Then, in August 2025, the South Carolina State Lab reported a complete Y-STR match to a profile in its database. The results were reviewed for accuracy and shared with the APD\u2014pointing to Brashers. DNA obtained from Amy Ayers\u2019s fingernail clippings was re-examined for confirmation and produced a 2.5 million to 1 likelihood the genetic material belonged to Brashers.<\/p>\n Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said \u201cthis day has been a long time coming\u201d for the city. \u201cWe can finally express a deep sigh, a release, that comes from knowing.\u201d<\/p>\n The announcement brought a fair degree of closure to family members of the four victims. \u201cWe never wanted anyone to go to jail or be charged with anything that they did not do\u2014vengeance was never it,\u201d Barbara Ayres-Wilson, the mother of Jennifer and Sarah Harbison, said<\/a>. \u201cIt was always the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n What Happened to the Four Previous Suspects?<\/p>\n Because Springsteen and Scott were not fully exonerated at their release, they were initially able to be tried again at a later time. However, that changed with a judge\u2019s ruling in February 2026.<\/p>\n![\"a](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/barbara-skip-suraci-the-mother-stepfather-of-murder-victims-news-photo-1754945324.pjpeg.jpeg\" "\\"Parents")
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![\"Headshot](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/8ebb24a5-6121-4849-a984-bf608cacdd3c_1729282614.file.png\" "\\"Headshot")
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