Not every true crime case finds a conclusion, and sometimes it can take decades to identify the perpetrator. This week, the news emerged that a cold case from over three decades ago only recently had the murderer identified. And it turned out to be a serial killer. Read on for more details.
The Cold Case
On the weekend, The Sun US reminded readers that the case known as the “Yoghurt Shop Murders” happened 34 years ago. The tragic story revealed that “four teen girls were tied up, shot dead and incinerated.” The terror that Eliza Thomas, 17, Jennifer Harbison, 17, Sarah Harbison, 17, and Amy Ayers, 13 went through in Texas seemed just too horrific.
The 1991 murders shocked the community of Austin. Grisly details turned up, and the girls had been shot after being tied up. At least one of them endured being raped. And of course, being burned also made the investigation difficult. However, finally, their murderer has been identified.
DNA Identifies A Serial Killer
Thanks to DNA technology, the cold case now solved the question of who killed the girls. However, he won’t stand trial. Robert Eugene Brashers died in 1999. During a standoff with police, he took his own life. Actually, the victims in the true crime update really didn’t stand a chance with him.
Reportedly, the serial killer had “committed at least three murders between 1990 and 1998 in the states of South Carolina and Missouri.” Additionally, he liked to rape his victims. The breakthrough in the case came when a bullet recovered at the yogurt shop revealed his DNA.
The Case On HBO
HBO dropped a documentary about the cold case, and covered the terrible effect it had on the community. You can watch the trailer further down in this article. It took a long time for the results, and even after local investigators called in the FBI, it seemed no closer to clearing up who the mystery killer was.
When folks saw the trailer, many of them expressed their profound sorrow for the families who took so long to find any closure. In the comments section, one viewer wrote, “I lived in Austin for 44 years and it’s true. It’s never been the same. My heart goes out to the families.”
Here are a few more reactions from the discussion area:
- Sarah Harbison was my friend in high school. I remember when this happened it was the saddest day at Lanier High School Austin Texas.
- That VERY NIGHT, me and my husband were moving to Austin. It was CRAZY that night. 4 innocent souls gone forever because of evil [heart].
- I remember when this happened, VERY WELL, and till this day, when I drive by that shopping center, I get shivers up & down my spine! Absolute shivers!
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