DNA links Texas murders to the 1997 rape of a Memphis girl
Tributes lay on a memorial Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, for four teenage girls who were killed in a yogurt shop in 1991 in Austin, Texas. On Sept. 26, police named Robert Brashers as a suspect in the 34-year-old case. Brashers took his own life in 1999. (Paul J. Weber/AP)
Nearly 35 years after four teenage girls were murdered inside a Texas yogurt shop in a crime that shocked the nation, police have finally named a suspect in the 1991 slayings.
The suspect, Robert Eugene Brashers, is also accused of raping a 14-year-old girl in Memphis six years later among a spree of other crimes.
The rape kit was one of thousands that the Memphis Police Department never tested, leading to a backlog and lawsuits.
In 2016 — nearly 20 years after the assault —the rape kit was tested. In 2018, through DNA testing police identified Brashers. His body was exhumed and DNA taken to confirm the match.
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DNA testing crime Yogurt Shop murders Robert Eugene Brashers rape kit testing rape kit Subscriber Only2025 is almost over. Now is the time to support your trusted local news source.
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Jody Callahan
Jody Callahan graduated with degrees in journalism and economics from what is now known as the University of Memphis. He has covered news in Memphis for more than 25 years.
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