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[00:00]
Courtney Brown
This episode is brought to you by Facebook. So you were scrolling on Marketplace and there it was, the bike you'd been searching for. You sent a message and it turned out the seller was super chatty, kind of funny, and an avid cyclist. The next thing you know, you're in a cycling crew. Well, a community cycling group. The thing about Facebook, you might find more than what you're looking for.
[00:25]
Colin Brown
From a browse to a bike ride this summer.
[00:27]
Courtney Brown
Find more on Facebook.
[00:31]
Colin Brown
Warning. The following podcast is not suitable for all audiences. We go into great detail with every case that we cover and do our best to bring viewers even deeper into the stories by utilizing disturbing audio and sound effects.
[00:43]
Courtney Brown
Trigger warnings from the stories we cover may include violence, rape, murder, and offenses against children.
[00:49]
Colin Brown
This podcast is not for everyone. You have been warned.
[00:54]
Courtney Brown
In last week's episode, we told you the story of the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders, where four four teenage girls were brutally raped, murdered, and set on fire inside a yogurt shop in Austin, Texas. Early on in the investigation, four men were suspected in the crime. Two were even convicted. But after serving nearly 10 years in prison, DNA evidence would exonerate them. And sadly, after that, the case went cold. The families of Jennifer, Sarah, Eliza, and Amy were devastated. Aside from having their daughters back, all they wanted were answers. And for 34 years, they had none. That is, until the year 2025. With advancements in DNA technology, investigators in Austin, Texas, finally found the man responsible. A man who would drift through the United States, raping and killing women and girls any chance he got. So this is the story of serial killer Robert Brashers. I'm Courtney Brown.
[01:52]
Colin Brown
And I'm Colin Brown, and you're listening
[01:54]
Courtney Brown
to Murder in America.
[01:57]
Colin Brown
When Robert Eugene Brashers was born on March 13, 1958, he was the answer to a lot of prayers made by his parents, Doulas and Nellie Brashers. The couple had married ten years earlier in Newport News, Virginia, and in that decade had had three children, Doulas Jr, Gary, and their only girl, a daughter named Deborah. But tragically, in 1954, Deborah died of an illness at just 16 months old. Four years later, Robert came into the world as their miracle baby and their final child. By all accounts, the couple was successful and well to do, and they took good care of their children, at least from the outside. Robert's father was a design engineer specializing in fluid dynamics. At the time of Robert's birth, he was working in the Newport News Naval Shipyard, helping develop the USS Enterprise, the world's first nuclear powered aircraft carrier. The family wasn't struggling when it came to finances and their patriarch was both intelligent and well respected. So much so that in 1963 he was hired by NASA. The family then relocated from Newport News to Huntsville, Alabama where Robert and his siblings spent the majority of their childhood. Now we know the family was well off, but what we don't know exactly is what life was like inside the home. Both Dulas Sr. And Robert's mother Nellie seemed heavily involved in the kids lives and activities. Dulas was frequently listed in the local paper as his son's little league and basketball coach. But that doesn't necessarily mean their home was absent of any issues. Whether Robert and his siblings youth was riddled with abuse and neglect is unknown. He could have had a perfectly normal upbringing. Both of his parents maintained jobs, his dad at NASA and his mother at a local department store. And neither of them was ever arrested or mentioned in local papers for any legal discrepancies of any kind. Looking at the evidence we have, there's really nothing that points to a deeply troubled upbringing. We also know that Robert had no juvenile record. And although he later admitted to experimenting with marijuana, there's no known history of severe substance abuse, documented mental health problems, or anything that would lead us to believe he'd one day be a murderer.
[04:08]
Courtney Brown
From everything we could find, Robert appeared to be a normal and intelligent young man. He attended S.R. butler High School during his sophomore and junior years in Huntsville and participated in the jrotc, a military program that is supposed to instill discipline and leadership skills. And by all accounts, Robert seemed to have had that. Living in Alabama in his early teens he managed three jobs. One was at a place called Manpower, the other was a local pizza restaurant and then finally at a store that sold CB radios. At school he consistently got good grades and was even on track to graduate from Butler High early. But the summer after his junior year of high school, his father got a job in South Bend, Indiana. So the family moved over 500 miles north and settled into a home there instead of graduate graduating from school in Huntsville where Robert had spent the majority of his adolescent years. He graduated from John Adams High School instead in December of 1975. And while living there, he experienced his first run ins with the law. A simple parking ticket in South Bend and a speeding ticket in nearby Niles, Michigan. Again, nothing that screamed dysfunction or trouble.
[05:19]
Colin Brown
After graduating, it seemed that Robert knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life. Joined the US Navy just three months after getting his diploma on March 31, 1976. He enlisted in El Paso, Texas and initially the Navy was thrilled to have him on board. Based on his mental and aptitude test scores, he was listed as an above average recruit. Typically, recruits of his standing are urged towards specialized jobs in the Navy, like roles in intelligence, aviation or advanced engineering. And it seems that Robert was pointed towards aviation, enrolling as an aviation recruit at a training facility in Memphis, Tennessee in May of 1976. Two months later, in July, he was bumped up from aviation recruit to aviation apprentice, signifying that he had completed the necessary training and was on the right path. But then in August, something odd happened. He enrolled in a basic course focused on electronics and just eight days later he dropped out. The once starry eyed 18 year old seemed to have lost interest. Now there isn't a lot of information about why he didn't want to do it anymore. But the US Navy noted in his paperwork that he expressed a lack of motivation. As a result of his disinterest in his classes and furthering his career in the aviation field, he was transferred to serve on the USS Lexington in Pensacola, Florida.
[06:40]
Courtney Brown
Within a few short months, Robert had moved from Indiana to Texas to Tennessee and then Florida. Perhaps the constant moving around was too much for him. Or maybe he just didn't have what it took to be in the Navy. Whatever it was, Robert started talking to the people around him about how he needed to get out. He complained about suffering from acid reflux. He started to feel depressed, so much so that he set up an appointment with a military psychiatrist. After his first session, the psychiatrist sent a note to Robert's superiors diagnosing him with, quote, inadequate personality disorder. Now that diagnosis and term aren't ones that are used today. In fact, it hasn't been listed in the DSM since the early 70s. In the DSM 2 published in 1964, inadequate personality disorder was characterized as follows, quote, displays inadequate responses to intellectual, social, emotional and physical demands coupled with inflexibility, ineptness, poor judgment, lack of stamina and social incompatibility. The diagnosis and other personality disorder diagnosis were frequently used in the Navy in order to discharge members who didn't succeed or those who were struggling to fit in with others and do what was expected of them. In other words, it was kind of a catch all diagnosis. One that said, this isn't working out for us or for you. But as a result of his alleged inadequate personality disorder, on November 10, the psychiatrist actually recommended administrative separation for Robert, which is when a service member is discharged before their contract ends. In that recommendation letter, the psychiatrist Wrote, it is felt that his problems will not resolve themselves with time. And at the time, they couldn't possibly have understood the depth of those problems or what they would one day evolve into.
[08:37]
Colin Brown
Exactly one month later, on December 10, 1976, Robert was honorably discharged from the Navy. He was required to sign his discharge paperwork signifying that he agreed with statements made by his psychiatrist and his superiors, which included the statement not eligible for reenlistment due to unsuitability. And with that, Robert's 10 month military career came to an end. Now, as we've mentioned, there's a lot of mystery surrounding Robert's life. But since his name has come into the media, there's an investigative reporter who's worked tirelessly to uncover his past. Her name is Kathy Sweeney. And she actually spoke with Robert's family members who provided valuable insight into where Robert lived and what he was doing. They stated that after leaving the US Navy, Robert had a hard time finding his footing. First, he moved back to the place he grew up, Huntsville, Alabama, where he got a job as a bartender at a place called TP Krockmeyers. From there, he eventually moved to Louisiana sometime in the late 70s where he worked on an oil rig. Where he lived in Louisiana or what rig he was working on, no one seems to know. But by the early 80s, he settled down in New Orleans.
[09:46]
Courtney Brown
Now, because he moved around a lot during this time, it's unclear exactly what he was up to. But what we do know is that he was a young man with worsening mental health issues that weren't being treated. There are several law enforcement officials who believe that it's during these years that he started to dabble in criminal activity. Though the full extent of his actions or who he may have targeted has never been proven. Here's Detective Dan Jackson, the lead investigator of the yogurt shop murders, talking with reporter Kathy Sweeney.
[10:17]
Colin Brown
Because we have large gaps in his history of where he was, certain periods, but what we do know is he was always offending when he wasn't in prison. So we, I mean, I'm certain there's more crimes out there we just haven't found yet.
[10:29]
Courtney Brown
Police also haven't found what they believe to be Robert's first violent crime. But looking back, it seems likely that it was prior to 1980, because on November 3, 1980, Robert published an obituary for himself in two newspapers. One in New Orleans, where Robert had been living, and one in Newport News, Virginia, where he was born, which had law enforcement asking why? Why did Robert want people thinking he was dead? Now, looking back on his life, detectives following this case, question if there was an early rape or murder he was fleeing from in either of those areas. And, well, we couldn't resist looking through old files and newspapers for any unsolved murders near those towns that matched what became Robert's MO Attacks on young women who were found naked, bound with their clothing, and often submerged in water or set on fire in an attempt to conceal evidence. Now, finding cases matching all of those parameters was challenging, but there was one in particular that stood out to us. On August 14, 1980, a farmer near Lyons Point, Louisiana, was walking the irrigation canals around his farmland, checking to see if they required any maintenance, when all of a sudden, he looked down and he saw something that made his blood run cold. Floating in the water, face down, was the body of a young woman. She was nude. He didn't have to check the woman's pulse. He didn't have to try and save her or pull her out of the water. Staring at her in the searing August humidity, it was clear she was long gone. Her body was decaying, swarmed with flies and bugs. Horrified, the farmer ran to his home and called 911 Acadia Parish Sheriff's deputies soon arrived and pulled the woman out of the water so she could be identified and transported for an autopsy. But as they pulled her out, they realized her hands had been bound behind her back, first with a pair of tight handcuffs and then with her own bra. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? All of the girls killed in the yogurt shop murders were also bound with their bras or underwear. That detail is what initially caught our eye. Was this one of Robert Brasher's early victims? Was this the reason why he published his obituary in the paper just two months later?
[12:43]
Colin Brown
When the body was transported to the coroner's office, it was determined that the cause of death was a gunshot wound and that the manor was homicide. Soon, police were able to determine the identity of the victim. 27 year old Patricia Patty Pilgreen Schultz. Patty was born and raised in nearby Opelousas, Louisiana, and got married when she was a junior in high school. Finding any information on her was a struggle. She had at least two kids, and on her tombstone it reads that she had compassion for all. She lived in the same relative area that Robert Brashers is believed to have lived in at the time of her death. And notably, she worked as a security guard for an oil rig when she went missing. If you recall, Robert worked at an oil rig when he moved to Louisiana. So there are multiple Things that line up here. She was tied up using her own bra, thrown into a body of water, and lived and worked in the same environment in the same area as Robert. Now, a 19 year old man was arrested for her murder just four days after her body was found. But after he was taken into custody, the trail went cold. There were no newspaper articles, court records or other details we could find indicating that the man who was arrested was convicted, his record was clean, and the final article regarding both her murder and his arrest, published by the Daily World on August 19, 1980, ends reading. The investigation is continuing and more persons are expected to get picked up for questioning. Now, whether Robert was involved in that murder or not, we obviously can't say. But the fact that it contains all of Robert's hallmarks and took place just months before he placed an obituary in the newspaper makes it all rather suspicious. But the fact of the matter is Robert was very clearly hiding from something. And where he was from 1980 to 1983 is a mystery. Robert became a ghost of his own creation, appearing throughout the Southeast US in random, hard to trace blips. In 1981, when Robert's older brother Gary got married in Newport News, Robert served as his groomsman under his real name, despite having gone to the trouble of putting a fake obituary in the paper A year earlier. And shortly after his brother's wedding, he was in the paper again, this time for his first ever recorded crime. On May 23, 1981, Robert Brashers was arrested in Algiers, New Orleans for simple burglary in an apartment complex. What happened leading up to the arrest or what specifically he was doing, we don't know. The details and police files have been lost to time. However, it is known that at the time he was booked, he was carrying a Texas driver's license with a Texas address, despite his address being listed in New Orleans. To this day, no one knows what his connection to the Texas address is, so you can see where the confusion about his whereabouts and timeline stems from. Robert never stayed put for long and he often went out of his way to cover up his trail because around this same time he began to use aliases. Some of his favorites were Jack McClellan, Thomas Mitchell and Jeremy Taylor, as well as his own brother's name, Gary Brashers, which obviously only makes tracking him harder. There are large pockets of Robert's life where no one knows what he was doing, where he was living, what name he was going by, or what kind of trouble he was getting into.
[16:05]
Courtney Brown
However, at some point in 1984, he turned up in Florida. And just one year later, Robert Brashers committed his first known violent crime. It was just after 1am on November 22, 1985 and for the most part the streets were quiet. After a long night, 25 year old Michelle Wilkerson found herself walking home in Fort Pierce, Florida on US Route 1, right alongside the beach. She could hear the waves crashing in the distance and then the sound of a car creeping towards her. Robert pulled up his truck beside her and asked if she wanted a ride. To Michelle he looked friendly enough. There was nothing to indicate he was dangerous in any way. And after all, she was walking alone. At one in the morning a car seemed safer. So Michelle decided to take him up on the offer. She hopped inside of his pickup truck and told him where she was headed. Just a few miles down the road to her house. It wasn't a far drive, but it certainly was a far walk. And thus began the small talk. Robert introduced himself, but he didn't use his real name. He used his brothers. I'm Gary, he told her. For the first few minutes of the drive, everything seemed normal. Robert had a six pack of Budweiser with him in the front seat. He even offered one to Michelle who thanked him and took a drink. From there the two drove about four miles west of Fort Pierce towards her home. But then the mood in the car started to change. The lights of Fort Pierce started to disappear, replaced by thick lines of orange groves. Michelle must have realized at this point that they weren't going to her house anymore. The air in the truck was heavy, the tension was thick. And slowly it became evident what Robert's plan was. Now, whether he told Michelle he wanted sex or physically showed her has never been revealed. But however he did it, Michelle's answer was the same. A big resounding no. It should have been enough. But Robert wasn't going to take no for an answer. He pulled into the grove, hit him between the trees and parked the car. Then he grabbed Michelle who thrashed against his touch. And then she did something incredible. She slapped Robert across the face. Furious, Robert got out of the car and grabbed her by her hair, dragging her out onto the dirt road. Michelle kicked and screamed the whole way, trying to wrestle out of his grasp. And then Robert said something horrible. Something she already knew.
[18:29]
Colin Brown
I'm the devil and I've come here to kill you.
[18:33]
Courtney Brown
Then he hit her over and over and over again. His fist cracked against her skull. Her eyes, her jaw. Her left eye swelled shut from the severe blows. The world was going blurry her jaw burned like hell. A deep, deep pain that told her something was wrong, out of alignment. But she had no option but to fight. And that's exactly what she did. Michelle kicked and hit Robert back through her pain until finally, Robert had enough. He pulled out a gun and pointed it directly at her face. Then he fired. The pain must have been excruciating, but Michelle didn't stop moving, didn't stop trying to survive. Somehow she managed to get to her feet. She started for the tree line and then felt the whole world crash around her as Robert tackled her, dragging her down into the dirt once more. It was there where he pressed the gun to the right side of her cheek, just below her eye. Michelle was still thrashing, trying to kick him off, but then he squeezed the trigger again. Pain throbbed through her cheek as the bullet sliced through her head, exiting behind her ear in a spray of blood. But she was still alive. And Michelle knew if she didn't get up, she'd be dead soon. So once more, she clawed her way out of his grasp. And when she finally broke free, she began to run like hell. Desperate, Robert fired another shot, this one slicing through her back. But then she was gone, disappeared into the trees, leaving Robert standing there, gun in hand. For Robert, that must have been the moment that the adrenaline, the excitement of his crime, shifted into pure panic. He had just shot a woman three times, and despite being out in the middle of nowhere, someone might have heard. He took off on foot, desperately trying to track down Michelle. But luckily, she was two steps ahead of him. Michelle knew she needed to hide. Through the blood running down her face, she managed to spot a culvert running under the farm road. Thinking quickly, she leapt into the water and mud settled in the ditch, and then she crawled into a round drainpipe, squeezing herself into the filthy opening that was just 18 inches in diameter. Mud and water sloshed around her. Sergeant Mike Kramer told the Stewart News, if she lost consciousness, she would have drowned. End quote. And despite the pain radiating through her, Michelle held on. She lay in that culvert, soaking wet, covered in mud, and listened for her attacker because she knew, just like her, he wasn't going to give up. On the nearby road, Robert started up his car. And then he started doing loops, driving up and down the road with his headlights on, desperately trying to find Michelle. Sergeant Kramer later stated, quote, the evidence indicates he was driving around frantically trying to find her, end quote. And all the while, Michelle was just below him, holding her breath in the culvert, listening to him driving back and forth and back and forth until finally the sound of his engine got further and further away. It was there where Michelle knew she was alone, for better and for worse. So finally she crawled out of the culvert. She knew if she didn't get help, she was going to die, there in the orange grove. So once again, she began to run, stumbling as she made her way towards a building in the distance. It was a tiny mobile home plopped in between the trees. She hoped there would be someone there to help her, but it was pitch black. She staggered through the door to discover it was an office building for the grove, not a home. But there was a telephone. She grabbed it and dialed 911. And with a shaking voice, she told dispatch that she had been kidnapped and beaten. But there was a problem. Michelle had no idea where she was, whether it was the blood loss or the emotional trauma of what she just faced. She couldn't tell the police anything except that she was somewhere west of Fort Pierce, miles away.
[22:26]
Colin Brown
Dispatch worked to trace the call and get to her as fast as possible. There was no time to lose. They knew it and she knew it. So, desperate to help any way she could, she stumbled out of the house and made her way to a farm truck parked out front. To her relief, the keys dangled from the ignition. She turned the keys, praying the engine would start, and as soon as it shuddered awake, she turned on the high beams, using them as a beacon to guide the police to her. Just nine minutes later, at around 2:45am Sheriff's deputies raced through the grove, having gotten a general location by tracing the call, and spotted the headlights glowing in the dense foliage there. Sheriff's Corporal Vaughn Day discovered Michelle barely clinging to life. He told the Palm Beach Post, she was leaning up against the wall on the phone. By the time I drove up, she'd pretty much collapsed. She seemed to have a very strong will to live. At the time, Corporal Dane knew that Michelle was struggling, but he didn't know the extent of her injuries. The mud that coated her from head to toe was so thick, he couldn't even tell that she had been shot. It was only after looking closer and after seeing the smears of red in the mud that he realized she was bleeding. Yet in spite of it all lying there floating in and out of consciousness, Michelle was able to give them a description of the man who did this. She told police that he was in his late 20s, had brown hair, and was driving a pickup truck. She was even able to give a description of what the inside of his truck looked like. Including a red shirt that was on the floor and a pack of Marlboro cigarettes that she had left inside. She also said that he had these branches in the back of his truck. So immediately a bolo was put out for the suspect, and Michelle was rushed to Lawnwood regional medical center in critical condition.
[24:10]
Courtney Brown
Luckily, Robert didn't make it very far. After realizing he couldn't find Michelle in the grove, he began to panic. He had just shot a girl in the head, and the weapon he used was still hot in his possession. So from there, Robert drove over the bridge onto South Hutchinson island and then onto Frederick Douglass beach. He pulled his truck right up on the sand. There wasn't a soul around, just him in the endless ocean. So he got out and walked waist deep into the water, holding the gun and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. With the weapon gone, Robert ran back to his truck to flee. But as he tried to back out, the truck didn't budge. Sand kicked up around the tires no matter how hard he tried. And it's here where he had to face the truth. He was stuck. Meanwhile, every officer in a several mile radius was looking for a man matching his description, One being deputy Angela Darling. She, along with the rest of the force, was keeping their eyes peeled. And soon enough, Deputy Darling saw a man who matched the description walking along South A1A near Frederick Douglass beach. She pulled up beside him and asked him what was wrong. He explained that his truck was stuck in the sand and that he needed some help getting it out. Deputy Darling knew that if he had the slightest suspicion that they were onto him, he'd try to flee. So she played it cool. She offered to give him a ride and even said she would call a tow truck for him. And surprisingly, Robert got in the car with her without a fuss. Sergeant Kramer told the Palm Beach Post why he believed Robert would do such a thing, saying he was assuming he had just killed the girl and nobody knew, so he was acting cool. End quote. On the drive back towards the mainland from the island, Robert was casual, chatty even. But as they drove onto South Bridge, they were met with a line of police cars blocking off the road, waiting just for him. Deputy Darling brought the car to a stop, and in seconds, Robert Brashers was in handcuffs. Meanwhile, on the beach, officers inspected his pickup truck and marked it as a crime scene. And sure enough, when they looked inside, they saw the cigarettes, they saw the red shirt, they even saw the branches piled in the back, just like Michelle said there would be. It was the exact truck that Michelle had described. And Robert was the exact man Michelle described. So from there, he was charged with attempted first degree murder, Attempted second degree murder, Aggravated battery, and the use of a firearm in commission of a felony. The news of the attack and Michelle's bravery spread like wildfire. The fact that she was able to fight a man twice her size, Survived being shot three times, and then rescue herself by hiding in a culvert had people in awe. She fought every step of the way for her survival, and in turn, she expected justice. But sadly, that's not what she got. Ultimately, judge Rupert J. Smith only sentenced Robert to 12 years in prison. 12 years for shooting a girl in the head. All because she wouldn't have sex with him. Now, luckily, Michelle went on to make a full physical recovery, but we can't imagine the emotional scars the incident left or the frustration she must have felt hearing that the man who tried to murder her was only sentenced to a little over a decade in prison. But to make matters even worse, 12 years ended up being essentially a suggestion. Just three and a half years into his sentence, on May 4, 1989, Robert was released from prison for good behavior. That's right. A man who viciously attacked a woman, tried to kill her, and then left her for dead with no remorse, was put behind bars for less time than it takes to get a bachelor's degree. And had Robert been sentenced accordingly, had he been treated like the taking time bomb he was, at least eight women and likely more would still be alive today.
[27:59]
Colin Brown
But instead, Robert Brashers was released into the general public. And following his release, he got the hell out of Dodge. Immediately he moved north to Atlanta, where he worked at an air conditioning business off and on. Then he relocated to Huntsville, Alabama, where he worked as a construction worker. And by spring of 1990, about a year after his release, he had moved again, this time to Greenville, South Carolina. It's still unclear what exactly brought him there, as he had no family in the area that we were able to find or any connections whatsoever. But when he arrived, in spite of his record, he managed to get a job as a maintenance man at an apartment complex, Hidden Lake apartments on Villa Road. While he was there, he was essentially a ghost. No one remembered working with him, and the residents at the apartment complex could hardly remember him at all. Unfortunately, they would remember what he had done for years to come, because not long after settling into the apartment complex, he set his eyes on his next victim, 28 year old Genevieve Zatricki.
[29:06]
Courtney Brown
Jenny lived in Greenville, looking for a fresh start. She had recently moved from her home state of Ohio, and in 1990, she was getting a taste of real freedom and adventure for the very first time. Jenny had recently divorced her husband and was on her own as an adult. It's a scary transition for many people, but for Jenny, it opened her up to a world of exciting possibilities. In Greenville, she had a steady job as a programmer analyst at Michelin Tire Corporation, where she was one of the smartest employees at her apartment complex. She was known as a friendly face and the life of the party. She always held get togethers at the apartment's pool, encouraging neighbors to meet one another and forging connections with anyone and everyone. She was a social butterfly, and very quickly, nearly everyone in the complex knew her by name. When she wasn't throwing parties, she was out being social in other ways. Jenny was very involved in her church, and she also signed up for clubs around her community. She was a member of the Michelin softball team and the Brown Backers Club of Greenville. So as you can see, she was busy and widely loved. And what she did on April 4, 1990, was a great example of that. Jenny had spent the day having a few drinks with her friends, where she excitedly told them about the weekend ahead. She was going to be in a friend's wedding. So that night she. As soon as she got home, she laid out a freshly dry cleaned dress on a chair in her living room. Then around midnight, she called her girlfriend to chat. They were on the phone for about 30 minutes before Jenny hung up and crawled into bed. She should have been safe there, but outside, someone was watching her. Someone who had just gotten out of prison less than a year prior for nearly murdering a woman. And in the early morning hours of April 5, that someone was prying open her garden level sliding glass door with a crowbar. As Robert Brasher stepped into Jenny's apartment. It was dark, it was quiet, and he tiptoed his way over to her bedroom. Inside, Jenny was fast asleep, but she was about to wake up to a nightmare. Now, details are scarce on exactly what happened. However, we do know that when Jenny opened her eyes, she saw a stranger standing by her bed. And soon after that, she was raped. We also know that she was bludgeoned with something, possibly that crowbar that he used to get inside. And in her final moments of life, as a stranger stood over her, he grabbed a pair of pantyhose and he strangled her until she took her final breath. But he wasn't finished just yet. After killing Jenny, he used the same pantyhose he had strangled her with as a handle. And he dragged her to the bathroom with them. Looped around her throat, a 20 foot long trail of blood led from her bed, where she had been killed, to the bathtub, where he placed her dead body and then turned on the water. Then he positioned her just how he wanted her. Posed beneath the running faucet so the water pouring from the spout ran directly between her legs. He was not only sending a message, but likely trying to wash away any DNA evidence he had left after assaulting her. Then he went into the kitchen and filled up the sink with water. He then dumped the contents of her purse inside. Then finally, he grabbed her lipstick off the counter and wrote a message on the mirror. A message that read in big, bold letters, don't fuck with my family. Investigators suspect that he did this to make it look like she was killed by someone she knew. Someone Jenny had wronged rather than a complete stranger. And after his twisted work was complete, he left, slipping out the same sliding glass door that he came in through. For hours, Jenny's body floated in the tub, the water running and spilling through the overflow drain. No one had heard a thing. No one knew anything was wrong. But the next morning, April 5, 1990, people started to realize something wasn't right. Jenny's desk at work sat empty. Her co workers, who were also her good friends, were concerned. So concerned that they called her apartment complex and asked if they could check on her.
[33:08]
Colin Brown
For some reason, the apartment complex sent building maintenance men to Jenny's apartment to do a welfare check on her. And if you recall, Robert was working as a maintenance man at the time of Jenny's murder. Now, whether he was one of the people sent in, we don't know. But the fact that that was even a possibility is disturbing. Especially since police believe part of the pleasure Robert derived from his crimes came from the shock they elicited in others. If he was one of the ones to go inside, he would get to see that shock up close and personal. Because when the maintenance men entered the apartment using a key, they discovered a horrible sight. Jenny floating in the bathtub, dead, with pantyhose tied around her neck. Jenny wasn't just a stranger. She was well liked by people at the complex. And when cops arrived and the news spread, the love everyone had for her was clear. As officers closed off her apartment with crime scene tape, several neighbors rushed over to make sure Jenny was okay. And it was there where they received the terrible news. Miles and miles away, her family received the worst phone calls of their lives. And they couldn't even be together to take in their new, horrible reality. Her mother was in Youngstown, Ohio, and her brother Philip was in California. Their lives were forever changed by the loss of Jenny. And sadly, it wasn't the Zatriki's first loss of the year. Jenny's father had died just weeks before, leaving her mother a widow. In just a few weeks time, their family of four had dwindled down to two. Jenny's mother recalled that when she spoke to Jenny about her anxiety experiencing her first Christmas as a widow, her daughter hugged her and said, you're not going to be alone on Christmas. You and me are going to Vegas. The promise that she'd always have her daughter by her side had made things a little easier, but it didn't last. She told the Greensville news she only had six weeks to live. It was devastating, and the family wanted answers. So they put up a $15,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of her killer. Over the course of several months, investigators interviewed hundreds of people and potential suspects. They knew immediately that robbery hadn't been a motive, as nothing of value had been stolen. And because of the threatening message on the mirror, they figured it was someone from Jenny's past. But every single person they looked into wasn't looking like their suspect. None of the cliches you'd expect, given the message, matched. Jenny wasn't the other woman in an affair. She hadn't had fights with anyone. She hadn't snitched on anyone or been involved in any illegal activities. She was clean. And sadly, her killer was nowhere on law enforcement's radar. In fact, he wouldn't be connected to Jenny's murder. For nearly three decades and throughout the 1990s, Robert Brashers was free to move from state to state. It seemed that everywhere he went, he was committing violent crimes. But there wasn't a clear pattern to those crimes. With Michelle, he picked her up on the side of the road and shot her. With Jenny, he broke into her apartment, raped and strangled her, and then staged the scene. And with him moving so often, it's hard to track exactly what he was doing or who he was killing. Austin attorney Mindy Montford would later say, when you see it on paper, you think, wow, he was in this state one day and then the next state. But really, those cities were right along the border. He was able to just hop a couple hours away, and that was by design. Robert was sadly pretty smart about his crimes. He knew that committing them in different jurisdictions would make them harder to connect. Here's Detective Dan Jackson talking with KVSF12. He was smart enough that he never got caught. He was smart enough that he would pick his victims seemingly at random. Like he would venture out a couple of hours and often cross state lines. So that seemed to be planned. But then there's also the randomness.
[37:03]
Courtney Brown
That same randomness was in other areas of Robert's life, too. At some point, he met a woman in Paragould, Arkansas, named Rose Stoltz, and he settled down with her. Now, Rose already had three kids of her own. But in 1991, when Robert was 33 years old, their family grew by one more. That summer, Robert and Rose welcomed their first child together, a daughter named Deborah. Now, you'd like to think that maybe, just maybe, having a daughter of his own would change his ways, that he might think about the parents he was taking children away from. But if anything, at this point, his crimes only got more violent. And just a few months after the birth of his daughter, Robert went on to commit his most infamous crime yet. The Austin yogurt shop murders. No one knows exactly what Robert was doing in Austin, Texas, on that fateful night. At the time, his father lived in Arizona, and he would later state that he was on his way to visit him. But with Robert, it's hard to take anything at face value. To this day, investigators are still trying to grapple with why Robert targeted the yogurt shop. Sure, it was right off the freeway, but. But so were dozens of other businesses and homes. And for some reason, on December 6, 1991, he zeroed in on I can't believe it's yogurt. And from that moment on, Austin, Texas was forever changed. Now, as a quick recap, that night as the store closed, four young girls were inside. Jennifer Harbison, her sister, Sarah Harbison, Eliza Thomas, and Amy Ayers. Now, Jennifer and Eliza worked at the yogurt shop. They were both 17 years old. 15 year old Sarah and 13 year old Amy were just there keeping them company, looking forward to their sleepover that night. And if you recall from the previous episode, there were three different suspects that were seen in the shop that night. The ones that likely come to mind are those two men that were seen sitting at one of the tables shortly before closing. Two witnesses reported seeing the men around 10:45pm 15 minutes before closing. But what stuck out to them was that the men weren't eating yogurt. They were just sitting there in silence, messing with this bag on the table. The couple that saw the men said that there was A weird energy to them. And when they left the store at 10:47pm Those guys were the only customers inside. The witnesses also said that as they walked back to their car, Jennifer Harbison locked the door to the yogurt shop and put up the clothes sign. Now, typically in a business, this means that anyone still inside the shop can leave, but no one else can come in. So for decades, investigators always believed that these were the men responsible for the murders. And to this day, we still have no idea who those men are. The guys never came forward professing their innocence, which only solidified the theory that they were responsible. However, as we know they weren't, it's believed that Robert Brashers acted alone. So even though these men were acting strange, investigators now think that they walked out of the store only for chaos to unfold soon after.
[40:10]
Colin Brown
Now, the other suspect Investigators have repeatedly tried to identify over the years was another man who was seen inside the yogurt shop that night. A retired military police officer named Durl Croft was in the yogurt shop between 9:30 and 10pm and he said that while inside, he noticed another man, a white male in his mid to late twenties, approximately five' ten and around £170. He described him as a fidgety man wearing a green military style jacket. The mystery man ordered a Sprite, and after paying in cash, he asked if there was a restroom he could use. Jennifer pointed him to the back of the store. They didn't have a customer restroom, but he was welcome to use the employee one near the freezers. He thanked her, then went down the hall and to the back of the store. The whole thing felt so wrong to Croft that after ordering his yogurt, he stayed behind. He told the Austin American Statesman, something bothered me, so I hung around. I wanted to see if the guy came out of the back. Something just didn't feel right. But Croft waited and waited and waited. And when the man still hadn't emerged from the back after several minutes, Croft gave in and left. What that man did, or if it was even Robert, is unknown. However, some people suspect that it was Robert and that after gaining access to the back, he either waited in the bathroom to strike, or he propped open the back door, allowing himself a way to enter even after the front door was locked.
[41:37]
Courtney Brown
Regardless, we know that sometime after 10:47pm Robert Brashers launched his attack. Armed with his.22 caliber revolver and his 380 backup, he approached the shop. Now, the front door of the shop would have already been locked after those Two men left, Jennifer would have locked the door behind them. And we know that because when police arrived at the building later that night, the key was actually found locked in the front door. Which means there are several possibilities on how Robert got inside. Maybe he was the person who used the bathroom and propped the back door open. There's also another theory that Robert may have picked the lock to the back door of the yogurt shop. After all, he was known to carry a lock picking kit. Now, based on other crimes Robert committed, we also know that he would often fake emergencies. He would knock on doors and pretended he needed help. Then he would flash his gun and force his way inside. So maybe he knocked on the front door of the shop, faking an emergency, and one of the girls let him in, locking it behind him. We don't know. But regardless of how he got inside, almost immediately, Jennifer, Eliza, Sarah, and Amy knew that they were in danger. It's believed that once inside, he brandished his gun and forced Eliza Thomas to open the cash register. At 11.03pm, Eliza rang up one final transaction for the night. A no sale inside the register was $540. Robert took all of it, I'm sure, from here, the girls thought that their nightmare would soon come to an end, that soon enough this madman would take the money and flee. But as you know, that's not how this story ends. After taking the money, Robert pointed the gun at the girls and forced them into the back room of the yogurt shop. It was a small room. It had a sink, some shelving, and along the back wall was the door that led to the alley, A door that led to freedom. One that, sadly, none of them would ever walk out of again.
[43:32]
Colin Brown
Interestingly, around 1105-11:10pm A girl named Kate Wallace McClung would later say that she was walking down Rockwood Lane on her way to the North Cross Mall when she noticed something odd. The lights were still on at I can't believe it's Yogurt. Usually at 11pm on the dot, the lights were off. But not tonight. Now, there was never any mention about whether or not this witness saw anyone inside. But it's believed that by this point, Robert was already in the back room doing unspeakable things to the four teenaged
[44:03]
Courtney Brown
girls inside that back room. Robert ordered the girls at gunpoint to remove their clothing, so they did. Investigators would later say that their shoes were neatly lined up in a row. Then, using their own bras, Robert tied the girl's hands behind their backs. Naked and bound he then took their underwear and shoved it into their mouths, gagging them. And then it's here where he began sexually assaulting them, one right after the other. Horrifically. It's believed that the sexual assaults went on for 40 or so minutes. Male DNA was found inside at least three of the girls. And as you can imagine, it was absolutely horrific. Not only were they assaulted, but it was done in front of their best friends, the people they loved most in the world. And while it happened, their friends were forced to confront the reality that they were next. One of the girls was even found with a metal ice scoop in between her legs. It's suspected that it was used during the sexual assault. Now, the youngest victim, 13 year old Amy, was not found with her hands tied behind her back. In fact, she actually had Robert's DNA underneath her fingernails. Meaning she fought back, perhaps after breaking out of the restraints Robert had originally tied. Now, Amy also had a sock like cloth around her neck. It's suspected that Robert tried to strangle her with it. And then at some point, everything came to a head. Perhaps Robert was getting nervous that someone would soon come looking for the girls. Perhaps they started to fight back. Or maybe in his sick mind, he was satisfied with what he had taken from them and he was ready to now take their lives, whatever it was. Around 11.40pm, he lined all of the girls up in the back room. He forced them onto their knees. And then he pulled out his.22 caliber gun. First, he stood behind Jennifer. He pointed the gun to the back of her head and pulled the trigger. Her little sister Sarah watched in horror as she dropped to the ground, blood pooling beneath her. And before Sarah could react, Robert turned the gun on her. Once Sarah was down, he shot Eliza, whose body fell on top of Sarah's. And then there was 13 year old Amy. She too was shot execution style in the back of the head with the.22. But the bullet missed her brain. She was still alive, still conscious. And knowing that she was about to die, she attempted to get up and run away. So it's here where Robert pulled out his other gun, the.380 backup. It's unknown why he switched guns. Maybe his.22 had run out of bullets. Or maybe it jammed. But as Amy was running away towards the front of the yogurt shop, he lifted the gun and fired. This time it didn't miss. It sliced through Amy's neck, severing her brainstem. Amy dropped to the ground about 12ft away from the others. Her arms stretched out towards the front door and Then the room was silent. Robert was standing in front of four dead teenage girls, looking at his previous known crimes. It's an escalation. Previously, he had only gone after individuals Michelle Wilkerson and Jenny Citricki. But now, seemingly out of nowhere, he had broken into a business in a busy shopping center and killed four teenagers. And shockingly, he planned it perfectly. Because despite living nowhere near Austin, Texas, and it being 1991, Robert seemed to realize that there was evidence behind that could be traced to him. So in an effort to destroy it, he decided he was going to set the shop on fire. Investigators believe that he started the fire on the metal shelf near Jennifer's body, but how he started it is unclear. First responders said that there were no signs that an accelerant was used, but they also never tested for it, so we'll never know. What's known for certain is that he started the fire on that metal shelf, and slowly it spread throughout that back room. Jennifer Harbison had the most severe burns of the four girls. Her family said that she always wore this Timex watch with a black strap. The watch stopped working at exactly 11:48pm the moment the heat reached its peak intensity. By then, Robert Brashers had already walked out the back door of the yogurt shop. And just minutes later, that rookie police officer noticed the smoke billowing into the night sky. But by the time anyone found the burned bodies inside, the killer, Robert Brashers was already on the freeway heading out of town. He left a crime scene that became notorious. But more important than what he left is what he took. The lives of four young women with their whole lives ahead of them. He took with him their futures, what they would have given to the world, who they would grow into. And it's heartbreaking to think about. Had he served his full sentence in Florida for the attack on Michelle Wilkerson, Amy, Jennifer, Sarah and Eliza would still be alive. So would Jenny Zatricky. By this point, Robert still would have had two years left of his sentence, but he was released, and he would go on to hurt as many people as he could. In the case of the yogurt shop murders, it worked out perfectly for him because that case would go unsolved for three whole decades. That alone is infuriating, but even more so when you look at just how easily Robert could have been captured.
[49:29]
Colin Brown
And now for a brief ad break.
[49:46]
Ad Host 1
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[51:01]
Colin Brown
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Because on December 8, 1991, less than 48 hours after murdering the four teenage girls, Robert was stopped at an interior border patrol checkpoint between El Paso, Texas and Las Cruces, New Mexico. Now, if you've ever been through one of these, they're pretty simple. If you're stopped, you're asked if you live in the US where you're going and sometimes your vehicle is inspected, most of the time you're simply waved through. But Robert was stopped. The agent asked where he was going. He said he was on his way to visit his father in Arizona. But something about Robert's answers, his nervousness, had the agent on edge. So he ran the plates on Robert's truck, and that's when he realized that the truck had been reported stolen about a week earlier in Marietta, Georgia. So from there, the agent searched the car, and that's when he found the gun, the.380AMT backup. And as soon as he found it somehow Robert took off. Some reports state it was on foot. Others state he took off driving in the vehicle. But after getting about a mile away in the desert, with border patrol chasing after him, Robert stopped and surrendered. He apologized for his behavior, saying that he wasn't supposed to be carrying a gun because he was a felon. So he panicked. But I don't think that's what really happened here, and neither do many experts. You see, in the car, police discovered the.380, the weapon that was used to kill Amy Ayers, one of two definitive links connecting him to the yogurt shop murders. But they never found the.22, the gun that was used to kill the other three girls. Had they found both the.380 and the.22, it's possible police may have quickly connected him to what had happened in Austin. Some people suspect that after the police uncovered the.380, Robert realized that they may be able to trace it back to the murders. So, wanting to lower his chances, he fled in order to dispose of the.22. Sure, he'd get a fleeing and evading charge, but he may save himself from being connected to the murders. That would also explain why, after making it just a mile, Robert surrendered himself. Some officers believe that in that mile, Robert got rid of the.22 in the desert, and then once the evidence was gone, he went down without a fight. Regardless of what happened in that mile, Robert was arrested for grand theft of the car and the gun was actually confiscated. Sergeant Jones would later state that by this point, the information regarding the weapon used in the yogurt shop murders had been broadcast to all law enforcement agencies throughout Texas, including border patrol. So this arrest could have given them the answers they needed to solve the case. But for reasons that remain unclear, the connection slipped through the cracks. Little did they know the murder weapon used in the yogurt shop murders was right there in their possession. But no one connected the dots.
[56:30]
Courtney Brown
Now, surprisingly, according to an unnamed family member of Roberts, the.380 that had been confiscated was actually returned to his his father, Duellis. And everything we're about to say comes from this anonymous family member. But it does provide insight into what may have been going on in Robert's family life and how he managed to avoid jail time and time again. Allegedly, Robert's father, Doulas, got the gun back from law enforcement, and then he simply returned it back to Robert. In addition, it's claimed that Duelist would post bail for Robert anytime he was arrested for his minor offenses, like grand theft auto. And looking at the Timeline. That makes sense. Robert wasn't rolling in dough by any means. Yet soon after he was arrested at this border checkpoint, he was out on the streets yet again. In fact, two months later, on February 18, 1992, he was arrested again in Cobb County, Georgia, for essentially the same crime. Possession of a stolen vehicle and stolen pistol. But this time, when they searched his car, they found even more concerning things like a police jacket, a radio scanner, a fake Tennessee license, and lockpicking tools, A whole crime kit. And sadly, like everything else in his life, Robert's consequences were not very severe. He was even offered a plea deal in exchange for pleading guilty to one of the more serious possession charges. The rest were dropped. In the end, he was sentenced to five years in prison. And shockingly, this time, he did serve out the full sentence. It was the one and only time in his crime filled life that he served the full amount of time given to him. But In February of 1997, he was a free man once again. And with that freedom, it seemed as if he wanted to focus on his family. His daughter Debra was around six years old when he was released. And from what she could remember from that time, Robert was a great father. She would later say that she thought her dad was, quote, the greatest man alive. Now, Deborah spoke with KFVS and their segment called Chasing a Ghost. Here she is discussing her memories of her father and how he doted on the family.
[58:41]
Deborah Brashers
I remember him tilling up our front yard for putting little square grass down at my mother. My mother wanted a certain kind of grass. He tilled up the whole front yard and put new grass down so that she'd have the certain grass she wanted. We had a washer and dryer in the house. She wanted a clothesline. He built her a clothesline. He took my sister's canoeing, he took us camping before. We've done a lot of things with him that I never done with anybody else.
[59:11]
Courtney Brown
Robert could be loving, charming, excitable, and by all accounts, it seemed like he really did love his wife and daughter. So for Debra, that actually makes things even more twisted. In multiple interviews, she's posed the question, how can you have children of your own and mess with children? And we find ourselves asking the same thing in nearly every case we cover regarding child predators. In this case, however, there was some dysfunction in the home. Robert struggled with alcohol and he was known to have a temper. Deborah recalled a childhood incident where she accidentally swallowed a penny. According to her account, Robert responded by beating her. Another time, her sister walked into his bedroom without Permission and he dragged her out of the room by her hair. Debra also witnessed Robert hitting her mom on one occasion. But by her account, her mom hit him back. Here is Debra with KFVS recalling the violence inside their home.
[60:06]
Deborah Brashers
I remember when he beat the s out of my sister for no reason. Like that's the one time we seen his terror be taken out on us. And then the time that him, my mother got into a fight and he put a goose egg on her head like. And then she beat the out of him and got him in the corner and she was begging, he was begging her to stop.
[60:23]
Colin Brown
Obviously, things at home weren't great and Robert was known to leave for extended periods of time. But he always told his family that he was working construction in different states across the U. S. He seemed to always come home with money, so no one questioned him. Robert even had business cards, so they had no reason to believe he was lying. Debra admitted that when her father would come home from these trips, he always seemed different. I'm sure they figured it was just the stress of the jobs he was working. But in reality, Robert was not working construction. He was out committing crimes, killing and raping women and girls, girls that weren't much older than his own daughter. But somehow he was still able to live a double life. His daughter Deborah would later tell the Greenville he was an amazing father. A father anybody would have wanted to have. They always say serial killers live two separate lives. Some live just to kill, then others, like my father, who live in plain sight for years. But Robert's family life did not stop him from being the monster he truly was. Because less than a month after getting out of prison, Robert committed his next crime.
[61:32]
Courtney Brown
It was March 11, 1997. It's unclear exactly why he was driving through Memphis, Tennessee, but at some point along the way, he spotted a home. Inside were four females. A 47 year old, a 20 year old, a 17 year old and a 14 year old. And alongside them was a nine and a half month old baby. It's safe to assume that he saw the young girls beforehand. Young girls that he decided he was going to assault for his own sick pleasure. So in broad daylight, he knocked on their door. When one of the girls opened the door, he put on the charm. He explained that he and his wife had been at a store just across the street and she had left her purse on top of the car. Have y' all seen her purse? He asked them. Of course they hadn't. So Robert asked if he could leave his name and number in case they Happened to find it. When the girl at the door turned around to grab a pen, Robert pulled a gun out of his pocket and forced his way inside. Immediately, Robert ordered all of the girls to line up against the wall. It was four versus one. But a gun is a powerful motivator, so the girls did as Robert said. Once they were under his control, he put on some dishwashing gloves so he wouldn't leave fingerprints behind. He then tied the girls up with a phone cord and duct tape he had brought with him. The youngest was just 14 years old, and sadly, she was the one he sexually assaulted right in front of her whole family as they lay on the ground helpless, unable to save her. By the time the horrible ordeal was over, Robert fled the home in the family's car, which was discovered abandoned in a nearby Kmart parking lot two days later. For everyone in the home, the incident was horrifically traumatic. And it didn't end when Robert left. The victim of the sexual assault, who was just 14, bravely went to the hospital to have a rape kit administered. At any age, the process can feel incredibly violating. You're vulnerable, you've just been taken advantage of in the worst way possible, and then you're in a clinical setting being poked and prodded and swabbed. Now, this isn't to negate the importance of getting rape kits done following an assault, but it's to point out that the that the victims are often re traumatized getting them. It's to say it's a brave, selfless act, One that should be honored by law enforcement. But in this case and many others, it wasn't the rape kit that the 14 year old girl did. The kid that could have gotten Robert Brashers arrested sat on a shelf collecting dust for 20 years. 20 years. An offender who broke into a home and took control of four women, Raping one of them somehow wasn't seen as an important threat worth looking into. That girl went through getting the kit taken, trusting that it may save other people. And instead, by the time it was tested, her attacker was long gone.
[64:23]
Colin Brown
About two weeks later, on March 28, 1998, Robert Brashers was on the road again. This time in rural Portageville, Missouri. And along his drive, he spotted 37 year old Sherry sharer and her 12 year old daughter, Megan Elizabeth Sharer, working outside in their garden on their big manicured lawn. That afternoon was unseasonably warm and the family welcomed it. Megan and Sherry worked away getting fruits and veggies planted. Meanwhile, Anthony, the father of the family and Megan's brother, 15 year old Steven, took the tractor down the road to help do some work at a friend's farm. At about 6:20pm Steven called his mom to tell her that they were heading home and should be there in a few minutes. They discussed dinner plans, pizza, which Sherry offered to pick up and exchanged I love yous before hanging up. But on the way home, driving through winding farm roads, another farmer was struggling. His equipment broke down as he was crossing the road to tend to another field, meaning that Stephen and Anthony's only way home was blocked. Anthony got out of the tractor and helped fix the issue, which took another 20 or so minutes. Not wanting his wife to worry, he called the house phone to give her an update. But this time the phone rang and rang and rang. Anthony thought it was odd, given that Stephen had talked to cherry just 20 minutes earlier. But he shrugged it off, suggesting that maybe they had already gone to pick up the pizza. Little did he know what was unfolding at his home just a mile away was nothing short of a nightmare.
[65:56]
Courtney Brown
Anthony and Steven arrived home minutes after making that call home. As they entered the garage, they noticed that Sherry's car was there. Initially they were excited, thinking that Sherry had already come back with the pizza. Anthony mindlessly brushed his hand over the hood. But as he did, he realized something. Something that he couldn't help but say aloud, the engine's not even warm. She must have not gone yet. And as they entered the home, they realized why. At first, Stephen thought it was a prank. He was the prankster of his family and his mother and sister always teased him that one day they'd get him back. When he saw them lying on the floor covered in blood, he couldn't wrap his head around it being anything but a prank. But the closer he got, the more he knew this was no prank. Without saying a word, Stephen knelt down, putting a hand on his sister and immediately he screamed. Horrified, Anthony called 911 and officers rushed to the home where they were able to fully process the scene that was too horrific for Anthony and Steven to stomach. But for police, it was equally challenging. One of the responding officers stated, quote, I would say that's the worst thing I've ever seen in my life. Another echoed his thoughts, stating, you can never forget the images of that crime. End quote. Sherry had been shot in the head three times and bound with items that to this day haven't been disclosed. But beside her, her 12 year old daughter had been shot and was nude. And not only was she naked, but she had been posed in a very Intentional way, as if her killer, quote, wanted to show what he had done. Those who first arrived on the scene made it clear that whoever had killed Megan had posed her specifically for, quote, shock value.
[67:43]
Colin Brown
12 year old Megan Sharer was used as a prop to appease Robert Brasher's sick desires. But that's not how we want her to be remembered. Megan was a star basketball player, a gifted public speaker, and a good friend to everyone. As news spread about the murder of the mother and daughter, the town of Portageville was devastated. The Sharers were a well respected, hard working family. Coach Julie Boyd told the Columbia Missourian. They were a wonderful family. Megan was the sweetest, most loving child on my team, which is what everyone had to say about the family. Their close friend Tina Delys added, Sherry's life was caring for her family. They were a wholesome family. They worked hard, went to church, and she helped out at school. I don't know that they had an enemy in the world. Given that, investigators were baffled as to who would have wanted to hurt them. In addition, there were no signs of forced entry and nothing appeared to have been stolen from the home. Now, there were witnesses who said that a maroon van was spotted near their home that day. But other than that, they had nothing. Now, all these years later, police believe that Robert Brasher used a ruse similar to the one he used to get into the home in Memphis to get Sherry or Megan to open the door. Then he brandished the gun, tied them up and eventually killed them. But at the time, police had no reason to even look at Robert. He lived nowhere near the crime scene. He didn't know the victims. For police, it was haunting. Not just because it was so random, but because by the end of the night, they were certain it was the work of a serial rapist. Because just 40 miles away, hours later, Robert struck again.
[69:25]
Courtney Brown
Shortly after killing the mother and daughter in Portageville, Robert Brashers drove across the border into Dyer County, Tennessee. And he immediately, immediately began scoping out homes along the rural roads. It was about 9:30pm A warm spring night, the kind of Tennessee night where everything feels right in the world. Families have their doors and windows open to let in the cool breeze. And one unnamed 26 year old woman was doing just that. After getting groceries, she slowly loaded them out of her car and brought them into the kitchen, stopping to linger on the porch in between bags. Then suddenly, a maroon car pulled up and out came Robert Brashers. He flashed her a smile and told her that he was looking for a friend named Jeremy Taylor. He wasn't from the area, but was visiting and couldn't find where his friend lived. But immediately, the homeowner's guard was up. She was alone with her three children, essentially out in the middle of nowhere. And she knew everyone in town. There was no Jeremy Taylor. So thinking on her feet, she grabbed her cell phone and told Robert that she'd check with a neighbor, a man who lived just down the road. The phone rang and rang and rang. The neighbor didn't answer, but the woman played it cool. She pretended that she was talking to the neighbor, despite the fact that she was speaking to an answering machine. And then she hung up. She told Robert that her neighbor actually knew Jeremy Taylor and encouraged him to drive down the road to talk to him about it. Her thought was that as soon as he was far enough away, she'd lock her front door and hide with the kids. But to her dismay, Robert didn't leave. Instead, he reached into his van and said he was grabbing a map. But he didn't pull out a map. He pulled out a gun. The woman sprinted inside with Robert close behind. She was just about to shut the door when she felt him on the other side, pushing against it. As the two struggled, Robert suddenly took a step back. At that moment, the woman was able to slam the door and lock it. But as she did, Robert fired his gun directly into the door. The bullet ended up striking the woman's arm. But luckily, from there, Robert ran to his car and took off in a cloud of dust, disappearing down the road. When investigators rushed to the scene to tend to the Gray's wound, the mother was able to describe her attacker and his maroon van. That description made the hairs on the back of their necks stand up, because a maroon van was also seen near the Scherer household hours earlier, where Megan and Sherry were murdered, just 40 miles away. But like most of Robert Brasher's crimes, the police had no idea he was responsible. The police had no idea who he was. But with this information, the locals began calling the attacker Mr. Maroon. And as silly as the name is, everyone was terrified of him. This was a man capable of sexually assaulting a child before shooting her alongside her mom, which is likely what he had planned with this woman as well. And eventually, ballistics test later confirmed that the exact same gun was used in both crimes. For local investigators, it was clear that they had a serial killer on their hands. Here's New Madrid County Sheriff Terry Stevens and Chief Freddie Hill discussing their original thoughts on the case.
[72:41]
Law Enforcement Official / Family Member
I made the statement then. This guy is a Serial killer, make no doubt about it. And we felt confident that there would be more victims present themselves or be brought to light as time went on. And I think there'll still be more.
[72:57]
Colin Brown
Yeah, he proved himself with that when he left here and go straight to Dyersburg and try do the same thing again. He proved he was a serial killer, a.
[73:09]
Law Enforcement Official / Family Member
A predator.
[73:10]
Family Member / News Reporter
Predator.
[73:11]
Courtney Brown
Now, knowing you have a serial killer is much easier than catching a serial killer, especially when he has an M.O. like Robert Brasher's. Robert would drive across state lines looking for women he wanted to attack. Then when he would spot them, he would strike, using his gun to control his victims and get what he wanted. And just two weeks after the failed attack on the woman and Dyer county, he was back out on the prowl to do it all over again. But this time, he made a mistake. Instead of breaking into a stranger's house, he decided to break into the home of someone he knew. It was a woman in Paragould, Arkansas, who would hire him for odd jobs. On Easter Sunday 1998, she awoke to her cat pawing at her face, trying to wake her up. She thought it was odd, but it was 4:30am so she pulled the covers up around herself and drifted back to sleep. For a moment at least, because next door, her neighbors had also been woken up by their pet, a small dog who was barking like crazy at something outside the window. When the neighbors looked outside, they saw Robert Brashers trying to break in. Immediately, the neighbors called the police, who rushed to the scene. Within seconds of arriving, they discovered Robert Brashers hiding behind a car in the driveway. He was quickly dragged to his feet and put in cuffs. Initially, he just seemed like another robber or peeping Tom. But when police began to look through his duffel bag, they realized they were looking at something much worse. Inside, they found rope, wire cutters, gloves, lock picking tools, and a gun. And something else that chilled them to the bone. A video camera. Whatever Robert had intended to do, it seemed as though he planned to record it. Police later described the items in the bag as a quote unquote kill kit. And yet, once again, he was only given a slap on the wrist. After sitting in jail for a few hours, he posted a $5,000 bail and was promptly released back into the free world.
[75:09]
Colin Brown
No matter how many times it happens, it still shocks us. In our research, Robert commits or nearly commits a heinous crime and then is released to do it all over again. This time was no different. Just a few weeks later, on August 16, 1998, he was arrested again. Earlier that day, around 2:30pm Someone called the police reporting that a man in a blue van was driving erratically near a flea Market on U.S. highway 412. Apparently, the man crashed through a fence and tore through the yard of Christ United Methodist Church and proceeded to hit another vehicle in the flea market parking lot. When police arrived, the man in the blue van was nowhere to be found. However, later that day, a motorist flagged down a police officer and stated that he had given a man with an injury a ride to U.S. highway 412. And soon after, police officers were able to locate Robert on foot. Now, we have no idea how or where on his body Robert was injured. It seems likely that it happened when he crashed through the fence into the church parking lot. But the news report about this incident published in the Paragould Daily Press gives no details on what the injury was. Regardless, on the scene, Robert offered a name, Bill Blackston. He explained his injury to officers by saying he had been working on his Jeep Cherokee and the drive shaft fell out and struck him. He added that the Jeep was stuck on a levee in the Big Slough area. The man was taken to Arkansas Methodist Hospital via ambulance and police officers were then dispatched to the location of the Jeep. However, when they arrived, there was no Jeep. And after further investigation, they realized that Bill Blackston was actually Robert Brashers. From there, they made their way to his home at 5877 Green 853 Road and in the backyard, crashed into a ditch along a soybean field. They discovered the blue car. Blood coated the steering wheel in the driver's seat, indicating that Robert had been injured inside the vehicle. But that's not where the blood stopped. Police noticed the back door of Robert's home was wide open. From where they stood, they could see knives lying around and blood all over the floor, which really has us scratching our heads. Had Robert crashed his car and then injured himself or been injured by someone in his kitchen after he arrived home? We don't know and evidently neither does anyone else. A single news article was published regarding this strange incident and it ends with even more charges. Evidently, in all the chaos, Robert's neighbor Barry Floyd went to the police and reported that Robert had stolen cash and jewelry from his home that day. As a result, Robert was charged with residential burglary, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, public intoxication, and second degree criminal impersonation. On November 12, 1998, Robert was supposed to appear in court, but he had no intention of showing up. Instead, he was already in Lexington, Kentucky looking for another victim.
[78:10]
Courtney Brown
He found that victim in Linda Rutledge. Linda came from a family of hard workers. They had founded the Nixon Hearing Aid center in Lexington. And 43 year old Linda proudly worked at the business. By 1998, she was a single mother. She and her husband had divorced. So it was up to her to work hard and support her son. And that's exactly what she did every single day. On the morning of November 12, 1998, Linda showed up to the business early. It was a routine she was used to by now. Go in, open up the shop and get everything ready for the customers that day. But this day would go much differently. Because just like with the yogurt shop murders, Robert Brashers happened to be driving by when he spotted Linda in the store working all by herself. There weren't many witnesses around, so he pulled into the parking lot and decided that he was going to attack her. It's believed that Linda's fate looked a lot like the girls in the yogurt shop. When no one was around, he broke inside and sexually assaulted her. Then when he was finished, he shot her multiple times in the head. And just like in the yogurt shot murders, he decided he needed to cover up his crime. So he set fire to the building, hopped in Linda's car and took off, watching from afar as the building went up in smoke. Around 7:40am a person driving down Malibu Drive called the Lexington Fire Department to report a structure fire. When first responders arrived on scene, they saw heavy black smoke billowing above. But when they made their way into the business, they made a shocking discovery. In a back hallway, they found the badly burned body of Linda Rutledge. Before the autopsy even took place, police were certain it was her. Her parents had already filed a missing persons report. But after she was identified, the case went cold. And it remained that way for over 30 years.
[80:00]
Colin Brown
But luckily, Robert Brasher's was unraveling and his crime spree was reaching its end. In 1998, his daughter Deborah claimed that there had been a noticeable change in him. He seemed overly paranoid all the time. After years of violence, rape and murder, it seemed as if his crimes were weighing down on him. Not because he felt guilty, but because he was afraid of getting caught. According to his family, he started wearing wigs out in public, trying to hide his identity. He even told his family to call him Mitch when they would go out. Robert's mental state was so fragile that Debra and her sisters were told by their mother to never Let him leave the house alone. But even inside the home, he wasn't safe. Debra recalled that she found a disturbing audio recording of him self harming. She later said he took knives. I had a tape recording of him saying I wonder if this is going to hurt. And it sounded like a saw in the background. But he cut his own arm and neck trying to kill himself. In August 1998, seven days before my birthday, he's running around screaming, I'm not going back to prison. I'm not going back to prison. So he knew he was about to die. He knew his death was coming close.
[81:11]
Courtney Brown
It's unclear what led to Robert Brasher's mental decline. For years, raping and murdering women never seemed to bother him. But by 1999, he likely thought the walls were closing in. Which brings us to January 13, 1999. That morning, police officers noticed a stolen vehicle parked at the Super 8 Motel in Kennett, Missouri. After speaking with the hotel staff, they learned that Robert had arrived in the vehicle vehicle with his family just days earlier. So they knocked on his hotel door hoping to speak with him. However, when Robert saw the police outside, he quickly grabbed his loaded gun and hid under the bed of the hotel room. Now at first, Robert's wife Rose told the officers that he wasn't there. But evidently Robert wasn't too good at hiding because the officers could see him under the bed. They announced themselves and told Robert to come out, out. But he didn't listen. He lifted the gun to his head and threatened to blow his brains out if they didn't leave. Now that alone is traumatizing for everyone involved. But in this case, remember, Robert's four children were inside the room trapped alongside him. The police knew that this was a hostage situation so they backed out and called the hotel room's phone to speak with Robert. For the next four hours, Robert held his family hostage inside the room. He repeatedly told the officers that he was going to shoot himself. Police tried to negotiate with him over the phone, desperately trying to de escalate the situation. A man who thinks he has lost everything is capable of doing the unthinkable. And police were terrified that he was going to kill his family. So they negotiated with him, trying to convince him to send his family out. And eventually, somehow he let them leave the room. By then it was 4am and without his family by his side, Robert came completely unglued. Maybe in his paranoid state, he thought the cops weren't there for the stolen vehicle. Maybe he thought that his rapes and murders had finally caught up to him. And instead of facing the consequences, he decided to take his own life. While underneath the bed of the hotel room, Robert Brashers held a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. From outside, the police heard a single gunshot and rushed in. He was found on the floor with a single gunshot wound to his head. But he was still alive. They rushed him to the nearby hospital where he remained alive for six days. However, on January 19, 1999, he was finally pronounced dead, taking all of his crimes with him to the grave. And the weapon he did it with was none other than his.380. The same gun he used to kill Amy Ayers. The same gun he had his father allegedly get back for him. Throughout the years, that gun had been special to Robert. He had used that gun to take a number of lives. He used it to force girls into submission so he could do whatever he wanted with them. And in his final act, he used it to take his own life.
[84:06]
Colin Brown
After Robert put that bullet in his head, his body sat in the ground for years and years. To anyone who looked into him, they'd definitely see a troubled past. But they would have had no idea that he was a sadistic serial killer. In fact, the only violent crime he'd ever been convicted of was the attempted murder of Michelle Wilkerson in 1985. And it wouldn't be until 2018, 18 years after his death, that the truth would finally start to unravel. By then, 28 year old Jenny Zatricki had been dead for as long as she had been alive. In 1990, when her body was found floating in the bathtub of her Greenville, South Carolina apartment, no one had any idea who was responsible. Investigators had followed different leads over the years, but they never brought them to any good suspects. And that's because Jenny was raped and murdered by a complete stranger. Robert Brashers had no connection to her whatsoever Other than working as a maintenance man at the apartment complex. The two never had a relationship. He simply saw her one day and decided to break into her apartment.
[85:11]
Courtney Brown
But one promising thing about Jenny's case was that they did have a DNA profile of the man who killed her. And in 2018, through advancements in DNA technology, they learned that the same man who killed Jenny was also linked to a number of other crimes around the United States. The exact same DNA found at Jenny's crime scene was also found in the rape kit of that 14 year old girl in Memphis, Tennessee, which was finally tested after sitting in an evidence locker for decades. Robert's DNA was also at the Attempted home invasion in Dyers County, Tennessee. And finally in the murders of the mother and daughter Sherry and Megan Sharer in Portageville, Missouri. Now, at the time, investigators still didn't have a name attached to the DNA. They just had one profile linked to all these different crimes. An unidentified serial killer. So with all of the DNA found at all the different crime scenes, investigators in Missouri, Tennessee and South Carolina collaborated with Parabon Labs to develop a genealogical profile of their suspect.
[86:14]
Colin Brown
A genealogist named C.C. moore built a family tree from the man's DNA sample and looked for people who shared significant amounts of his DNA. And soon enough, she came across his biological daughter, Debra. In 2018, Debra was in her late 20s, and as we've mentioned throughout this episode, she had no idea about her father's past. In fact, she didn't even know about the attempted murder he was convicted of in 1985. But now detectives were knocking on her door, telling her that her father was a suspected serial killer. At that moment, she recalled feeling horrified, but at the same time, finally feeling like she had some answers. I knew something was wrong with him. Mentally, it surprised me a whole, whole lot. But it answered a lot of questions. At the same time, it answered a lot of questions about what was wrong with him, what would make him kill himself. Soon after, on September 27, 2018, Robert Brasher's body was exhumed. His DNA was taken and put into CODIS. And sure enough, it was a match to the four different crime scenes. After decades, the man who killed Jenny Zatricky and Sherry and Megan Sharer had a name. Robert Eugene Brashers.
[87:27]
Family Member / News Reporter
Good evening.
[87:28]
Colin Brown
A cold case crack. Decades after a woman was found murdered in Greenville County.
[87:33]
Ad Host 1
We first brought you.
[87:34]
Colin Brown
This is breaking news. Last night here on seven News at ten, Jenny Zitricki was strangled and raped inside her own apartment.
[87:42]
Family Member / News Reporter
And for 28 years, her killer has never been named.
[87:45]
Courtney Brown
Until today.
[87:47]
Colin Brown
In October 2018, Jenny's brother Philip spoke about her life before she was murdered. No one wanted to give Robert a second thought. Instead, Philip wanted Jenny to be remembered for her Life.
[87:59]
Law Enforcement Official / Family Member
It's been 28 years since Jenny was taken from us. The intervening years have brought painful sorrow of loss and the longing for what could have been. But we do well to remember her in life. She was a force of nature, a firecracker, a bundle of infectious energy, an intelligent, vibrant, caring human being. All whose lives she touched near and far, then and now should
[88:40]
Colin Brown
not as she left, but as she lived. Investigators in Portageville were also so relieved to finally have answers on the crime that had haunted them for years.
[88:52]
Law Enforcement Official / Family Member
Good morning. I'd like to thank each and every one of you for attending this today. On March 28, 1998, New Madre county witnessed one of the most heinous crimes ever in the history of this county. That was the murder of Megan and Sherry shear in rural portageville. We activated our major case squad immediately. And through diligence, through hard work and tenacity, we have finally solved this case. We've traveled all the way across the United States, done countless interviews, search warrants, DNA tests, and we finally identified the killer. We have positively identified one Robert brasher out of perigord, Arkansas, who took his own life in kennett, Missouri in January of 1999. Make no mistake about this, gentlemen. He is a serial rapist and a serial killer.
[90:04]
Colin Brown
Finally, the world knew the truth about this monster who had lurked in the shadows for so long. But even then, they still didn't know the full extent of his crimes. There were still five of Robert's victims whose cases were unsolved. Jennifer, Sarah, Eliza and Amy from the austin yogurt shop murders and the murder of Linda rutledge in lexington, kentucky. But those discoveries were right around the corner.
[90:29]
Courtney Brown
In 2025, it had been 34 years since the austin yogurt shop murders, and the austin police department had a fresh set of eyes looking at the case. The lead investigator was detective Daniel jackson. After decades with no answers, he went back to the drawing board, looking at all the physical evidence, specifically that.380 shell casing found in the drain inside the yogurt shop. Now, as we mentioned in our last episode, bullet casings have what is called a ballistic fingerprint, which are microscopic scratches left behind that are specific to each gun. And the atf has this database where police departments can upload ballistic fingerprints to see if certain guns have been used in other crime scenes around the U. S. Now, the.380 shell casing found at the yogurt shop had been submitted to the database in 1997 and again in 2007. However, there was never a match. But in 2025, it had been nearly 20 years since the last admission, and the database had expanded since then. So detective Jackson thought, why not try it again? He later told forensic magazine, quote, I don't know what made me go down that rabbit hole that morning, but I did, and I'm glad I did. End quote. Once again, he uploaded the page. Ballistic fingerprint of the 380 shell casing found in the yogurt shop. He hoped that maybe he would get a match or at the very least, get some more information. But nothing could have prepared him for the email he got just hours later. After over three decades, the Austin police department was going to get their first actual clue leading to the real killer. Because when Jackson opened that email, he discovered that the.380 casing found in the yogurt shop had the exact same ballistic fingerprint as the casing found in the murder of Linda Rutledge in Kentucky. Two crimes over a thousand miles away from one another using the exact same firearm. This finding was huge. So immediately, Detective Jackson connected with investigators in Kentucky, and they started comparing evidence. Now, in both of these murders, they only had a partial DNA profile of the killer. But from there, they put those profiles together, and they started reaching out to crime labs across the country, seeing if anyone in their system matched this partial DNA profile. And in August of 2025, they had their second big break. A crime lab in South Carolina found a match. The male DNA found at the yogurt shop matched the DNA found at Jenny Satriki's crime scene in South Carolina. And Jenny's murder had already been solved years prior. So it was at that very moment when investigators in Austin finally saw the name of the man responsible, Robert Eugene Brashers. Soon after that, investigators were able to compare Roberts DNA against the DNA at the yogurt shop, Specifically the DNA found under Amy Ayer's fingernails. And of course, it was a match. Finally, after 34 years, Jennifer, Sarah, Eliza, and Amy had justice.
[93:28]
Colin Brown
I can't even imagine what it was like inside the Austin police department that day. This was a crime that had followed this town for years. It had haunted the police department. It was even the first episode of Courtney and I's show. And even though the department had made their mistakes over the years, it was very clear that the Austin PD was desperate to solve these murders. And finally, the day had come. Detective Jackson would later say in the HBO documentary the Yogurt Shop murders. This is something that could not have happened before 2025. And I'm sorry that it took us 34 years to get here, but we're here now. And Amy's final moments on this earth were to solve this case for us. It's because of her fighting back. Now, it would take a couple of months for Linda Rutledge to get justice. But finally, on January 7, 2026, the DNA at her crime scene was also officially matched to Robert Rasher's as well, making her his eighth confirmed murder victim.
[94:28]
Courtney Brown
Guys, for nearly three decades, a Lexington family has been asking one question.
[94:32]
Colin Brown
Who killed Linda Rutledge?
[94:34]
Courtney Brown
Now they have an answer.
[94:35]
Colin Brown
But that answer comes with unsettling information about her killer.
[94:39]
Courtney Brown
For 27 years, her killer remained unknown. Linda's mother told us that she hoped that it was no one that knew her, because how could someone that knew her and loved her do that to her? These answers didn't just provide relief for the victims families and the communities that Robert tormented, but it also brought relief for the people who were blamed for these murders over the years. In the case of Michael Scott, Forest Welborn, Maurice Pierce and and Robert Springsteen, they were ostracized for decades after the yogurt shot murders. Even after it was proven that their DNA did not match the killer, people still looked at them differently. They faced years of public scrutiny. Their reputations had been destroyed, their relationships were affected. And on top of everything, up until this point, they had lived with the constant fear that they could one day be retried for a crime they did not commit. At one point, Marie's peers stated that he would rather be dead than have to deal with this. And tragically, he never escaped that burden as he was fatally shot by police before his name was officially cleared. But finally, on February 26, 2026, Judge Dana Blazey formally exonerated Michael Scott, Forrest Welborn, Maurice Pierce and Robert Springsteen in court, Michael Scott issued a statement on how the case affected his life.
[96:03]
Michael Scott
Today, more than 26 years later, modern forensic science again conclusively confirms that I have always. What? I have always maintained I had nothing to do with these crimes. The evidence identifies Robert Eugene Brashear, a known serial killer, and is the sole person responsible. He is someone I've never met. I lost my family, lost my youth, lost my early adulthood. My daughter was just three years old. Years old when I was arrested. I had just so. We had just celebrated our first wedding anniversary. I lost the chance to build a life with my family. When I was finally released. That the relationship I once had with my. My wife just wasn't there. That ultimately led to. Through our divorce. For decades, I have carried the burden of wrongful conviction. Every day I have carried the weight of a crime I did not commit. No court ruling can return the years and the love that were taken from me. But it can acknowledge the truth. I am not guilty.
[97:46]
Colin Brown
On May 13, 2026, the City of Austin agreed to pay the four wrongly convicted men $35 million in compensation. Austin City Manager T.C. broadnack stated that the settlement was the final chapter of a devastating story. In Austin's history. I hope that this settlement brings a sense of closure to everyone affected by this horrific event. Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen are set to receive $9.8 million. Maurice Pierce's family will receive 10 million, and Forrest Welborne will receive 4.8 million. It's the most money that's ever been awarded to someone in Austin's history.
[98:23]
Courtney Brown
But to wrap this story up, we want to focus on the people most affected by these tragedies, the victims families. Throughout the research of this case, all of the family stories stuck with us. But the one that remained at the top of my mind, mainly because of how outspoken she's been about her experience. Experience is Sonora Thomas, the sister of Eliza Thomas. In the aftermath, she became the caretaker for her grieving mother. She was left alone in the agony of the loss of her sister. And in spite of it, she built a very beautiful life for herself. Sonora became a therapist, developed her own practice, and became the type of person she needed when she was younger. But through it all, she never forgot her big sister, the girl she looked up to, the girl who, tragically, she never got to grow old with. Here she is expressing her thanks to all the investigators for finally closing the case and explaining the depth of the loss. All of the families have felt a
[99:21]
Family Member / News Reporter
million kindnesses that have been extended to me and my family have gotten us to this moment.
[99:33]
Deborah Brashers
Some of us.
[99:36]
Family Member / News Reporter
I think of my mom today, and I wish she were here. Our reality doesn't change after today. Our families are still too small, still missing an essential ingredient, and we are lesser for it. We have been robbed of a life with nieces and nephews and grandchildren and with sisters to grow old with.
[100:08]
Courtney Brown
Sonora lost a sister and an idol. Barbara Harbison lost her world. Her two daughters, Sarah and Jennifer. And yet in her speech to the media regarding the case, all she had to talk about was her gratitude and her love of her girls and the officers who. Who never forgot them.
[100:25]
Family Member / News Reporter
I'm really excited about being here. It's been a crazy couple of days, and I just really came here to say, full of gratitude. It has been so long, and all we ever wanted for this case was the truth. We never wanted anyone to go to jail or be charged with anything that they did not do. Vengeance was never it. It was always the truth. And I'm here to really talk about the police department and how involved and supportive they have been from the very beginning. We have Mike Huckabee, and please keep him in your prayers. His health is bad, and him and John Jones. They were the first people that we fell in love with on the force because they told us about what had happened. And starting with those guys 34 years ago, they were been in our lives and our families all of this time. And every, every officer that I see in Austin that has been there for us and loved us and what they have done. People don't understand how hard they work. Everybody is concerned for the solving of the case. Everybody was concerned about all of us here because they know the tragedy was so painful and continues to be. But I really just came to say thank you for the Austin police department and all the love and support that you have given us over these 34 years. And I thank you for that.
[101:59]
Colin Brown
Then there's Shawn, the older brother of Amy, who fought alongside his wife Angie for justice for her.
[102:05]
Law Enforcement Official / Family Member
Thank you to every law enforcement officer from multiple local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Thank you to all the labs and their employees. Thank you to all the experts that
[102:18]
Colin Brown
had a hand in this.
[102:20]
Law Enforcement Official / Family Member
The result you see today is when you have an army of people working together to reach a common goal, not for themselves, but for the victims and their families. Thank you to all of you this day. I was never sure what's going to get here. This chapter will close soon, but we're just getting started. You will see.
[102:44]
Courtney Brown
And that is where the story stands today. And to tell you the truth, it doesn't even feel real. Giving you this update. I remember me and Colin were talking over dinner one night years ago, and he asked me, if you could have one mystery solved, what would it be? And my answer was this. The yogurt shop murders. I'm so relieved that not only did their family families have answers, but so do the families of eight other victims. And I think if this story tells us anything, it's that both true evil and true unconditional love exist in the world at depths that are hard to comprehend. Robert Brashers was a sadistic predator who never had to pay for his crimes. He drifted around the United States, killing at random, taking what he pleased without any regard for anyone but himself. He murdered eight women and young girls, raped, assaulted and traumatized several others who survived his attacks. And no one had any idea it was him until nearly two decades after his death. That's where we see the true evil of humanity. But on the other hand, we see the true unconditional love. The families of Robert's victims never stopped fighting. They pushed for the answers. The billboards, the justice. They badgered police departments, urged them to try new technology and kept in relentless contact with the officers on the case. In the end, it paid off. And though the yogurt shop murders have been solved, the families of the victimsspecifically, Sean and Angie Ayers aren't done because they want a question answered. How many other victims did Robert Brashers have? Crime scenes where he used to used different guns? Or scenes where he didn't leave his DNA behind at all? Robert's own daughter, Deborah, believes that there is more to her father's story. She said, quote, there's no telling where it's going to end up. And that's the scary part, end quote. And as horrifying as that is, I think we can find hope in the fact that with each and every year, it's getting harder and harder to get away with these violent crimes. And with advancements in technology, monsters like Robert Brasher's won't be able to stay in the shadows forever.
[104:54]
Colin Brown
The yogurt shop murders will always be part of Austin's history. The pain from that night and its aftermath will never go away. But with the knowledge we have now, we can share some peace. God bless Amy, Jennifer, Sarah, and Eliza. They will always be a part of our city's identity. God bless their families, and God bless Austin. For today's episode, we'll be making a donation to Justice Drive, which is dedicated to helping law enforcement agencies, victim advocates and concerned citizens raise funds to advance criminal investigations. Hey everybody, Colin here. Thank you so much for listening to today's episode of Murder in America. And wow, this is definitely a full circle moment. The Austin yogurt shop murders was the case that Courtney and I decided to tackle for our very first episode of the show. And back when we started the show in 2021, there were no leads, there was no movement in the investigation at that point. This was just an unsolved mystery that we all thought would probably remain an unsolved mystery forever. However, we're so incredibly happy that this thing was finally solved and it's a great feeling to know that justice was finally served in its own way 30 plus years later. If you guys want to help support the show, don't forget to leave us a five star review wherever you listen to this podcast, whether it's Apple podcast, podcasts, Spotify, or somewhere else. And don't forget to follow us on Instagram Murder in America to see photos from every case that we cover here on the show. Anyways, y', all, thank you so much for listening. This was a very full circle episode for Courtney and I both to record. If you're listening on Friday, we hope you guys have a great weekend. Thank you all for tuning in, and I'll catch you all in the next one.

Summary8 min read

Murder In America – EP. 253: TEXAS: AUSTIN YOGURT SHOP MURDERS PART 2: THE MONSTER IN PLAIN SIGHT

Podcast Date: July 31, 2026
Hosts: Courtney Shannon & Colin Browen
Topic: The full revelation of serial killer Robert Brashers as the Austin Yogurt Shop Murders perpetrator, his life and crimes, and the long road to justice for his victims and the wrongfully convicted.

Overview

This episode concludes the chilling saga of the Austin Yogurt Shop Murders by unveiling the shocking identity of their perpetrator: Robert Eugene Brashers, a serial killer who haunted the American South for two decades, drifting from state to state attacking and killing women and girls. Courtney and Colin trace Brashers’ life, criminal trajectory, and ultimate identification through modern DNA technology—finally providing justice to his numerous victims and freeing those wrongfully accused of the infamous 1991 Austin crime.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Who Was Robert Eugene Brashers?

Early Life: Born 1958; grew up in a successful, well-off family in Virginia and Alabama. No overt signs of abuse or dysfunction. (01:57–05:00)
Military Service & Discharge: Joined the Navy in 1976; discharged after 10 months for “inadequate personality disorder.” Sudden loss of motivation and trouble adjusting (06:39).
Initial Criminal Activity: Started with minor offenses but began using aliases and drifting post-Navy (08:37–12:00).
Early Violence & Evasion: May have committed early violent crimes; in 1980, published fake obituaries to "disappear," possibly evading law enforcement after the murder of Patricia Pilgreen Schultz (10:29–13:00).

2. Escalation to Violence

Michelle Wilkerson Attack (1985, Florida): Picked up Michelle, shot her three times after she refused his advances; she survived and described him perfectly (16:05–24:09).
- Notable Quote (18:29):
  Robert to Michelle: “I'm the devil and I've come here to kill you.”
- Michelle’s survival and incredible escape detailed.
Minimal Consequences: Sentenced to 12 years, served only 3.5, released for “good behavior”; this enabled a further crime spree (24:09–27:59).
- “Had Robert been sentenced accordingly, at least eight women and likely more would still be alive today.” (24:09)

3. Pattern of Serial Offenses

Genevieve “Jenny” Zatricki (1990, South Carolina): Brashers raped and murdered Jenny in her apartment while working as a maintenance man. Staged the scene to implicate someone else. Her body was found in the bathtub, posed, with misleading evidence ("Don't fuck with my family" written on the mirror) (29:06–33:07).
Mother & Daughter Double Homicide (1998, Missouri): Sherry and Megan Sharer (12). Robert gained entry using a ruse, shot both, posed the daughter’s body for “shock value.” Escaped and struck again the same day in neighboring Tennessee (64:22–67:42).
Home Invasion & Assault (1997, Memphis): Broke in under false pretenses, tied up four females, sexually assaulted the 14-year-old; rape kit sat untested for 20 years (61:31–64:22).
Attack in Dyer County, Tennessee (“Mr. Maroon”): Attempted home invasion, shot homeowner in the arm as she thwarted him. Ballistics later linked gun to Missouri murders (69:25–73:09).
Paragould, Arkansas (1998): Arrested trying to break into the home of a woman he knew, with a "kill kit" including rope, a gun, and a camera (73:10–75:09).

4. Infamous Austin Yogurt Shop Murders (1991, Texas)

Crime Details:
- Four girls (Jennifer & Sarah Harbison, Eliza Thomas, Amy Ayers) raped, killed, and set on fire.
- Brashers acted alone; may have gained entry by propping open the back door, using lock-picking skills, or tricking the girls (41:37–43:32).
Brutality of the Attack: Victims stripped, bound with underwear, gagged, sexually assaulted for ~40 minutes; three shot execution-style, Amy fought back and was shot twice (44:03–46:40).
- Notable Quote (Courtney, 44:03):
  “After taking the money, Robert pointed the gun at the girls and forced them into the back room... Using their own bras, Robert tied the girl's hands behind their backs.... he began sexually assaulting them... It's believed the sexual assaults went on for 40 or so minutes.”
Investigation Fumbles: Not initially linked to Brashers due to lack of evident connection; murder weapon actually seized (and returned) during unrelated arrest soon after (51:01–56:29).

5. His Double Life and Family

Daughter Deborah’s Testimony: Remembered Brashers as a loving father who was present but noted darkness and violence in the home (58:40–60:23).
- Deborah Brashers (58:40):
  "He took my sister's canoeing, he took us camping before... We've done a lot of things with him that I'd never done with anybody else."
Hidden Abuse: Domestic violence and unpredictable rages, but still maintained a “family man” facade (60:05–60:23).

6. Demise and Aftermath

Brake-Down (1998-1999): Increasing paranoia, mental deterioration, attempted suicide, ultimately took his own life during a standoff with police (81:10–84:06).
- Deborah Brashers describing his decline (79:59): “He took knives. I had a tape recording of him saying, ‘I wonder if this is going to hurt.’ And it sounded like a saw in the background. But he cut his own arm and neck trying to kill himself.”
Death Not the End: Only known conviction: 1985 attempted murder.

7. Justice Through Science & Exoneration

Breakthrough via Family DNA:
- 2018: Cold-case investigators use Parabon Labs to build a genealogical tree; match to Brashers via his daughter's DNA (86:14–87:27).
- Brashers’ body exhumed; DNA confirmed at multiple crime scenes (Jenny Zitricki in SC, Memphis home invasion, Sharer murders in MO, Dyer County attack in TN) (87:27–88:51).
Yogurt Shop Murders Solved:
- In 2025, ballistic fingerprints matched .380 shell casing in Austin to casing in KY murder.
- DNA from Yogurt Shop under Amy’s fingernails matched Brashers (90:28–93:28).
- Finally, justice for the four girls after 34 years.
Detective Dan Jackson: “This is something that could not have happened before 2025. And I’m sorry it took 34 years to get here, but we’re here now. And Amy’s final moments on this earth... solved this case for us. It’s because of her fighting back.” (93:28)
Exoneration of Wrongly Accused:
- Four men (Michael Scott, Forrest Welborn, Maurice Pierce, Robert Springsteen) exonerated on Feb 26, 2026.
- Michael Scott’s Statement (96:03):
  “Every day I have carried the weight of a crime I did not commit. No court ruling can return the years and the love that were taken from me. But it can acknowledge the truth. I am not guilty.”
- Austin settles for $35 million with the exonerated and their families (97:45).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Survivor’s Willpower:
- Sergeant Mike Kramer on Michelle Wilkerson (22:26):
  “She seemed to have a very strong will to live.”
On Serial Killer Psychology:
- Austin attorney Mindy Montford (36:26):
  “When you see it on paper, you think, wow, he was in this state one day and then the next state. But really... he was able to just hop a couple hours away, and that was by design. Robert was sadly pretty smart about his crimes.”
Law Enforcement Reflection on Breadth of Crimes (72:41):
- “I made the statement then. This guy is a Serial killer, make no doubt about it. And we felt confident that there would be more victims... I think there’ll still be more.”
Family Members on Loss and Gratitude:
- Sonora Thomas (98:23):
  “Our reality doesn’t change after today. Our families are still too small, still missing an essential ingredient, and we are lesser for it.”
- Barbara Harbison (100:24):
  “All we ever wanted for this case was the truth. We never wanted anyone to go to jail or be charged with anything that they did not do. Vengeance was never it. It was always the truth.”
On the Role of Advancing Technology:
- Colin Browen (104:53):
  “...with each and every year, it’s getting harder and harder to get away with these violent crimes. And with advancements in technology, monsters like Robert Brashers won’t be able to stay in the shadows forever.”

Timeline of Key Events (Timestamps)

Early Life & Navy discharge: 01:57–08:37
First suspected murder (Pilgreen Schultz): 10:29–13:00
Michelle Wilkerson attack (FL): 16:05–24:09
Jenny Zatricki murder (SC): 29:06–33:07
Austin Yogurt Shop Murders: 41:37–49:28
Border Patrol Arrest after Yogurt Shop Murders: 51:01–56:29
Family account/Deborah speaks: 58:40–60:23
Memphis home invasion & rape kit: 61:31–64:22
Sharer double murder (MO/TN): 64:22–69:25
Dyer County attempted murder (“Mr. Maroon”): 69:25–73:09
Paragould “kill kit” arrest: 73:10–75:09
Linda Rutledge murder: 78:10–79:59
Suicide and aftermath: 81:10–84:06
Genealogical DNA break: 86:14–87:27
Yogurt Shop Murders—DNA/ballistics solved: 90:28–93:28
Exoneration of the four men: 94:27–97:45
City settlement: 97:45–98:23
Family reflections and the importance of answers: 98:23–103:00
Final reflections & hope with new technology: 104:53+

Thematic Highlights

Interwoven Evils and Failures

Systemic Gaps: Serial predators can blend in; minimal sentencing, overlooked clues.
Justice Delayed: Decades lost for both victims’ families and the wrongfully convicted.
Triumph of Science & Persistence: New DNA methods, genealogical research, and persistent advocacy close coldest of cases.

Duality of Human Nature

Courtney Brown (102:43):
“If this story tells us anything, it’s that both true evil and true unconditional love exist in the world at depths that are hard to comprehend.”

Legacy & Ongoing Questions

Unknown Victims: How many more crimes tied to Brashers? Daughter Deborah’s haunting conclusion:
- “There’s no telling where it’s going to end up. And that’s the scary part.” (103:00)

Summary Table of Confirmed Victims

| Name | Year | Location | Details | |-------------------------|---------|-------------------|-----------------------| | Michelle Wilkerson* | 1985 | Ft. Pierce, FL | Shot, survived | | Jenny Zatricki | 1990 | Greenville, SC | Rape, murder, posed | | Jennifer Harbison | 1991 | Austin, TX | Yogurt Shop murder | | Sarah Harbison | 1991 | Austin, TX | Yogurt Shop murder | | Eliza Thomas | 1991 | Austin, TX | Yogurt Shop murder | | Amy Ayers | 1991 | Austin, TX | Yogurt Shop murder | | Sherry Sharer | 1998 | Portageville, MO | Shot, posed | | Megan Sharer | 1998 | Portageville, MO | Raped, murdered, posed| | Linda Rutledge | 1998 | Lexington, KY | Rape, murder, arson |

(*Michelle survived; others are confirmed murder victims)

Takeaways & Reflection

Robert Brashers hid in plain sight, drifting across America in search of victims, evading justice for decades while living a double life as a “family man.”
The pain and trauma extended far beyond the direct victims—entire families, whole communities, even innocent men were ensnared in the wake of his crimes.
Persistent advocacy by victims’ families, committed law enforcement, and advancements in science finally won out—proving that even old evil can’t escape the light of new truth.

For photos and more on this (and other cases), follow @murderinamerica on Instagram.

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Transcript88 lines

[00:00]
Courtney Brown
This episode is brought to you by Facebook. So you were scrolling on Marketplace and there it was, the bike you'd been searching for. You sent a message and it turned out the seller was super chatty, kind of funny, and an avid cyclist. The next thing you know, you're in a cycling crew. Well, a community cycling group. The thing about Facebook, you might find more than what you're looking for.
[00:25]
Colin Brown
From a browse to a bike ride this summer.
[00:27]
Courtney Brown
Find more on Facebook.
[00:31]
Colin Brown
Warning. The following podcast is not suitable for all audiences. We go into great detail with every case that we cover and do our best to bring viewers even deeper into the stories by utilizing disturbing audio and sound effects.
[00:43]
Courtney Brown
Trigger warnings from the stories we cover may include violence, rape, murder, and offenses against children.
[00:49]
Colin Brown
This podcast is not for everyone. You have been warned.
[00:54]
Courtney Brown
In last week's episode, we told you the story of the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders, where four four teenage girls were brutally raped, murdered, and set on fire inside a yogurt shop in Austin, Texas. Early on in the investigation, four men were suspected in the crime. Two were even convicted. But after serving nearly 10 years in prison, DNA evidence would exonerate them. And sadly, after that, the case went cold. The families of Jennifer, Sarah, Eliza, and Amy were devastated. Aside from having their daughters back, all they wanted were answers. And for 34 years, they had none. That is, until the year 2025. With advancements in DNA technology, investigators in Austin, Texas, finally found the man responsible. A man who would drift through the United States, raping and killing women and girls any chance he got. So this is the story of serial killer Robert Brashers. I'm Courtney Brown.
[01:52]
Colin Brown
And I'm Colin Brown, and you're listening
[01:54]
Courtney Brown
to Murder in America.
[01:57]
Colin Brown
When Robert Eugene Brashers was born on March 13, 1958, he was the answer to a lot of prayers made by his parents, Doulas and Nellie Brashers. The couple had married ten years earlier in Newport News, Virginia, and in that decade had had three children, Doulas Jr, Gary, and their only girl, a daughter named Deborah. But tragically, in 1954, Deborah died of an illness at just 16 months old. Four years later, Robert came into the world as their miracle baby and their final child. By all accounts, the couple was successful and well to do, and they took good care of their children, at least from the outside. Robert's father was a design engineer specializing in fluid dynamics. At the time of Robert's birth, he was working in the Newport News Naval Shipyard, helping develop the USS Enterprise, the world's first nuclear powered aircraft carrier. The family wasn't struggling when it came to finances and their patriarch was both intelligent and well respected. So much so that in 1963 he was hired by NASA. The family then relocated from Newport News to Huntsville, Alabama where Robert and his siblings spent the majority of their childhood. Now we know the family was well off, but what we don't know exactly is what life was like inside the home. Both Dulas Sr. And Robert's mother Nellie seemed heavily involved in the kids lives and activities. Dulas was frequently listed in the local paper as his son's little league and basketball coach. But that doesn't necessarily mean their home was absent of any issues. Whether Robert and his siblings youth was riddled with abuse and neglect is unknown. He could have had a perfectly normal upbringing. Both of his parents maintained jobs, his dad at NASA and his mother at a local department store. And neither of them was ever arrested or mentioned in local papers for any legal discrepancies of any kind. Looking at the evidence we have, there's really nothing that points to a deeply troubled upbringing. We also know that Robert had no juvenile record. And although he later admitted to experimenting with marijuana, there's no known history of severe substance abuse, documented mental health problems, or anything that would lead us to believe he'd one day be a murderer.
[04:08]
Courtney Brown
From everything we could find, Robert appeared to be a normal and intelligent young man. He attended S.R. butler High School during his sophomore and junior years in Huntsville and participated in the jrotc, a military program that is supposed to instill discipline and leadership skills. And by all accounts, Robert seemed to have had that. Living in Alabama in his early teens he managed three jobs. One was at a place called Manpower, the other was a local pizza restaurant and then finally at a store that sold CB radios. At school he consistently got good grades and was even on track to graduate from Butler High early. But the summer after his junior year of high school, his father got a job in South Bend, Indiana. So the family moved over 500 miles north and settled into a home there instead of graduate graduating from school in Huntsville where Robert had spent the majority of his adolescent years. He graduated from John Adams High School instead in December of 1975. And while living there, he experienced his first run ins with the law. A simple parking ticket in South Bend and a speeding ticket in nearby Niles, Michigan. Again, nothing that screamed dysfunction or trouble.
[05:19]
Colin Brown
After graduating, it seemed that Robert knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life. Joined the US Navy just three months after getting his diploma on March 31, 1976. He enlisted in El Paso, Texas and initially the Navy was thrilled to have him on board. Based on his mental and aptitude test scores, he was listed as an above average recruit. Typically, recruits of his standing are urged towards specialized jobs in the Navy, like roles in intelligence, aviation or advanced engineering. And it seems that Robert was pointed towards aviation, enrolling as an aviation recruit at a training facility in Memphis, Tennessee in May of 1976. Two months later, in July, he was bumped up from aviation recruit to aviation apprentice, signifying that he had completed the necessary training and was on the right path. But then in August, something odd happened. He enrolled in a basic course focused on electronics and just eight days later he dropped out. The once starry eyed 18 year old seemed to have lost interest. Now there isn't a lot of information about why he didn't want to do it anymore. But the US Navy noted in his paperwork that he expressed a lack of motivation. As a result of his disinterest in his classes and furthering his career in the aviation field, he was transferred to serve on the USS Lexington in Pensacola, Florida.
[06:40]
Courtney Brown
Within a few short months, Robert had moved from Indiana to Texas to Tennessee and then Florida. Perhaps the constant moving around was too much for him. Or maybe he just didn't have what it took to be in the Navy. Whatever it was, Robert started talking to the people around him about how he needed to get out. He complained about suffering from acid reflux. He started to feel depressed, so much so that he set up an appointment with a military psychiatrist. After his first session, the psychiatrist sent a note to Robert's superiors diagnosing him with, quote, inadequate personality disorder. Now that diagnosis and term aren't ones that are used today. In fact, it hasn't been listed in the DSM since the early 70s. In the DSM 2 published in 1964, inadequate personality disorder was characterized as follows, quote, displays inadequate responses to intellectual, social, emotional and physical demands coupled with inflexibility, ineptness, poor judgment, lack of stamina and social incompatibility. The diagnosis and other personality disorder diagnosis were frequently used in the Navy in order to discharge members who didn't succeed or those who were struggling to fit in with others and do what was expected of them. In other words, it was kind of a catch all diagnosis. One that said, this isn't working out for us or for you. But as a result of his alleged inadequate personality disorder, on November 10, the psychiatrist actually recommended administrative separation for Robert, which is when a service member is discharged before their contract ends. In that recommendation letter, the psychiatrist Wrote, it is felt that his problems will not resolve themselves with time. And at the time, they couldn't possibly have understood the depth of those problems or what they would one day evolve into.
[08:37]
Colin Brown
Exactly one month later, on December 10, 1976, Robert was honorably discharged from the Navy. He was required to sign his discharge paperwork signifying that he agreed with statements made by his psychiatrist and his superiors, which included the statement not eligible for reenlistment due to unsuitability. And with that, Robert's 10 month military career came to an end. Now, as we've mentioned, there's a lot of mystery surrounding Robert's life. But since his name has come into the media, there's an investigative reporter who's worked tirelessly to uncover his past. Her name is Kathy Sweeney. And she actually spoke with Robert's family members who provided valuable insight into where Robert lived and what he was doing. They stated that after leaving the US Navy, Robert had a hard time finding his footing. First, he moved back to the place he grew up, Huntsville, Alabama, where he got a job as a bartender at a place called TP Krockmeyers. From there, he eventually moved to Louisiana sometime in the late 70s where he worked on an oil rig. Where he lived in Louisiana or what rig he was working on, no one seems to know. But by the early 80s, he settled down in New Orleans.
[09:46]
Courtney Brown
Now, because he moved around a lot during this time, it's unclear exactly what he was up to. But what we do know is that he was a young man with worsening mental health issues that weren't being treated. There are several law enforcement officials who believe that it's during these years that he started to dabble in criminal activity. Though the full extent of his actions or who he may have targeted has never been proven. Here's Detective Dan Jackson, the lead investigator of the yogurt shop murders, talking with reporter Kathy Sweeney.
[10:17]
Colin Brown
Because we have large gaps in his history of where he was, certain periods, but what we do know is he was always offending when he wasn't in prison. So we, I mean, I'm certain there's more crimes out there we just haven't found yet.
[10:29]
Courtney Brown
Police also haven't found what they believe to be Robert's first violent crime. But looking back, it seems likely that it was prior to 1980, because on November 3, 1980, Robert published an obituary for himself in two newspapers. One in New Orleans, where Robert had been living, and one in Newport News, Virginia, where he was born, which had law enforcement asking why? Why did Robert want people thinking he was dead? Now, looking back on his life, detectives following this case, question if there was an early rape or murder he was fleeing from in either of those areas. And, well, we couldn't resist looking through old files and newspapers for any unsolved murders near those towns that matched what became Robert's MO Attacks on young women who were found naked, bound with their clothing, and often submerged in water or set on fire in an attempt to conceal evidence. Now, finding cases matching all of those parameters was challenging, but there was one in particular that stood out to us. On August 14, 1980, a farmer near Lyons Point, Louisiana, was walking the irrigation canals around his farmland, checking to see if they required any maintenance, when all of a sudden, he looked down and he saw something that made his blood run cold. Floating in the water, face down, was the body of a young woman. She was nude. He didn't have to check the woman's pulse. He didn't have to try and save her or pull her out of the water. Staring at her in the searing August humidity, it was clear she was long gone. Her body was decaying, swarmed with flies and bugs. Horrified, the farmer ran to his home and called 911 Acadia Parish Sheriff's deputies soon arrived and pulled the woman out of the water so she could be identified and transported for an autopsy. But as they pulled her out, they realized her hands had been bound behind her back, first with a pair of tight handcuffs and then with her own bra. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? All of the girls killed in the yogurt shop murders were also bound with their bras or underwear. That detail is what initially caught our eye. Was this one of Robert Brasher's early victims? Was this the reason why he published his obituary in the paper just two months later?
[12:43]
Colin Brown
When the body was transported to the coroner's office, it was determined that the cause of death was a gunshot wound and that the manor was homicide. Soon, police were able to determine the identity of the victim. 27 year old Patricia Patty Pilgreen Schultz. Patty was born and raised in nearby Opelousas, Louisiana, and got married when she was a junior in high school. Finding any information on her was a struggle. She had at least two kids, and on her tombstone it reads that she had compassion for all. She lived in the same relative area that Robert Brashers is believed to have lived in at the time of her death. And notably, she worked as a security guard for an oil rig when she went missing. If you recall, Robert worked at an oil rig when he moved to Louisiana. So there are multiple Things that line up here. She was tied up using her own bra, thrown into a body of water, and lived and worked in the same environment in the same area as Robert. Now, a 19 year old man was arrested for her murder just four days after her body was found. But after he was taken into custody, the trail went cold. There were no newspaper articles, court records or other details we could find indicating that the man who was arrested was convicted, his record was clean, and the final article regarding both her murder and his arrest, published by the Daily World on August 19, 1980, ends reading. The investigation is continuing and more persons are expected to get picked up for questioning. Now, whether Robert was involved in that murder or not, we obviously can't say. But the fact that it contains all of Robert's hallmarks and took place just months before he placed an obituary in the newspaper makes it all rather suspicious. But the fact of the matter is Robert was very clearly hiding from something. And where he was from 1980 to 1983 is a mystery. Robert became a ghost of his own creation, appearing throughout the Southeast US in random, hard to trace blips. In 1981, when Robert's older brother Gary got married in Newport News, Robert served as his groomsman under his real name, despite having gone to the trouble of putting a fake obituary in the paper A year earlier. And shortly after his brother's wedding, he was in the paper again, this time for his first ever recorded crime. On May 23, 1981, Robert Brashers was arrested in Algiers, New Orleans for simple burglary in an apartment complex. What happened leading up to the arrest or what specifically he was doing, we don't know. The details and police files have been lost to time. However, it is known that at the time he was booked, he was carrying a Texas driver's license with a Texas address, despite his address being listed in New Orleans. To this day, no one knows what his connection to the Texas address is, so you can see where the confusion about his whereabouts and timeline stems from. Robert never stayed put for long and he often went out of his way to cover up his trail because around this same time he began to use aliases. Some of his favorites were Jack McClellan, Thomas Mitchell and Jeremy Taylor, as well as his own brother's name, Gary Brashers, which obviously only makes tracking him harder. There are large pockets of Robert's life where no one knows what he was doing, where he was living, what name he was going by, or what kind of trouble he was getting into.
[16:05]
Courtney Brown
However, at some point in 1984, he turned up in Florida. And just one year later, Robert Brashers committed his first known violent crime. It was just after 1am on November 22, 1985 and for the most part the streets were quiet. After a long night, 25 year old Michelle Wilkerson found herself walking home in Fort Pierce, Florida on US Route 1, right alongside the beach. She could hear the waves crashing in the distance and then the sound of a car creeping towards her. Robert pulled up his truck beside her and asked if she wanted a ride. To Michelle he looked friendly enough. There was nothing to indicate he was dangerous in any way. And after all, she was walking alone. At one in the morning a car seemed safer. So Michelle decided to take him up on the offer. She hopped inside of his pickup truck and told him where she was headed. Just a few miles down the road to her house. It wasn't a far drive, but it certainly was a far walk. And thus began the small talk. Robert introduced himself, but he didn't use his real name. He used his brothers. I'm Gary, he told her. For the first few minutes of the drive, everything seemed normal. Robert had a six pack of Budweiser with him in the front seat. He even offered one to Michelle who thanked him and took a drink. From there the two drove about four miles west of Fort Pierce towards her home. But then the mood in the car started to change. The lights of Fort Pierce started to disappear, replaced by thick lines of orange groves. Michelle must have realized at this point that they weren't going to her house anymore. The air in the truck was heavy, the tension was thick. And slowly it became evident what Robert's plan was. Now, whether he told Michelle he wanted sex or physically showed her has never been revealed. But however he did it, Michelle's answer was the same. A big resounding no. It should have been enough. But Robert wasn't going to take no for an answer. He pulled into the grove, hit him between the trees and parked the car. Then he grabbed Michelle who thrashed against his touch. And then she did something incredible. She slapped Robert across the face. Furious, Robert got out of the car and grabbed her by her hair, dragging her out onto the dirt road. Michelle kicked and screamed the whole way, trying to wrestle out of his grasp. And then Robert said something horrible. Something she already knew.
[18:29]
Colin Brown
I'm the devil and I've come here to kill you.
[18:33]
Courtney Brown
Then he hit her over and over and over again. His fist cracked against her skull. Her eyes, her jaw. Her left eye swelled shut from the severe blows. The world was going blurry her jaw burned like hell. A deep, deep pain that told her something was wrong, out of alignment. But she had no option but to fight. And that's exactly what she did. Michelle kicked and hit Robert back through her pain until finally, Robert had enough. He pulled out a gun and pointed it directly at her face. Then he fired. The pain must have been excruciating, but Michelle didn't stop moving, didn't stop trying to survive. Somehow she managed to get to her feet. She started for the tree line and then felt the whole world crash around her as Robert tackled her, dragging her down into the dirt once more. It was there where he pressed the gun to the right side of her cheek, just below her eye. Michelle was still thrashing, trying to kick him off, but then he squeezed the trigger again. Pain throbbed through her cheek as the bullet sliced through her head, exiting behind her ear in a spray of blood. But she was still alive. And Michelle knew if she didn't get up, she'd be dead soon. So once more, she clawed her way out of his grasp. And when she finally broke free, she began to run like hell. Desperate, Robert fired another shot, this one slicing through her back. But then she was gone, disappeared into the trees, leaving Robert standing there, gun in hand. For Robert, that must have been the moment that the adrenaline, the excitement of his crime, shifted into pure panic. He had just shot a woman three times, and despite being out in the middle of nowhere, someone might have heard. He took off on foot, desperately trying to track down Michelle. But luckily, she was two steps ahead of him. Michelle knew she needed to hide. Through the blood running down her face, she managed to spot a culvert running under the farm road. Thinking quickly, she leapt into the water and mud settled in the ditch, and then she crawled into a round drainpipe, squeezing herself into the filthy opening that was just 18 inches in diameter. Mud and water sloshed around her. Sergeant Mike Kramer told the Stewart News, if she lost consciousness, she would have drowned. End quote. And despite the pain radiating through her, Michelle held on. She lay in that culvert, soaking wet, covered in mud, and listened for her attacker because she knew, just like her, he wasn't going to give up. On the nearby road, Robert started up his car. And then he started doing loops, driving up and down the road with his headlights on, desperately trying to find Michelle. Sergeant Kramer later stated, quote, the evidence indicates he was driving around frantically trying to find her, end quote. And all the while, Michelle was just below him, holding her breath in the culvert, listening to him driving back and forth and back and forth until finally the sound of his engine got further and further away. It was there where Michelle knew she was alone, for better and for worse. So finally she crawled out of the culvert. She knew if she didn't get help, she was going to die, there in the orange grove. So once again, she began to run, stumbling as she made her way towards a building in the distance. It was a tiny mobile home plopped in between the trees. She hoped there would be someone there to help her, but it was pitch black. She staggered through the door to discover it was an office building for the grove, not a home. But there was a telephone. She grabbed it and dialed 911. And with a shaking voice, she told dispatch that she had been kidnapped and beaten. But there was a problem. Michelle had no idea where she was, whether it was the blood loss or the emotional trauma of what she just faced. She couldn't tell the police anything except that she was somewhere west of Fort Pierce, miles away.
[22:26]
Colin Brown
Dispatch worked to trace the call and get to her as fast as possible. There was no time to lose. They knew it and she knew it. So, desperate to help any way she could, she stumbled out of the house and made her way to a farm truck parked out front. To her relief, the keys dangled from the ignition. She turned the keys, praying the engine would start, and as soon as it shuddered awake, she turned on the high beams, using them as a beacon to guide the police to her. Just nine minutes later, at around 2:45am Sheriff's deputies raced through the grove, having gotten a general location by tracing the call, and spotted the headlights glowing in the dense foliage there. Sheriff's Corporal Vaughn Day discovered Michelle barely clinging to life. He told the Palm Beach Post, she was leaning up against the wall on the phone. By the time I drove up, she'd pretty much collapsed. She seemed to have a very strong will to live. At the time, Corporal Dane knew that Michelle was struggling, but he didn't know the extent of her injuries. The mud that coated her from head to toe was so thick, he couldn't even tell that she had been shot. It was only after looking closer and after seeing the smears of red in the mud that he realized she was bleeding. Yet in spite of it all lying there floating in and out of consciousness, Michelle was able to give them a description of the man who did this. She told police that he was in his late 20s, had brown hair, and was driving a pickup truck. She was even able to give a description of what the inside of his truck looked like. Including a red shirt that was on the floor and a pack of Marlboro cigarettes that she had left inside. She also said that he had these branches in the back of his truck. So immediately a bolo was put out for the suspect, and Michelle was rushed to Lawnwood regional medical center in critical condition.
[24:10]
Courtney Brown
Luckily, Robert didn't make it very far. After realizing he couldn't find Michelle in the grove, he began to panic. He had just shot a girl in the head, and the weapon he used was still hot in his possession. So from there, Robert drove over the bridge onto South Hutchinson island and then onto Frederick Douglass beach. He pulled his truck right up on the sand. There wasn't a soul around, just him in the endless ocean. So he got out and walked waist deep into the water, holding the gun and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. With the weapon gone, Robert ran back to his truck to flee. But as he tried to back out, the truck didn't budge. Sand kicked up around the tires no matter how hard he tried. And it's here where he had to face the truth. He was stuck. Meanwhile, every officer in a several mile radius was looking for a man matching his description, One being deputy Angela Darling. She, along with the rest of the force, was keeping their eyes peeled. And soon enough, Deputy Darling saw a man who matched the description walking along South A1A near Frederick Douglass beach. She pulled up beside him and asked him what was wrong. He explained that his truck was stuck in the sand and that he needed some help getting it out. Deputy Darling knew that if he had the slightest suspicion that they were onto him, he'd try to flee. So she played it cool. She offered to give him a ride and even said she would call a tow truck for him. And surprisingly, Robert got in the car with her without a fuss. Sergeant Kramer told the Palm Beach Post why he believed Robert would do such a thing, saying he was assuming he had just killed the girl and nobody knew, so he was acting cool. End quote. On the drive back towards the mainland from the island, Robert was casual, chatty even. But as they drove onto South Bridge, they were met with a line of police cars blocking off the road, waiting just for him. Deputy Darling brought the car to a stop, and in seconds, Robert Brashers was in handcuffs. Meanwhile, on the beach, officers inspected his pickup truck and marked it as a crime scene. And sure enough, when they looked inside, they saw the cigarettes, they saw the red shirt, they even saw the branches piled in the back, just like Michelle said there would be. It was the exact truck that Michelle had described. And Robert was the exact man Michelle described. So from there, he was charged with attempted first degree murder, Attempted second degree murder, Aggravated battery, and the use of a firearm in commission of a felony. The news of the attack and Michelle's bravery spread like wildfire. The fact that she was able to fight a man twice her size, Survived being shot three times, and then rescue herself by hiding in a culvert had people in awe. She fought every step of the way for her survival, and in turn, she expected justice. But sadly, that's not what she got. Ultimately, judge Rupert J. Smith only sentenced Robert to 12 years in prison. 12 years for shooting a girl in the head. All because she wouldn't have sex with him. Now, luckily, Michelle went on to make a full physical recovery, but we can't imagine the emotional scars the incident left or the frustration she must have felt hearing that the man who tried to murder her was only sentenced to a little over a decade in prison. But to make matters even worse, 12 years ended up being essentially a suggestion. Just three and a half years into his sentence, on May 4, 1989, Robert was released from prison for good behavior. That's right. A man who viciously attacked a woman, tried to kill her, and then left her for dead with no remorse, was put behind bars for less time than it takes to get a bachelor's degree. And had Robert been sentenced accordingly, had he been treated like the taking time bomb he was, at least eight women and likely more would still be alive today.
[27:59]
Colin Brown
But instead, Robert Brashers was released into the general public. And following his release, he got the hell out of Dodge. Immediately he moved north to Atlanta, where he worked at an air conditioning business off and on. Then he relocated to Huntsville, Alabama, where he worked as a construction worker. And by spring of 1990, about a year after his release, he had moved again, this time to Greenville, South Carolina. It's still unclear what exactly brought him there, as he had no family in the area that we were able to find or any connections whatsoever. But when he arrived, in spite of his record, he managed to get a job as a maintenance man at an apartment complex, Hidden Lake apartments on Villa Road. While he was there, he was essentially a ghost. No one remembered working with him, and the residents at the apartment complex could hardly remember him at all. Unfortunately, they would remember what he had done for years to come, because not long after settling into the apartment complex, he set his eyes on his next victim, 28 year old Genevieve Zatricki.
[29:06]
Courtney Brown
Jenny lived in Greenville, looking for a fresh start. She had recently moved from her home state of Ohio, and in 1990, she was getting a taste of real freedom and adventure for the very first time. Jenny had recently divorced her husband and was on her own as an adult. It's a scary transition for many people, but for Jenny, it opened her up to a world of exciting possibilities. In Greenville, she had a steady job as a programmer analyst at Michelin Tire Corporation, where she was one of the smartest employees at her apartment complex. She was known as a friendly face and the life of the party. She always held get togethers at the apartment's pool, encouraging neighbors to meet one another and forging connections with anyone and everyone. She was a social butterfly, and very quickly, nearly everyone in the complex knew her by name. When she wasn't throwing parties, she was out being social in other ways. Jenny was very involved in her church, and she also signed up for clubs around her community. She was a member of the Michelin softball team and the Brown Backers Club of Greenville. So as you can see, she was busy and widely loved. And what she did on April 4, 1990, was a great example of that. Jenny had spent the day having a few drinks with her friends, where she excitedly told them about the weekend ahead. She was going to be in a friend's wedding. So that night she. As soon as she got home, she laid out a freshly dry cleaned dress on a chair in her living room. Then around midnight, she called her girlfriend to chat. They were on the phone for about 30 minutes before Jenny hung up and crawled into bed. She should have been safe there, but outside, someone was watching her. Someone who had just gotten out of prison less than a year prior for nearly murdering a woman. And in the early morning hours of April 5, that someone was prying open her garden level sliding glass door with a crowbar. As Robert Brasher stepped into Jenny's apartment. It was dark, it was quiet, and he tiptoed his way over to her bedroom. Inside, Jenny was fast asleep, but she was about to wake up to a nightmare. Now, details are scarce on exactly what happened. However, we do know that when Jenny opened her eyes, she saw a stranger standing by her bed. And soon after that, she was raped. We also know that she was bludgeoned with something, possibly that crowbar that he used to get inside. And in her final moments of life, as a stranger stood over her, he grabbed a pair of pantyhose and he strangled her until she took her final breath. But he wasn't finished just yet. After killing Jenny, he used the same pantyhose he had strangled her with as a handle. And he dragged her to the bathroom with them. Looped around her throat, a 20 foot long trail of blood led from her bed, where she had been killed, to the bathtub, where he placed her dead body and then turned on the water. Then he positioned her just how he wanted her. Posed beneath the running faucet so the water pouring from the spout ran directly between her legs. He was not only sending a message, but likely trying to wash away any DNA evidence he had left after assaulting her. Then he went into the kitchen and filled up the sink with water. He then dumped the contents of her purse inside. Then finally, he grabbed her lipstick off the counter and wrote a message on the mirror. A message that read in big, bold letters, don't fuck with my family. Investigators suspect that he did this to make it look like she was killed by someone she knew. Someone Jenny had wronged rather than a complete stranger. And after his twisted work was complete, he left, slipping out the same sliding glass door that he came in through. For hours, Jenny's body floated in the tub, the water running and spilling through the overflow drain. No one had heard a thing. No one knew anything was wrong. But the next morning, April 5, 1990, people started to realize something wasn't right. Jenny's desk at work sat empty. Her co workers, who were also her good friends, were concerned. So concerned that they called her apartment complex and asked if they could check on her.
[33:08]
Colin Brown
For some reason, the apartment complex sent building maintenance men to Jenny's apartment to do a welfare check on her. And if you recall, Robert was working as a maintenance man at the time of Jenny's murder. Now, whether he was one of the people sent in, we don't know. But the fact that that was even a possibility is disturbing. Especially since police believe part of the pleasure Robert derived from his crimes came from the shock they elicited in others. If he was one of the ones to go inside, he would get to see that shock up close and personal. Because when the maintenance men entered the apartment using a key, they discovered a horrible sight. Jenny floating in the bathtub, dead, with pantyhose tied around her neck. Jenny wasn't just a stranger. She was well liked by people at the complex. And when cops arrived and the news spread, the love everyone had for her was clear. As officers closed off her apartment with crime scene tape, several neighbors rushed over to make sure Jenny was okay. And it was there where they received the terrible news. Miles and miles away, her family received the worst phone calls of their lives. And they couldn't even be together to take in their new, horrible reality. Her mother was in Youngstown, Ohio, and her brother Philip was in California. Their lives were forever changed by the loss of Jenny. And sadly, it wasn't the Zatriki's first loss of the year. Jenny's father had died just weeks before, leaving her mother a widow. In just a few weeks time, their family of four had dwindled down to two. Jenny's mother recalled that when she spoke to Jenny about her anxiety experiencing her first Christmas as a widow, her daughter hugged her and said, you're not going to be alone on Christmas. You and me are going to Vegas. The promise that she'd always have her daughter by her side had made things a little easier, but it didn't last. She told the Greensville news she only had six weeks to live. It was devastating, and the family wanted answers. So they put up a $15,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of her killer. Over the course of several months, investigators interviewed hundreds of people and potential suspects. They knew immediately that robbery hadn't been a motive, as nothing of value had been stolen. And because of the threatening message on the mirror, they figured it was someone from Jenny's past. But every single person they looked into wasn't looking like their suspect. None of the cliches you'd expect, given the message, matched. Jenny wasn't the other woman in an affair. She hadn't had fights with anyone. She hadn't snitched on anyone or been involved in any illegal activities. She was clean. And sadly, her killer was nowhere on law enforcement's radar. In fact, he wouldn't be connected to Jenny's murder. For nearly three decades and throughout the 1990s, Robert Brashers was free to move from state to state. It seemed that everywhere he went, he was committing violent crimes. But there wasn't a clear pattern to those crimes. With Michelle, he picked her up on the side of the road and shot her. With Jenny, he broke into her apartment, raped and strangled her, and then staged the scene. And with him moving so often, it's hard to track exactly what he was doing or who he was killing. Austin attorney Mindy Montford would later say, when you see it on paper, you think, wow, he was in this state one day and then the next state. But really, those cities were right along the border. He was able to just hop a couple hours away, and that was by design. Robert was sadly pretty smart about his crimes. He knew that committing them in different jurisdictions would make them harder to connect. Here's Detective Dan Jackson talking with KVSF12. He was smart enough that he never got caught. He was smart enough that he would pick his victims seemingly at random. Like he would venture out a couple of hours and often cross state lines. So that seemed to be planned. But then there's also the randomness.
[37:03]
Courtney Brown
That same randomness was in other areas of Robert's life, too. At some point, he met a woman in Paragould, Arkansas, named Rose Stoltz, and he settled down with her. Now, Rose already had three kids of her own. But in 1991, when Robert was 33 years old, their family grew by one more. That summer, Robert and Rose welcomed their first child together, a daughter named Deborah. Now, you'd like to think that maybe, just maybe, having a daughter of his own would change his ways, that he might think about the parents he was taking children away from. But if anything, at this point, his crimes only got more violent. And just a few months after the birth of his daughter, Robert went on to commit his most infamous crime yet. The Austin yogurt shop murders. No one knows exactly what Robert was doing in Austin, Texas, on that fateful night. At the time, his father lived in Arizona, and he would later state that he was on his way to visit him. But with Robert, it's hard to take anything at face value. To this day, investigators are still trying to grapple with why Robert targeted the yogurt shop. Sure, it was right off the freeway, but. But so were dozens of other businesses and homes. And for some reason, on December 6, 1991, he zeroed in on I can't believe it's yogurt. And from that moment on, Austin, Texas was forever changed. Now, as a quick recap, that night as the store closed, four young girls were inside. Jennifer Harbison, her sister, Sarah Harbison, Eliza Thomas, and Amy Ayers. Now, Jennifer and Eliza worked at the yogurt shop. They were both 17 years old. 15 year old Sarah and 13 year old Amy were just there keeping them company, looking forward to their sleepover that night. And if you recall from the previous episode, there were three different suspects that were seen in the shop that night. The ones that likely come to mind are those two men that were seen sitting at one of the tables shortly before closing. Two witnesses reported seeing the men around 10:45pm 15 minutes before closing. But what stuck out to them was that the men weren't eating yogurt. They were just sitting there in silence, messing with this bag on the table. The couple that saw the men said that there was A weird energy to them. And when they left the store at 10:47pm Those guys were the only customers inside. The witnesses also said that as they walked back to their car, Jennifer Harbison locked the door to the yogurt shop and put up the clothes sign. Now, typically in a business, this means that anyone still inside the shop can leave, but no one else can come in. So for decades, investigators always believed that these were the men responsible for the murders. And to this day, we still have no idea who those men are. The guys never came forward professing their innocence, which only solidified the theory that they were responsible. However, as we know they weren't, it's believed that Robert Brashers acted alone. So even though these men were acting strange, investigators now think that they walked out of the store only for chaos to unfold soon after.
[40:10]
Colin Brown
Now, the other suspect Investigators have repeatedly tried to identify over the years was another man who was seen inside the yogurt shop that night. A retired military police officer named Durl Croft was in the yogurt shop between 9:30 and 10pm and he said that while inside, he noticed another man, a white male in his mid to late twenties, approximately five' ten and around £170. He described him as a fidgety man wearing a green military style jacket. The mystery man ordered a Sprite, and after paying in cash, he asked if there was a restroom he could use. Jennifer pointed him to the back of the store. They didn't have a customer restroom, but he was welcome to use the employee one near the freezers. He thanked her, then went down the hall and to the back of the store. The whole thing felt so wrong to Croft that after ordering his yogurt, he stayed behind. He told the Austin American Statesman, something bothered me, so I hung around. I wanted to see if the guy came out of the back. Something just didn't feel right. But Croft waited and waited and waited. And when the man still hadn't emerged from the back after several minutes, Croft gave in and left. What that man did, or if it was even Robert, is unknown. However, some people suspect that it was Robert and that after gaining access to the back, he either waited in the bathroom to strike, or he propped open the back door, allowing himself a way to enter even after the front door was locked.
[41:37]
Courtney Brown
Regardless, we know that sometime after 10:47pm Robert Brashers launched his attack. Armed with his.22 caliber revolver and his 380 backup, he approached the shop. Now, the front door of the shop would have already been locked after those Two men left, Jennifer would have locked the door behind them. And we know that because when police arrived at the building later that night, the key was actually found locked in the front door. Which means there are several possibilities on how Robert got inside. Maybe he was the person who used the bathroom and propped the back door open. There's also another theory that Robert may have picked the lock to the back door of the yogurt shop. After all, he was known to carry a lock picking kit. Now, based on other crimes Robert committed, we also know that he would often fake emergencies. He would knock on doors and pretended he needed help. Then he would flash his gun and force his way inside. So maybe he knocked on the front door of the shop, faking an emergency, and one of the girls let him in, locking it behind him. We don't know. But regardless of how he got inside, almost immediately, Jennifer, Eliza, Sarah, and Amy knew that they were in danger. It's believed that once inside, he brandished his gun and forced Eliza Thomas to open the cash register. At 11.03pm, Eliza rang up one final transaction for the night. A no sale inside the register was $540. Robert took all of it, I'm sure, from here, the girls thought that their nightmare would soon come to an end, that soon enough this madman would take the money and flee. But as you know, that's not how this story ends. After taking the money, Robert pointed the gun at the girls and forced them into the back room of the yogurt shop. It was a small room. It had a sink, some shelving, and along the back wall was the door that led to the alley, A door that led to freedom. One that, sadly, none of them would ever walk out of again.
[43:32]
Colin Brown
Interestingly, around 1105-11:10pm A girl named Kate Wallace McClung would later say that she was walking down Rockwood Lane on her way to the North Cross Mall when she noticed something odd. The lights were still on at I can't believe it's Yogurt. Usually at 11pm on the dot, the lights were off. But not tonight. Now, there was never any mention about whether or not this witness saw anyone inside. But it's believed that by this point, Robert was already in the back room doing unspeakable things to the four teenaged
[44:03]
Courtney Brown
girls inside that back room. Robert ordered the girls at gunpoint to remove their clothing, so they did. Investigators would later say that their shoes were neatly lined up in a row. Then, using their own bras, Robert tied the girl's hands behind their backs. Naked and bound he then took their underwear and shoved it into their mouths, gagging them. And then it's here where he began sexually assaulting them, one right after the other. Horrifically. It's believed that the sexual assaults went on for 40 or so minutes. Male DNA was found inside at least three of the girls. And as you can imagine, it was absolutely horrific. Not only were they assaulted, but it was done in front of their best friends, the people they loved most in the world. And while it happened, their friends were forced to confront the reality that they were next. One of the girls was even found with a metal ice scoop in between her legs. It's suspected that it was used during the sexual assault. Now, the youngest victim, 13 year old Amy, was not found with her hands tied behind her back. In fact, she actually had Robert's DNA underneath her fingernails. Meaning she fought back, perhaps after breaking out of the restraints Robert had originally tied. Now, Amy also had a sock like cloth around her neck. It's suspected that Robert tried to strangle her with it. And then at some point, everything came to a head. Perhaps Robert was getting nervous that someone would soon come looking for the girls. Perhaps they started to fight back. Or maybe in his sick mind, he was satisfied with what he had taken from them and he was ready to now take their lives, whatever it was. Around 11.40pm, he lined all of the girls up in the back room. He forced them onto their knees. And then he pulled out his.22 caliber gun. First, he stood behind Jennifer. He pointed the gun to the back of her head and pulled the trigger. Her little sister Sarah watched in horror as she dropped to the ground, blood pooling beneath her. And before Sarah could react, Robert turned the gun on her. Once Sarah was down, he shot Eliza, whose body fell on top of Sarah's. And then there was 13 year old Amy. She too was shot execution style in the back of the head with the.22. But the bullet missed her brain. She was still alive, still conscious. And knowing that she was about to die, she attempted to get up and run away. So it's here where Robert pulled out his other gun, the.380 backup. It's unknown why he switched guns. Maybe his.22 had run out of bullets. Or maybe it jammed. But as Amy was running away towards the front of the yogurt shop, he lifted the gun and fired. This time it didn't miss. It sliced through Amy's neck, severing her brainstem. Amy dropped to the ground about 12ft away from the others. Her arms stretched out towards the front door and Then the room was silent. Robert was standing in front of four dead teenage girls, looking at his previous known crimes. It's an escalation. Previously, he had only gone after individuals Michelle Wilkerson and Jenny Citricki. But now, seemingly out of nowhere, he had broken into a business in a busy shopping center and killed four teenagers. And shockingly, he planned it perfectly. Because despite living nowhere near Austin, Texas, and it being 1991, Robert seemed to realize that there was evidence behind that could be traced to him. So in an effort to destroy it, he decided he was going to set the shop on fire. Investigators believe that he started the fire on the metal shelf near Jennifer's body, but how he started it is unclear. First responders said that there were no signs that an accelerant was used, but they also never tested for it, so we'll never know. What's known for certain is that he started the fire on that metal shelf, and slowly it spread throughout that back room. Jennifer Harbison had the most severe burns of the four girls. Her family said that she always wore this Timex watch with a black strap. The watch stopped working at exactly 11:48pm the moment the heat reached its peak intensity. By then, Robert Brashers had already walked out the back door of the yogurt shop. And just minutes later, that rookie police officer noticed the smoke billowing into the night sky. But by the time anyone found the burned bodies inside, the killer, Robert Brashers was already on the freeway heading out of town. He left a crime scene that became notorious. But more important than what he left is what he took. The lives of four young women with their whole lives ahead of them. He took with him their futures, what they would have given to the world, who they would grow into. And it's heartbreaking to think about. Had he served his full sentence in Florida for the attack on Michelle Wilkerson, Amy, Jennifer, Sarah and Eliza would still be alive. So would Jenny Zatricky. By this point, Robert still would have had two years left of his sentence, but he was released, and he would go on to hurt as many people as he could. In the case of the yogurt shop murders, it worked out perfectly for him because that case would go unsolved for three whole decades. That alone is infuriating, but even more so when you look at just how easily Robert could have been captured.
[49:29]
Colin Brown
And now for a brief ad break.
[49:46]
Ad Host 1
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[51:01]
Colin Brown
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Because on December 8, 1991, less than 48 hours after murdering the four teenage girls, Robert was stopped at an interior border patrol checkpoint between El Paso, Texas and Las Cruces, New Mexico. Now, if you've ever been through one of these, they're pretty simple. If you're stopped, you're asked if you live in the US where you're going and sometimes your vehicle is inspected, most of the time you're simply waved through. But Robert was stopped. The agent asked where he was going. He said he was on his way to visit his father in Arizona. But something about Robert's answers, his nervousness, had the agent on edge. So he ran the plates on Robert's truck, and that's when he realized that the truck had been reported stolen about a week earlier in Marietta, Georgia. So from there, the agent searched the car, and that's when he found the gun, the.380AMT backup. And as soon as he found it somehow Robert took off. Some reports state it was on foot. Others state he took off driving in the vehicle. But after getting about a mile away in the desert, with border patrol chasing after him, Robert stopped and surrendered. He apologized for his behavior, saying that he wasn't supposed to be carrying a gun because he was a felon. So he panicked. But I don't think that's what really happened here, and neither do many experts. You see, in the car, police discovered the.380, the weapon that was used to kill Amy Ayers, one of two definitive links connecting him to the yogurt shop murders. But they never found the.22, the gun that was used to kill the other three girls. Had they found both the.380 and the.22, it's possible police may have quickly connected him to what had happened in Austin. Some people suspect that after the police uncovered the.380, Robert realized that they may be able to trace it back to the murders. So, wanting to lower his chances, he fled in order to dispose of the.22. Sure, he'd get a fleeing and evading charge, but he may save himself from being connected to the murders. That would also explain why, after making it just a mile, Robert surrendered himself. Some officers believe that in that mile, Robert got rid of the.22 in the desert, and then once the evidence was gone, he went down without a fight. Regardless of what happened in that mile, Robert was arrested for grand theft of the car and the gun was actually confiscated. Sergeant Jones would later state that by this point, the information regarding the weapon used in the yogurt shop murders had been broadcast to all law enforcement agencies throughout Texas, including border patrol. So this arrest could have given them the answers they needed to solve the case. But for reasons that remain unclear, the connection slipped through the cracks. Little did they know the murder weapon used in the yogurt shop murders was right there in their possession. But no one connected the dots.
[56:30]
Courtney Brown
Now, surprisingly, according to an unnamed family member of Roberts, the.380 that had been confiscated was actually returned to his his father, Duellis. And everything we're about to say comes from this anonymous family member. But it does provide insight into what may have been going on in Robert's family life and how he managed to avoid jail time and time again. Allegedly, Robert's father, Doulas, got the gun back from law enforcement, and then he simply returned it back to Robert. In addition, it's claimed that Duelist would post bail for Robert anytime he was arrested for his minor offenses, like grand theft auto. And looking at the Timeline. That makes sense. Robert wasn't rolling in dough by any means. Yet soon after he was arrested at this border checkpoint, he was out on the streets yet again. In fact, two months later, on February 18, 1992, he was arrested again in Cobb County, Georgia, for essentially the same crime. Possession of a stolen vehicle and stolen pistol. But this time, when they searched his car, they found even more concerning things like a police jacket, a radio scanner, a fake Tennessee license, and lockpicking tools, A whole crime kit. And sadly, like everything else in his life, Robert's consequences were not very severe. He was even offered a plea deal in exchange for pleading guilty to one of the more serious possession charges. The rest were dropped. In the end, he was sentenced to five years in prison. And shockingly, this time, he did serve out the full sentence. It was the one and only time in his crime filled life that he served the full amount of time given to him. But In February of 1997, he was a free man once again. And with that freedom, it seemed as if he wanted to focus on his family. His daughter Debra was around six years old when he was released. And from what she could remember from that time, Robert was a great father. She would later say that she thought her dad was, quote, the greatest man alive. Now, Deborah spoke with KFVS and their segment called Chasing a Ghost. Here she is discussing her memories of her father and how he doted on the family.
[58:41]
Deborah Brashers
I remember him tilling up our front yard for putting little square grass down at my mother. My mother wanted a certain kind of grass. He tilled up the whole front yard and put new grass down so that she'd have the certain grass she wanted. We had a washer and dryer in the house. She wanted a clothesline. He built her a clothesline. He took my sister's canoeing, he took us camping before. We've done a lot of things with him that I never done with anybody else.
[59:11]
Courtney Brown
Robert could be loving, charming, excitable, and by all accounts, it seemed like he really did love his wife and daughter. So for Debra, that actually makes things even more twisted. In multiple interviews, she's posed the question, how can you have children of your own and mess with children? And we find ourselves asking the same thing in nearly every case we cover regarding child predators. In this case, however, there was some dysfunction in the home. Robert struggled with alcohol and he was known to have a temper. Deborah recalled a childhood incident where she accidentally swallowed a penny. According to her account, Robert responded by beating her. Another time, her sister walked into his bedroom without Permission and he dragged her out of the room by her hair. Debra also witnessed Robert hitting her mom on one occasion. But by her account, her mom hit him back. Here is Debra with KFVS recalling the violence inside their home.
[60:06]
Deborah Brashers
I remember when he beat the s out of my sister for no reason. Like that's the one time we seen his terror be taken out on us. And then the time that him, my mother got into a fight and he put a goose egg on her head like. And then she beat the out of him and got him in the corner and she was begging, he was begging her to stop.
[60:23]
Colin Brown
Obviously, things at home weren't great and Robert was known to leave for extended periods of time. But he always told his family that he was working construction in different states across the U. S. He seemed to always come home with money, so no one questioned him. Robert even had business cards, so they had no reason to believe he was lying. Debra admitted that when her father would come home from these trips, he always seemed different. I'm sure they figured it was just the stress of the jobs he was working. But in reality, Robert was not working construction. He was out committing crimes, killing and raping women and girls, girls that weren't much older than his own daughter. But somehow he was still able to live a double life. His daughter Deborah would later tell the Greenville he was an amazing father. A father anybody would have wanted to have. They always say serial killers live two separate lives. Some live just to kill, then others, like my father, who live in plain sight for years. But Robert's family life did not stop him from being the monster he truly was. Because less than a month after getting out of prison, Robert committed his next crime.
[61:32]
Courtney Brown
It was March 11, 1997. It's unclear exactly why he was driving through Memphis, Tennessee, but at some point along the way, he spotted a home. Inside were four females. A 47 year old, a 20 year old, a 17 year old and a 14 year old. And alongside them was a nine and a half month old baby. It's safe to assume that he saw the young girls beforehand. Young girls that he decided he was going to assault for his own sick pleasure. So in broad daylight, he knocked on their door. When one of the girls opened the door, he put on the charm. He explained that he and his wife had been at a store just across the street and she had left her purse on top of the car. Have y' all seen her purse? He asked them. Of course they hadn't. So Robert asked if he could leave his name and number in case they Happened to find it. When the girl at the door turned around to grab a pen, Robert pulled a gun out of his pocket and forced his way inside. Immediately, Robert ordered all of the girls to line up against the wall. It was four versus one. But a gun is a powerful motivator, so the girls did as Robert said. Once they were under his control, he put on some dishwashing gloves so he wouldn't leave fingerprints behind. He then tied the girls up with a phone cord and duct tape he had brought with him. The youngest was just 14 years old, and sadly, she was the one he sexually assaulted right in front of her whole family as they lay on the ground helpless, unable to save her. By the time the horrible ordeal was over, Robert fled the home in the family's car, which was discovered abandoned in a nearby Kmart parking lot two days later. For everyone in the home, the incident was horrifically traumatic. And it didn't end when Robert left. The victim of the sexual assault, who was just 14, bravely went to the hospital to have a rape kit administered. At any age, the process can feel incredibly violating. You're vulnerable, you've just been taken advantage of in the worst way possible, and then you're in a clinical setting being poked and prodded and swabbed. Now, this isn't to negate the importance of getting rape kits done following an assault, but it's to point out that the that the victims are often re traumatized getting them. It's to say it's a brave, selfless act, One that should be honored by law enforcement. But in this case and many others, it wasn't the rape kit that the 14 year old girl did. The kid that could have gotten Robert Brashers arrested sat on a shelf collecting dust for 20 years. 20 years. An offender who broke into a home and took control of four women, Raping one of them somehow wasn't seen as an important threat worth looking into. That girl went through getting the kit taken, trusting that it may save other people. And instead, by the time it was tested, her attacker was long gone.
[64:23]
Colin Brown
About two weeks later, on March 28, 1998, Robert Brashers was on the road again. This time in rural Portageville, Missouri. And along his drive, he spotted 37 year old Sherry sharer and her 12 year old daughter, Megan Elizabeth Sharer, working outside in their garden on their big manicured lawn. That afternoon was unseasonably warm and the family welcomed it. Megan and Sherry worked away getting fruits and veggies planted. Meanwhile, Anthony, the father of the family and Megan's brother, 15 year old Steven, took the tractor down the road to help do some work at a friend's farm. At about 6:20pm Steven called his mom to tell her that they were heading home and should be there in a few minutes. They discussed dinner plans, pizza, which Sherry offered to pick up and exchanged I love yous before hanging up. But on the way home, driving through winding farm roads, another farmer was struggling. His equipment broke down as he was crossing the road to tend to another field, meaning that Stephen and Anthony's only way home was blocked. Anthony got out of the tractor and helped fix the issue, which took another 20 or so minutes. Not wanting his wife to worry, he called the house phone to give her an update. But this time the phone rang and rang and rang. Anthony thought it was odd, given that Stephen had talked to cherry just 20 minutes earlier. But he shrugged it off, suggesting that maybe they had already gone to pick up the pizza. Little did he know what was unfolding at his home just a mile away was nothing short of a nightmare.
[65:56]
Courtney Brown
Anthony and Steven arrived home minutes after making that call home. As they entered the garage, they noticed that Sherry's car was there. Initially they were excited, thinking that Sherry had already come back with the pizza. Anthony mindlessly brushed his hand over the hood. But as he did, he realized something. Something that he couldn't help but say aloud, the engine's not even warm. She must have not gone yet. And as they entered the home, they realized why. At first, Stephen thought it was a prank. He was the prankster of his family and his mother and sister always teased him that one day they'd get him back. When he saw them lying on the floor covered in blood, he couldn't wrap his head around it being anything but a prank. But the closer he got, the more he knew this was no prank. Without saying a word, Stephen knelt down, putting a hand on his sister and immediately he screamed. Horrified, Anthony called 911 and officers rushed to the home where they were able to fully process the scene that was too horrific for Anthony and Steven to stomach. But for police, it was equally challenging. One of the responding officers stated, quote, I would say that's the worst thing I've ever seen in my life. Another echoed his thoughts, stating, you can never forget the images of that crime. End quote. Sherry had been shot in the head three times and bound with items that to this day haven't been disclosed. But beside her, her 12 year old daughter had been shot and was nude. And not only was she naked, but she had been posed in a very Intentional way, as if her killer, quote, wanted to show what he had done. Those who first arrived on the scene made it clear that whoever had killed Megan had posed her specifically for, quote, shock value.
[67:43]
Colin Brown
12 year old Megan Sharer was used as a prop to appease Robert Brasher's sick desires. But that's not how we want her to be remembered. Megan was a star basketball player, a gifted public speaker, and a good friend to everyone. As news spread about the murder of the mother and daughter, the town of Portageville was devastated. The Sharers were a well respected, hard working family. Coach Julie Boyd told the Columbia Missourian. They were a wonderful family. Megan was the sweetest, most loving child on my team, which is what everyone had to say about the family. Their close friend Tina Delys added, Sherry's life was caring for her family. They were a wholesome family. They worked hard, went to church, and she helped out at school. I don't know that they had an enemy in the world. Given that, investigators were baffled as to who would have wanted to hurt them. In addition, there were no signs of forced entry and nothing appeared to have been stolen from the home. Now, there were witnesses who said that a maroon van was spotted near their home that day. But other than that, they had nothing. Now, all these years later, police believe that Robert Brasher used a ruse similar to the one he used to get into the home in Memphis to get Sherry or Megan to open the door. Then he brandished the gun, tied them up and eventually killed them. But at the time, police had no reason to even look at Robert. He lived nowhere near the crime scene. He didn't know the victims. For police, it was haunting. Not just because it was so random, but because by the end of the night, they were certain it was the work of a serial rapist. Because just 40 miles away, hours later, Robert struck again.
[69:25]
Courtney Brown
Shortly after killing the mother and daughter in Portageville, Robert Brashers drove across the border into Dyer County, Tennessee. And he immediately, immediately began scoping out homes along the rural roads. It was about 9:30pm A warm spring night, the kind of Tennessee night where everything feels right in the world. Families have their doors and windows open to let in the cool breeze. And one unnamed 26 year old woman was doing just that. After getting groceries, she slowly loaded them out of her car and brought them into the kitchen, stopping to linger on the porch in between bags. Then suddenly, a maroon car pulled up and out came Robert Brashers. He flashed her a smile and told her that he was looking for a friend named Jeremy Taylor. He wasn't from the area, but was visiting and couldn't find where his friend lived. But immediately, the homeowner's guard was up. She was alone with her three children, essentially out in the middle of nowhere. And she knew everyone in town. There was no Jeremy Taylor. So thinking on her feet, she grabbed her cell phone and told Robert that she'd check with a neighbor, a man who lived just down the road. The phone rang and rang and rang. The neighbor didn't answer, but the woman played it cool. She pretended that she was talking to the neighbor, despite the fact that she was speaking to an answering machine. And then she hung up. She told Robert that her neighbor actually knew Jeremy Taylor and encouraged him to drive down the road to talk to him about it. Her thought was that as soon as he was far enough away, she'd lock her front door and hide with the kids. But to her dismay, Robert didn't leave. Instead, he reached into his van and said he was grabbing a map. But he didn't pull out a map. He pulled out a gun. The woman sprinted inside with Robert close behind. She was just about to shut the door when she felt him on the other side, pushing against it. As the two struggled, Robert suddenly took a step back. At that moment, the woman was able to slam the door and lock it. But as she did, Robert fired his gun directly into the door. The bullet ended up striking the woman's arm. But luckily, from there, Robert ran to his car and took off in a cloud of dust, disappearing down the road. When investigators rushed to the scene to tend to the Gray's wound, the mother was able to describe her attacker and his maroon van. That description made the hairs on the back of their necks stand up, because a maroon van was also seen near the Scherer household hours earlier, where Megan and Sherry were murdered, just 40 miles away. But like most of Robert Brasher's crimes, the police had no idea he was responsible. The police had no idea who he was. But with this information, the locals began calling the attacker Mr. Maroon. And as silly as the name is, everyone was terrified of him. This was a man capable of sexually assaulting a child before shooting her alongside her mom, which is likely what he had planned with this woman as well. And eventually, ballistics test later confirmed that the exact same gun was used in both crimes. For local investigators, it was clear that they had a serial killer on their hands. Here's New Madrid County Sheriff Terry Stevens and Chief Freddie Hill discussing their original thoughts on the case.
[72:41]
Law Enforcement Official / Family Member
I made the statement then. This guy is a Serial killer, make no doubt about it. And we felt confident that there would be more victims present themselves or be brought to light as time went on. And I think there'll still be more.
[72:57]
Colin Brown
Yeah, he proved himself with that when he left here and go straight to Dyersburg and try do the same thing again. He proved he was a serial killer, a.
[73:09]
Law Enforcement Official / Family Member
A predator.
[73:10]
Family Member / News Reporter
Predator.
[73:11]
Courtney Brown
Now, knowing you have a serial killer is much easier than catching a serial killer, especially when he has an M.O. like Robert Brasher's. Robert would drive across state lines looking for women he wanted to attack. Then when he would spot them, he would strike, using his gun to control his victims and get what he wanted. And just two weeks after the failed attack on the woman and Dyer county, he was back out on the prowl to do it all over again. But this time, he made a mistake. Instead of breaking into a stranger's house, he decided to break into the home of someone he knew. It was a woman in Paragould, Arkansas, who would hire him for odd jobs. On Easter Sunday 1998, she awoke to her cat pawing at her face, trying to wake her up. She thought it was odd, but it was 4:30am so she pulled the covers up around herself and drifted back to sleep. For a moment at least, because next door, her neighbors had also been woken up by their pet, a small dog who was barking like crazy at something outside the window. When the neighbors looked outside, they saw Robert Brashers trying to break in. Immediately, the neighbors called the police, who rushed to the scene. Within seconds of arriving, they discovered Robert Brashers hiding behind a car in the driveway. He was quickly dragged to his feet and put in cuffs. Initially, he just seemed like another robber or peeping Tom. But when police began to look through his duffel bag, they realized they were looking at something much worse. Inside, they found rope, wire cutters, gloves, lock picking tools, and a gun. And something else that chilled them to the bone. A video camera. Whatever Robert had intended to do, it seemed as though he planned to record it. Police later described the items in the bag as a quote unquote kill kit. And yet, once again, he was only given a slap on the wrist. After sitting in jail for a few hours, he posted a $5,000 bail and was promptly released back into the free world.
[75:09]
Colin Brown
No matter how many times it happens, it still shocks us. In our research, Robert commits or nearly commits a heinous crime and then is released to do it all over again. This time was no different. Just a few weeks later, on August 16, 1998, he was arrested again. Earlier that day, around 2:30pm Someone called the police reporting that a man in a blue van was driving erratically near a flea Market on U.S. highway 412. Apparently, the man crashed through a fence and tore through the yard of Christ United Methodist Church and proceeded to hit another vehicle in the flea market parking lot. When police arrived, the man in the blue van was nowhere to be found. However, later that day, a motorist flagged down a police officer and stated that he had given a man with an injury a ride to U.S. highway 412. And soon after, police officers were able to locate Robert on foot. Now, we have no idea how or where on his body Robert was injured. It seems likely that it happened when he crashed through the fence into the church parking lot. But the news report about this incident published in the Paragould Daily Press gives no details on what the injury was. Regardless, on the scene, Robert offered a name, Bill Blackston. He explained his injury to officers by saying he had been working on his Jeep Cherokee and the drive shaft fell out and struck him. He added that the Jeep was stuck on a levee in the Big Slough area. The man was taken to Arkansas Methodist Hospital via ambulance and police officers were then dispatched to the location of the Jeep. However, when they arrived, there was no Jeep. And after further investigation, they realized that Bill Blackston was actually Robert Brashers. From there, they made their way to his home at 5877 Green 853 Road and in the backyard, crashed into a ditch along a soybean field. They discovered the blue car. Blood coated the steering wheel in the driver's seat, indicating that Robert had been injured inside the vehicle. But that's not where the blood stopped. Police noticed the back door of Robert's home was wide open. From where they stood, they could see knives lying around and blood all over the floor, which really has us scratching our heads. Had Robert crashed his car and then injured himself or been injured by someone in his kitchen after he arrived home? We don't know and evidently neither does anyone else. A single news article was published regarding this strange incident and it ends with even more charges. Evidently, in all the chaos, Robert's neighbor Barry Floyd went to the police and reported that Robert had stolen cash and jewelry from his home that day. As a result, Robert was charged with residential burglary, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, public intoxication, and second degree criminal impersonation. On November 12, 1998, Robert was supposed to appear in court, but he had no intention of showing up. Instead, he was already in Lexington, Kentucky looking for another victim.
[78:10]
Courtney Brown
He found that victim in Linda Rutledge. Linda came from a family of hard workers. They had founded the Nixon Hearing Aid center in Lexington. And 43 year old Linda proudly worked at the business. By 1998, she was a single mother. She and her husband had divorced. So it was up to her to work hard and support her son. And that's exactly what she did every single day. On the morning of November 12, 1998, Linda showed up to the business early. It was a routine she was used to by now. Go in, open up the shop and get everything ready for the customers that day. But this day would go much differently. Because just like with the yogurt shop murders, Robert Brashers happened to be driving by when he spotted Linda in the store working all by herself. There weren't many witnesses around, so he pulled into the parking lot and decided that he was going to attack her. It's believed that Linda's fate looked a lot like the girls in the yogurt shop. When no one was around, he broke inside and sexually assaulted her. Then when he was finished, he shot her multiple times in the head. And just like in the yogurt shot murders, he decided he needed to cover up his crime. So he set fire to the building, hopped in Linda's car and took off, watching from afar as the building went up in smoke. Around 7:40am a person driving down Malibu Drive called the Lexington Fire Department to report a structure fire. When first responders arrived on scene, they saw heavy black smoke billowing above. But when they made their way into the business, they made a shocking discovery. In a back hallway, they found the badly burned body of Linda Rutledge. Before the autopsy even took place, police were certain it was her. Her parents had already filed a missing persons report. But after she was identified, the case went cold. And it remained that way for over 30 years.
[80:00]
Colin Brown
But luckily, Robert Brasher's was unraveling and his crime spree was reaching its end. In 1998, his daughter Deborah claimed that there had been a noticeable change in him. He seemed overly paranoid all the time. After years of violence, rape and murder, it seemed as if his crimes were weighing down on him. Not because he felt guilty, but because he was afraid of getting caught. According to his family, he started wearing wigs out in public, trying to hide his identity. He even told his family to call him Mitch when they would go out. Robert's mental state was so fragile that Debra and her sisters were told by their mother to never Let him leave the house alone. But even inside the home, he wasn't safe. Debra recalled that she found a disturbing audio recording of him self harming. She later said he took knives. I had a tape recording of him saying I wonder if this is going to hurt. And it sounded like a saw in the background. But he cut his own arm and neck trying to kill himself. In August 1998, seven days before my birthday, he's running around screaming, I'm not going back to prison. I'm not going back to prison. So he knew he was about to die. He knew his death was coming close.
[81:11]
Courtney Brown
It's unclear what led to Robert Brasher's mental decline. For years, raping and murdering women never seemed to bother him. But by 1999, he likely thought the walls were closing in. Which brings us to January 13, 1999. That morning, police officers noticed a stolen vehicle parked at the Super 8 Motel in Kennett, Missouri. After speaking with the hotel staff, they learned that Robert had arrived in the vehicle vehicle with his family just days earlier. So they knocked on his hotel door hoping to speak with him. However, when Robert saw the police outside, he quickly grabbed his loaded gun and hid under the bed of the hotel room. Now at first, Robert's wife Rose told the officers that he wasn't there. But evidently Robert wasn't too good at hiding because the officers could see him under the bed. They announced themselves and told Robert to come out, out. But he didn't listen. He lifted the gun to his head and threatened to blow his brains out if they didn't leave. Now that alone is traumatizing for everyone involved. But in this case, remember, Robert's four children were inside the room trapped alongside him. The police knew that this was a hostage situation so they backed out and called the hotel room's phone to speak with Robert. For the next four hours, Robert held his family hostage inside the room. He repeatedly told the officers that he was going to shoot himself. Police tried to negotiate with him over the phone, desperately trying to de escalate the situation. A man who thinks he has lost everything is capable of doing the unthinkable. And police were terrified that he was going to kill his family. So they negotiated with him, trying to convince him to send his family out. And eventually, somehow he let them leave the room. By then it was 4am and without his family by his side, Robert came completely unglued. Maybe in his paranoid state, he thought the cops weren't there for the stolen vehicle. Maybe he thought that his rapes and murders had finally caught up to him. And instead of facing the consequences, he decided to take his own life. While underneath the bed of the hotel room, Robert Brashers held a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. From outside, the police heard a single gunshot and rushed in. He was found on the floor with a single gunshot wound to his head. But he was still alive. They rushed him to the nearby hospital where he remained alive for six days. However, on January 19, 1999, he was finally pronounced dead, taking all of his crimes with him to the grave. And the weapon he did it with was none other than his.380. The same gun he used to kill Amy Ayers. The same gun he had his father allegedly get back for him. Throughout the years, that gun had been special to Robert. He had used that gun to take a number of lives. He used it to force girls into submission so he could do whatever he wanted with them. And in his final act, he used it to take his own life.
[84:06]
Colin Brown
After Robert put that bullet in his head, his body sat in the ground for years and years. To anyone who looked into him, they'd definitely see a troubled past. But they would have had no idea that he was a sadistic serial killer. In fact, the only violent crime he'd ever been convicted of was the attempted murder of Michelle Wilkerson in 1985. And it wouldn't be until 2018, 18 years after his death, that the truth would finally start to unravel. By then, 28 year old Jenny Zatricki had been dead for as long as she had been alive. In 1990, when her body was found floating in the bathtub of her Greenville, South Carolina apartment, no one had any idea who was responsible. Investigators had followed different leads over the years, but they never brought them to any good suspects. And that's because Jenny was raped and murdered by a complete stranger. Robert Brashers had no connection to her whatsoever Other than working as a maintenance man at the apartment complex. The two never had a relationship. He simply saw her one day and decided to break into her apartment.
[85:11]
Courtney Brown
But one promising thing about Jenny's case was that they did have a DNA profile of the man who killed her. And in 2018, through advancements in DNA technology, they learned that the same man who killed Jenny was also linked to a number of other crimes around the United States. The exact same DNA found at Jenny's crime scene was also found in the rape kit of that 14 year old girl in Memphis, Tennessee, which was finally tested after sitting in an evidence locker for decades. Robert's DNA was also at the Attempted home invasion in Dyers County, Tennessee. And finally in the murders of the mother and daughter Sherry and Megan Sharer in Portageville, Missouri. Now, at the time, investigators still didn't have a name attached to the DNA. They just had one profile linked to all these different crimes. An unidentified serial killer. So with all of the DNA found at all the different crime scenes, investigators in Missouri, Tennessee and South Carolina collaborated with Parabon Labs to develop a genealogical profile of their suspect.
[86:14]
Colin Brown
A genealogist named C.C. moore built a family tree from the man's DNA sample and looked for people who shared significant amounts of his DNA. And soon enough, she came across his biological daughter, Debra. In 2018, Debra was in her late 20s, and as we've mentioned throughout this episode, she had no idea about her father's past. In fact, she didn't even know about the attempted murder he was convicted of in 1985. But now detectives were knocking on her door, telling her that her father was a suspected serial killer. At that moment, she recalled feeling horrified, but at the same time, finally feeling like she had some answers. I knew something was wrong with him. Mentally, it surprised me a whole, whole lot. But it answered a lot of questions. At the same time, it answered a lot of questions about what was wrong with him, what would make him kill himself. Soon after, on September 27, 2018, Robert Brasher's body was exhumed. His DNA was taken and put into CODIS. And sure enough, it was a match to the four different crime scenes. After decades, the man who killed Jenny Zatricky and Sherry and Megan Sharer had a name. Robert Eugene Brashers.
[87:27]
Family Member / News Reporter
Good evening.
[87:28]
Colin Brown
A cold case crack. Decades after a woman was found murdered in Greenville County.
[87:33]
Ad Host 1
We first brought you.
[87:34]
Colin Brown
This is breaking news. Last night here on seven News at ten, Jenny Zitricki was strangled and raped inside her own apartment.
[87:42]
Family Member / News Reporter
And for 28 years, her killer has never been named.
[87:45]
Courtney Brown
Until today.
[87:47]
Colin Brown
In October 2018, Jenny's brother Philip spoke about her life before she was murdered. No one wanted to give Robert a second thought. Instead, Philip wanted Jenny to be remembered for her Life.
[87:59]
Law Enforcement Official / Family Member
It's been 28 years since Jenny was taken from us. The intervening years have brought painful sorrow of loss and the longing for what could have been. But we do well to remember her in life. She was a force of nature, a firecracker, a bundle of infectious energy, an intelligent, vibrant, caring human being. All whose lives she touched near and far, then and now should
[88:40]
Colin Brown
not as she left, but as she lived. Investigators in Portageville were also so relieved to finally have answers on the crime that had haunted them for years.
[88:52]
Law Enforcement Official / Family Member
Good morning. I'd like to thank each and every one of you for attending this today. On March 28, 1998, New Madre county witnessed one of the most heinous crimes ever in the history of this county. That was the murder of Megan and Sherry shear in rural portageville. We activated our major case squad immediately. And through diligence, through hard work and tenacity, we have finally solved this case. We've traveled all the way across the United States, done countless interviews, search warrants, DNA tests, and we finally identified the killer. We have positively identified one Robert brasher out of perigord, Arkansas, who took his own life in kennett, Missouri in January of 1999. Make no mistake about this, gentlemen. He is a serial rapist and a serial killer.
[90:04]
Colin Brown
Finally, the world knew the truth about this monster who had lurked in the shadows for so long. But even then, they still didn't know the full extent of his crimes. There were still five of Robert's victims whose cases were unsolved. Jennifer, Sarah, Eliza and Amy from the austin yogurt shop murders and the murder of Linda rutledge in lexington, kentucky. But those discoveries were right around the corner.
[90:29]
Courtney Brown
In 2025, it had been 34 years since the austin yogurt shop murders, and the austin police department had a fresh set of eyes looking at the case. The lead investigator was detective Daniel jackson. After decades with no answers, he went back to the drawing board, looking at all the physical evidence, specifically that.380 shell casing found in the drain inside the yogurt shop. Now, as we mentioned in our last episode, bullet casings have what is called a ballistic fingerprint, which are microscopic scratches left behind that are specific to each gun. And the atf has this database where police departments can upload ballistic fingerprints to see if certain guns have been used in other crime scenes around the U. S. Now, the.380 shell casing found at the yogurt shop had been submitted to the database in 1997 and again in 2007. However, there was never a match. But in 2025, it had been nearly 20 years since the last admission, and the database had expanded since then. So detective Jackson thought, why not try it again? He later told forensic magazine, quote, I don't know what made me go down that rabbit hole that morning, but I did, and I'm glad I did. End quote. Once again, he uploaded the page. Ballistic fingerprint of the 380 shell casing found in the yogurt shop. He hoped that maybe he would get a match or at the very least, get some more information. But nothing could have prepared him for the email he got just hours later. After over three decades, the Austin police department was going to get their first actual clue leading to the real killer. Because when Jackson opened that email, he discovered that the.380 casing found in the yogurt shop had the exact same ballistic fingerprint as the casing found in the murder of Linda Rutledge in Kentucky. Two crimes over a thousand miles away from one another using the exact same firearm. This finding was huge. So immediately, Detective Jackson connected with investigators in Kentucky, and they started comparing evidence. Now, in both of these murders, they only had a partial DNA profile of the killer. But from there, they put those profiles together, and they started reaching out to crime labs across the country, seeing if anyone in their system matched this partial DNA profile. And in August of 2025, they had their second big break. A crime lab in South Carolina found a match. The male DNA found at the yogurt shop matched the DNA found at Jenny Satriki's crime scene in South Carolina. And Jenny's murder had already been solved years prior. So it was at that very moment when investigators in Austin finally saw the name of the man responsible, Robert Eugene Brashers. Soon after that, investigators were able to compare Roberts DNA against the DNA at the yogurt shop, Specifically the DNA found under Amy Ayer's fingernails. And of course, it was a match. Finally, after 34 years, Jennifer, Sarah, Eliza, and Amy had justice.
[93:28]
Colin Brown
I can't even imagine what it was like inside the Austin police department that day. This was a crime that had followed this town for years. It had haunted the police department. It was even the first episode of Courtney and I's show. And even though the department had made their mistakes over the years, it was very clear that the Austin PD was desperate to solve these murders. And finally, the day had come. Detective Jackson would later say in the HBO documentary the Yogurt Shop murders. This is something that could not have happened before 2025. And I'm sorry that it took us 34 years to get here, but we're here now. And Amy's final moments on this earth were to solve this case for us. It's because of her fighting back. Now, it would take a couple of months for Linda Rutledge to get justice. But finally, on January 7, 2026, the DNA at her crime scene was also officially matched to Robert Rasher's as well, making her his eighth confirmed murder victim.
[94:28]
Courtney Brown
Guys, for nearly three decades, a Lexington family has been asking one question.
[94:32]
Colin Brown
Who killed Linda Rutledge?
[94:34]
Courtney Brown
Now they have an answer.
[94:35]
Colin Brown
But that answer comes with unsettling information about her killer.
[94:39]
Courtney Brown
For 27 years, her killer remained unknown. Linda's mother told us that she hoped that it was no one that knew her, because how could someone that knew her and loved her do that to her? These answers didn't just provide relief for the victims families and the communities that Robert tormented, but it also brought relief for the people who were blamed for these murders over the years. In the case of Michael Scott, Forest Welborn, Maurice Pierce and and Robert Springsteen, they were ostracized for decades after the yogurt shot murders. Even after it was proven that their DNA did not match the killer, people still looked at them differently. They faced years of public scrutiny. Their reputations had been destroyed, their relationships were affected. And on top of everything, up until this point, they had lived with the constant fear that they could one day be retried for a crime they did not commit. At one point, Marie's peers stated that he would rather be dead than have to deal with this. And tragically, he never escaped that burden as he was fatally shot by police before his name was officially cleared. But finally, on February 26, 2026, Judge Dana Blazey formally exonerated Michael Scott, Forrest Welborn, Maurice Pierce and Robert Springsteen in court, Michael Scott issued a statement on how the case affected his life.
[96:03]
Michael Scott
Today, more than 26 years later, modern forensic science again conclusively confirms that I have always. What? I have always maintained I had nothing to do with these crimes. The evidence identifies Robert Eugene Brashear, a known serial killer, and is the sole person responsible. He is someone I've never met. I lost my family, lost my youth, lost my early adulthood. My daughter was just three years old. Years old when I was arrested. I had just so. We had just celebrated our first wedding anniversary. I lost the chance to build a life with my family. When I was finally released. That the relationship I once had with my. My wife just wasn't there. That ultimately led to. Through our divorce. For decades, I have carried the burden of wrongful conviction. Every day I have carried the weight of a crime I did not commit. No court ruling can return the years and the love that were taken from me. But it can acknowledge the truth. I am not guilty.
[97:46]
Colin Brown
On May 13, 2026, the City of Austin agreed to pay the four wrongly convicted men $35 million in compensation. Austin City Manager T.C. broadnack stated that the settlement was the final chapter of a devastating story. In Austin's history. I hope that this settlement brings a sense of closure to everyone affected by this horrific event. Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen are set to receive $9.8 million. Maurice Pierce's family will receive 10 million, and Forrest Welborne will receive 4.8 million. It's the most money that's ever been awarded to someone in Austin's history.
[98:23]
Courtney Brown
But to wrap this story up, we want to focus on the people most affected by these tragedies, the victims families. Throughout the research of this case, all of the family stories stuck with us. But the one that remained at the top of my mind, mainly because of how outspoken she's been about her experience. Experience is Sonora Thomas, the sister of Eliza Thomas. In the aftermath, she became the caretaker for her grieving mother. She was left alone in the agony of the loss of her sister. And in spite of it, she built a very beautiful life for herself. Sonora became a therapist, developed her own practice, and became the type of person she needed when she was younger. But through it all, she never forgot her big sister, the girl she looked up to, the girl who, tragically, she never got to grow old with. Here she is expressing her thanks to all the investigators for finally closing the case and explaining the depth of the loss. All of the families have felt a
[99:21]
Family Member / News Reporter
million kindnesses that have been extended to me and my family have gotten us to this moment.
[99:33]
Deborah Brashers
Some of us.
[99:36]
Family Member / News Reporter
I think of my mom today, and I wish she were here. Our reality doesn't change after today. Our families are still too small, still missing an essential ingredient, and we are lesser for it. We have been robbed of a life with nieces and nephews and grandchildren and with sisters to grow old with.
[100:08]
Courtney Brown
Sonora lost a sister and an idol. Barbara Harbison lost her world. Her two daughters, Sarah and Jennifer. And yet in her speech to the media regarding the case, all she had to talk about was her gratitude and her love of her girls and the officers who. Who never forgot them.
[100:25]
Family Member / News Reporter
I'm really excited about being here. It's been a crazy couple of days, and I just really came here to say, full of gratitude. It has been so long, and all we ever wanted for this case was the truth. We never wanted anyone to go to jail or be charged with anything that they did not do. Vengeance was never it. It was always the truth. And I'm here to really talk about the police department and how involved and supportive they have been from the very beginning. We have Mike Huckabee, and please keep him in your prayers. His health is bad, and him and John Jones. They were the first people that we fell in love with on the force because they told us about what had happened. And starting with those guys 34 years ago, they were been in our lives and our families all of this time. And every, every officer that I see in Austin that has been there for us and loved us and what they have done. People don't understand how hard they work. Everybody is concerned for the solving of the case. Everybody was concerned about all of us here because they know the tragedy was so painful and continues to be. But I really just came to say thank you for the Austin police department and all the love and support that you have given us over these 34 years. And I thank you for that.
[101:59]
Colin Brown
Then there's Shawn, the older brother of Amy, who fought alongside his wife Angie for justice for her.
[102:05]
Law Enforcement Official / Family Member
Thank you to every law enforcement officer from multiple local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Thank you to all the labs and their employees. Thank you to all the experts that
[102:18]
Colin Brown
had a hand in this.
[102:20]
Law Enforcement Official / Family Member
The result you see today is when you have an army of people working together to reach a common goal, not for themselves, but for the victims and their families. Thank you to all of you this day. I was never sure what's going to get here. This chapter will close soon, but we're just getting started. You will see.
[102:44]
Courtney Brown
And that is where the story stands today. And to tell you the truth, it doesn't even feel real. Giving you this update. I remember me and Colin were talking over dinner one night years ago, and he asked me, if you could have one mystery solved, what would it be? And my answer was this. The yogurt shop murders. I'm so relieved that not only did their family families have answers, but so do the families of eight other victims. And I think if this story tells us anything, it's that both true evil and true unconditional love exist in the world at depths that are hard to comprehend. Robert Brashers was a sadistic predator who never had to pay for his crimes. He drifted around the United States, killing at random, taking what he pleased without any regard for anyone but himself. He murdered eight women and young girls, raped, assaulted and traumatized several others who survived his attacks. And no one had any idea it was him until nearly two decades after his death. That's where we see the true evil of humanity. But on the other hand, we see the true unconditional love. The families of Robert's victims never stopped fighting. They pushed for the answers. The billboards, the justice. They badgered police departments, urged them to try new technology and kept in relentless contact with the officers on the case. In the end, it paid off. And though the yogurt shop murders have been solved, the families of the victimsspecifically, Sean and Angie Ayers aren't done because they want a question answered. How many other victims did Robert Brashers have? Crime scenes where he used to used different guns? Or scenes where he didn't leave his DNA behind at all? Robert's own daughter, Deborah, believes that there is more to her father's story. She said, quote, there's no telling where it's going to end up. And that's the scary part, end quote. And as horrifying as that is, I think we can find hope in the fact that with each and every year, it's getting harder and harder to get away with these violent crimes. And with advancements in technology, monsters like Robert Brasher's won't be able to stay in the shadows forever.
[104:54]
Colin Brown
The yogurt shop murders will always be part of Austin's history. The pain from that night and its aftermath will never go away. But with the knowledge we have now, we can share some peace. God bless Amy, Jennifer, Sarah, and Eliza. They will always be a part of our city's identity. God bless their families, and God bless Austin. For today's episode, we'll be making a donation to Justice Drive, which is dedicated to helping law enforcement agencies, victim advocates and concerned citizens raise funds to advance criminal investigations. Hey everybody, Colin here. Thank you so much for listening to today's episode of Murder in America. And wow, this is definitely a full circle moment. The Austin yogurt shop murders was the case that Courtney and I decided to tackle for our very first episode of the show. And back when we started the show in 2021, there were no leads, there was no movement in the investigation at that point. This was just an unsolved mystery that we all thought would probably remain an unsolved mystery forever. However, we're so incredibly happy that this thing was finally solved and it's a great feeling to know that justice was finally served in its own way 30 plus years later. If you guys want to help support the show, don't forget to leave us a five star review wherever you listen to this podcast, whether it's Apple podcast, podcasts, Spotify, or somewhere else. And don't forget to follow us on Instagram Murder in America to see photos from every case that we cover here on the show. Anyways, y', all, thank you so much for listening. This was a very full circle episode for Courtney and I both to record. If you're listening on Friday, we hope you guys have a great weekend. Thank you all for tuning in, and I'll catch you all in the next one.

EP. 253 - TEXAS: AUSTIN YOGURT SHOP MURDERS PART 2: THE MONSTER IN PLAIN SIGHT

EP. 253 - TEXAS: AUSTIN YOGURT SHOP MURDERS PART 2: THE MONSTER IN PLAIN SIGHT

Murder In America – EP. 253: TEXAS: AUSTIN YOGURT SHOP MURDERS PART 2: THE MONSTER IN PLAIN SIGHT

Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Who Was Robert Eugene Brashers?

2. Escalation to Violence

3. Pattern of Serial Offenses

4. Infamous Austin Yogurt Shop Murders (1991, Texas)

5. His Double Life and Family

6. Demise and Aftermath

7. Justice Through Science & Exoneration

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timeline of Key Events (Timestamps)

Thematic Highlights

Interwoven Evils and Failures

Duality of Human Nature

Legacy & Ongoing Questions

Summary Table of Confirmed Victims

Takeaways & Reflection

Murder In America – EP. 253: TEXAS: AUSTIN YOGURT SHOP MURDERS PART 2: THE MONSTER IN PLAIN SIGHT

Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Who Was Robert Eugene Brashers?

2. Escalation to Violence

3. Pattern of Serial Offenses

4. Infamous Austin Yogurt Shop Murders (1991, Texas)

5. His Double Life and Family

6. Demise and Aftermath

7. Justice Through Science & Exoneration

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timeline of Key Events (Timestamps)

Thematic Highlights

Interwoven Evils and Failures

Duality of Human Nature

Legacy & Ongoing Questions

Summary Table of Confirmed Victims

Takeaways & Reflection