Was this in northwest Austin near the old NorthCross Mall (Anderson and Burnet area?)

This case is another reason why, as time goes by, I am beginning to change my position on the death penalty. It isn't that I don't think some people deserve the ultimate penalty for the most heinous crimes. It is that our justice system is imperfect enough that an innocent person can be sentence to death.

Someone should go interview Rosemary Lehmberg and get her thoughts on this new information. She was the DA that got the death penalty on one of the innocent guys. She said she was always convinced they did it.

Eagerly awaiting the True Crime Garage podcast update on this. The Captain and the Colonel have done a couple of multi episode segments on the yogurt shop murders. Just a few weeks ago they did updates on potential suspects. Can't remember if this guy was mentioned or not.

Yes.

Yes but closer to mopac on Anderson. Same strip center as the current play it again sports is

Wasn't there evidence that there were two people involved in the murders? I.e., two guns and eyewitness testimony about two men remaining in the store as everyone else left?

If you watch the HBO series, it was heavily alluded to that the guy in charge of the investigation that had an exceptionally high closure rate for murder cases was really just an expert emotionally manipulating/abusing innocent people to confess to a crime they did not commit.

There have been numerous cases to cite where this is a known-phenomenon, but this guy seemed to be exceptionally skilled at doing it.

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/crime/true-crime/austin-police-hector-polanco-yogurt-shop-murders/269-160c495f-9212-420c-ad47-edf02bea3d5a

His name was Hector Polanco. This article was authored just 6 weeks ago. Maybe his ouster is what lead to the break in the case.

Quote:

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"Hector Polanco knew interrogation," former APD Det. John Jones says in HBO Max's docuseries "The Yogurt Shop Murders," adding, "You know, he was the Cobra. You know, he had the reputation in Homicide for solving the tough cases."

Jones was the original lead investigator of the murders of four teen girls at a North Austin yogurt shop in 1991. His colleague, former Det. Mike Huckabay, also speaks of Polanco in the docuseries.

"The sad thing about it is, Hector really is a good investigator. He's a very good investigator. But he don't use it right," Huckabay says. "I've seen him get confessions from somebody that did not have a thing to do with it. But Hector can scare the s--- out of you and make you confess. He can. He's OK with it. As long as he gets a confession, he's OK."

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John Jones was the voice of reason and suffered deeply and personally for this case, and I hope he feels a sense of closure now.

AgCat93 said:

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Was this in northwest Austin near the old NorthCross Mall (Anderson and Burnet area?)

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It was just down the street from Northcross, a strip mall. Had a friend who was a jeweler with his place in the same strip mall. Was across from Anderson Lane from the old Louis Shanks furniture store. My old stomping grounds as I lived in Great Hills, back then.

BadMoonRisin said:

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If you watch the HBO series, it was heavily alluded to that the guy in charge of the investigation that had an exceptionally high closure rate for murder cases was really just an expert emotionally manipulating/abusing innocent people to confess to a crime they did not commit.

There have been numerous cases to cite where this is a known-phenomenon, but this guy seemed to be exceptionally skilled at doing it.

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/crime/true-crime/austin-police-hector-polanco-yogurt-shop-murders/269-160c495f-9212-420c-ad47-edf02bea3d5a

His name was Hector Polanco. This article was authored just 6 weeks ago. Maybe his ouster is what lead to the break in the case.

Quote:

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"Hector Polanco knew interrogation," former APD Det. John Jones says in HBO Max's docuseries "The Yogurt Shop Murders," adding, "You know, he was the Cobra. You know, he had the reputation in Homicide for solving the tough cases."

Jones was the original lead investigator of the murders of four teen girls at a North Austin yogurt shop in 1991. His colleague, former Det. Mike Huckabay, also speaks of Polanco in the docuseries.

"The sad thing about it is, Hector really is a good investigator. He's a very good investigator. But he don't use it right," Huckabay says. "I've seen him get confessions from somebody that did not have a thing to do with it. But Hector can scare the s--- out of you and make you confess. He can. He's OK with it. As long as he gets a confession, he's OK."

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John Jones was the voice of reason and suffered deeply and personally for this case, and I hope he feels a sense of closure now.

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Same here. Jones was devastated that he couldn't solve the case and it haunted him. I hope he finally gets to wear that shirt when he visits the families.

I would love to see his reunion with them but I know I would start reacting like someone was cutting onions.

Bunk Moreland said:

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In a lot of ways it was the beginning of the end of the age of innocence in Austin. I was 4 at the time, lived in NW Austin, and while I don't remember the exact night or event, it was ingrained into our parents' minds from then on. We still enjoyed the best childhood and had freedoms to go play in the neighborhood until sundown without having to report home, etc..but it always loomed over the parents of NW Austin especially as kids got old enough to work, drive, etc.

Hope this truly is the proof that puts the story to rest.

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No. This WAS when Austin lost its innocence. I was the same age as Eliza and Jennifer. I was a senior on the south side of town that year.

Austin was never really the same after that.


Thank God they've finally solved it. I hate that those girls and their parents won't' get any earthly justice.

KingofHazor said:

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Wasn't there evidence that there were two people involved in the murders? I.e., two guns and eyewitness testimony about two men remaining in the store as everyone else left?

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Just 3 nights ago I watched a you tube crime episode on this and was surprised with all the advances in dna that it had still not been solved.
I thought I recalled there were 2 different guns used, but maybe I am confusing it with another one I watched.

samurai_science said:

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The end for Austin is how they changed the election process for the City Council, and its the same for every progressive city and the reason they all suck.


92 to 2005 was peak Austin. No crime or homeless and was still affordable.

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First time I lived in Austin was late 80s. The 70s and early 80s were great.

I lived there 1981 - 1990 and it was a great place to live.

Still can't believe they tried to pin it on a regional manager of a paper company in Pennsylvania.

MsDoubleD81 said:

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I lived there 1981 - 1990 and it was a great place to live.

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Can you refresh my memory of where it was? I thought it was closer to Mopac? But it has been awhile.

MsDoubleD81 said:

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Can you refresh my memory of where it was? I thought it was closer to Mopac? But it has been awhile.

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Just off of Mopac on Anderson Lane. Corner of W. Anderson and Rockwood Lane.

aggiehawg said:

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samurai_science said:

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The end for Austin is how they changed the election process for the City Council, and its the same for every progressive city and the reason they all suck.


92 to 2005 was peak Austin. No crime or homeless and was still affordable.

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First time I lived in Austin was late 80s. The 70s and early 80s were great.

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Yeah I was just a little kid in Austin in the 70's but my recollections of it are pretty great. Austin in the 80's was magical. It was still pretty great in the 90's but the slide has started somewhere around '97.

By all accounts and from what I've read and heard over the years, Austin in the 70's was the sweet spot though.

If you ever start to wonder about the death penalty, do the research on Kenneth McDuff. 14 murders includes 3 teens in Mansfield. We can't allow this situation to happen again.

Austin was a good city up until the 90's but has gone to hell in a hand basket since. If it weren't for a doctor that I I have history with I would avoid it like the plague. Same way I feel about Houston. Sad that we (A&M) even have to go there for sports.

samurai_science said:

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The end for Austin is how they changed the election process for the City Council, and its the same for every progressive city and the reason they all suck.

92 to 2005 was peak Austin. No crime or homeless and was still affordable.

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What was the change?

Did anyone in this thread explain the new DNA technique and if not, anyone want to give that a go?

Sea Speed said:

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Did anyone in this thread explain the new DNA technique and if not, anyone want to give that a go?

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They can amplify even small and degraded DNA segments to make something identifiable enough to do genealogy analysis. The type they used here reads an absolutely MASSIVE number of fragments simultaneously. They can get a complete DNA profile for genealogy without needing a perfect sample, basically.

Urban Ag said:

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aggiehawg said:

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1991. The Hubs remembers that well. Not because he rolled up onto the scene as he was at another station back then but he knew several colleagues in AFD who were first responders to that scene. A few just up and retired they were so traumatized. Messed all of them up.

Now these were career guys who had rolled up on the worst crispy critters, floaters, gruesome car accidents where they had to go look for missing body parts.

But THAT SCENE? Teenage girls? In North Austin which was low crime area back then? Awful. Just awful.

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Wife and I were relocated to Austin in 2000 and this was still a topic often discussed and remained in the media. nine years later. At the time, I honestly thought it has happened recently.

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Yup because they had just arrest those 4 guys. My God what a fubar by the cops then

Hank the Grifter said:

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aggiehawg said:

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samurai_science said:

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The end for Austin is how they changed the election process for the City Council, and its the same for every progressive city and the reason they all suck.


92 to 2005 was peak Austin. No crime or homeless and was still affordable.

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First time I lived in Austin was late 80s. The 70s and early 80s were great.

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Yeah I was just a little kid in Austin in the 70's but my recollections of it are pretty great. Austin in the 80's was magical. It was still pretty great in the 90's but the slide has started somewhere around '97.

By all accounts and from what I've read and heard over the years, Austin in the 70's was the sweet spot though.

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There were definitely an abundance of homeless/street kids in Austin during the late '90s.

The only thing I remember about the Yogurt Shop Murders is after Friday night roller skating we'd have a choice of either going for frozen yogurt or ice cream and the older kids would always mention the murders.

sleepybeagle said:

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I was living in Austin when that happened. Austin was never the same after that horrific crime.

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Me too- in high school at the time. We used to go to the Mr. Gattis a couple of stores down at least once a week for the lunch buffet. And of course Northcross Mall was the place to go back then. Over the years it never went away- my old boss was on the jury for the trial and really thought those guys were guilty, and my best friend was in APD and was assigned to revisit the cold case a few times. I have not read much into this new development yet, but I wonder if the original 4 suspects are completely innocent or could still have had involvement. Back then it was such a quiet, laid back, safe area of town.

aggiehawg said:

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1991. The Hubs remembers that well. Not because he rolled up onto the scene as he was at another station back then but he knew several colleagues in AFD who were first responders to that scene. A few just up and retired they were so traumatized. Messed all of them up.

Now these were career guys who had rolled up on the worst crispy critters, floaters, gruesome car accidents where they had to go look for missing body parts.

But THAT SCENE? Teenage girls? In North Austin which was low crime area back then? Awful. Just awful.

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thanks, Haeh! Where have you been? Weve missed you.

nomad2007 said:

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Sea Speed said:

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Did anyone in this thread explain the new DNA technique and if not, anyone want to give that a go?

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They can amplify even small and degraded DNA segments to make something identifiable enough to do genealogy analysis. The type they used here reads an absolutely MASSIVE number of fragments simultaneously. They can get a complete DNA profile for genealogy without needing a perfect sample, basically.

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So then they have to go to the 23 and me database and find people who have willingly submitted their DNA and they then know the person they are looking for is in that family tree?

stetson said:

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samurai_science said:

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The end for Austin is how they changed the election process for the City Council, and its the same for every progressive city and the reason they all suck.

92 to 2005 was peak Austin. No crime or homeless and was still affordable.

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What was the change?

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Massive immigration and growth as a result of tech boom and entertainment industries.

The story of Robert Brashers is a deep violent story. There will 100% be more victims found. Guaranteed.

I have been able to make contact with a few of his family members. They are nog surprised in the least as Robert was evil. We were working to find out if he is connected to… pic.twitter.com/JsDbZN5qIS

— DASH (@DocumentingATX) September 27, 2025

He killed himself with the same gun used in the yogurt shop murders. This dude is a real POS. Evil walking among us.

Quote:

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The story of Robert Brashers is a deep violent story. There will 100% be more victims found. Guaranteed.

I have been able to make contact with a few of his family members. They are nog surprised in the least as Robert was evil. We were working to find out if he is connected to Austin and why he was here.

We know he was running from the police at the time. The year before he committed the yogurt shop murders he killed 28 year old Genevieve Zitricki in South Carolina. He would run from state to state. Its a big way he was able to not be captured. All his murders were in different places.

His daughter Deborah is in shock right now. She knew what his past held since 2018 but to add 4 more murders is a shock. His family are starting to put pieces together now that he was a pedo.

He married a woman named Rose after the Austin murders. He had his daughter Deborah with her. I am talking to and interviewing her family right now

One of the ladies I am speaking with remembers a night she stayed at Rose and Robert's home. Robert did not like her much because she was critical of him. She says that you could feel that something wasn't right. He told her that night "I would love to shut your mouth permanently".

As you can imagine this memory is causing the woman some trouble today as the truth is revealed about who he really was.

Robert shot himself in a motel room. Him, Rose and their kids were staying there. He was wanted by the police and knew it was over.

The police found a stolen car in the parking lot and traced it to Robert in his room. That night he took his whole family hostage at gun point.

Thankfully the police were able to negotiate for Robert to release them. He shot himself a short time later.

The gun he used was the same gun used in the Yogurt Shop murders. Police found a casing in the floor drain after the fire. Perfect match.

We will have so much more coming up on Brashers including interviews with family and a run down of all the horrible murders he committed.

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Sea Speed said:

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nomad2007 said:

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Sea Speed said:

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Did anyone in this thread explain the new DNA technique and if not, anyone want to give that a go?

---

They can amplify even small and degraded DNA segments to make something identifiable enough to do genealogy analysis. The type they used here reads an absolutely MASSIVE number of fragments simultaneously. They can get a complete DNA profile for genealogy without needing a perfect sample, basically.

---

So then they have to go to the 23 and me database and find people who have willingly submitted their DNA and they then know the person they are looking for is in that family tree?

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Yes essentially, they get broad matches first usually (2nd to more degree cousins) then keep working through those people back generations until a match is made somehow.

Quote:

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"Less than 48 hours after the murders, he was stopped by Border Patrol agents near El Paso," Jackson said. "We don't know why he was in Austin."

The agents ran his plates and found that the car driven by Brashers was reported stolen from Marietta, Georgia. They also seized a .380 pistol from him during the stop. However, Brashers fled from the agents. The gun was later released to Brashers' father.

On Jan. 13, 1999, Brashers killed himself in Missouri with the same handgun. The gun went missing over the years and has not been recovered by law enforcement, Jackson said later. However, he explained that it was confirmed as the same gun by the serial number in police reports.

After Brashers died, he was linked to several other murders across the US. during the 1990s, Jackson explained.

Jackson also spoke about the initial arrests in the case, the court cases, and how DNA evidence cleared those initial suspects. He added later in the conference that he never read or listened to the coerced confessions as part of his investigation.

When he took over the case, Jackson said he reviewed all of the available evidence. He learned that the .380 casing wasn't entered into an certain national database. Some time after it was added, it was matched to a similar casing found by investigators in a 1998 Kentucky cold case.

Jackson declined to name the Kentucky city where that cold case occurred, as it hasn't yet issued a press release for its case.

The DNA evidence was linked to samples held by the South Carolina State Lab, which was gathered from Greenville, South Carolina.

"He is a perfect match to our DNA profile," Jackson said. "He had a Y [chromosome] profile that only 1% of the population has."

In response to a question later in the conference, he said that Brashers did not have an accomplice.

"This is something that could not have happened until 2025 … I'm sorry that it took so long," Jackson concluded.

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Some notes on the press conference held by APD at 10am.

Heres the link to the press conference.

https://www.youtube.com/live/Cx_04qkEw3s?si=f3YAwYL6Q4-4eoL_

BadMoonRisin said:

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Quote:

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"Less than 48 hours after the murders, he was stopped by Border Patrol agents near El Paso," Jackson said. "We don't know why he was in Austin."

The agents ran his plates and found that the car driven by Brashers was reported stolen from Marietta, Georgia. They also seized a .380 pistol from him during the stop. However, Brashers fled from the agents. The gun was later released to Brashers' father.

On Jan. 13, 1999, Brashers killed himself in Missouri with the same handgun. The gun went missing over the years and has not been recovered by law enforcement, Jackson said later. However, he explained that it was confirmed as the same gun by the serial number in police reports.

After Brashers died, he was linked to several other murders across the US. during the 1990s, Jackson explained.

Jackson also spoke about the initial arrests in the case, the court cases, and how DNA evidence cleared those initial suspects. He added later in the conference that he never read or listened to the coerced confessions as part of his investigation.

When he took over the case, Jackson said he reviewed all of the available evidence. He learned that the .380 casing wasn't entered into an certain national database. Some time after it was added, it was matched to a similar casing found by investigators in a 1998 Kentucky cold case.

Jackson declined to name the Kentucky city where that cold case occurred, as it hasn't yet issued a press release for its case.

The DNA evidence was linked to samples held by the South Carolina State Lab, which was gathered from Greenville, South Carolina.

"He is a perfect match to our DNA profile," Jackson said. "He had a Y [chromosome] profile that only 1% of the population has."

In response to a question later in the conference, he said that Brashers did not have an accomplice.

"This is something that could not have happened until 2025 … I'm sorry that it took so long," Jackson concluded.

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Some notes on the press conference held by APD at 10am.

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I thought they also found 22 shells at the scene, leading to the 2 people. Which was somewhat supported by the 2 chairs were still on the floor, not put up for the night for cleaning.

presser started