Austin Police Name Brashers, $35M Restitution
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- Austin Police Department announced on Sept. 27 2025 that DNA evidence linked Robert Eugene Brashers to the 1991 Yogurt Shop murders.
- Robert Eugene Brashers, a serial killer who died in 1999, was identified through DNA testing, leading to his conviction for the murders.
- Margaret Brown, director of HBO’s docuseries “The Yogurt Shop Murders,” traveled to Austin to film the fifth episode “The End of Wondering” after the case was solved.
- Forrest Welborn was among the four men whose convictions were formally overturned in February 2026, ending years of wrongful suspicion.
- Maurice Pierce, one of the originally accused teenagers, was fatally shot by Austin police after a traffic stop in 2010.
- City of Austin agreed on May 13 to pay $35 million in restitution to the exonerated men and their families.
- Deborah Brashers, daughter of the perpetrator, was interviewed for the final episode and expressed a desire to apologize to the victims’ families.
Why it matters: The $35 million settlement directly compensates the four men and their families who endured years of wrongful suspicion, while the DNA‑driven conviction of Brashers finally gives the victims’ families closure and validates the investigative effort of HBO’s docuseries. It also underscores the power of modern forensic techniques to rectify past injustices.
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