Robert Eugene Brashers
Serial Killer and Rapist
CLASSIFICATION: Serial Homicide
LOCATION
Austin, Texas
TIME PERIOD
1990-1998
VICTIMS
7 confirmed
Robert Eugene Brashers, an American serial killer and rapist, is linked to at least seven murders committed between 1990 and 1998 across Missouri, South Carolina, and Texas. He died by suicide on January 19, 1999, in Kennett, Missouri, to evade arrest for an unrelated crime. Brashers remained unidentified as a suspect in his murders until advances in investigative genetic genealogy led to his identification as the perpetrator of the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders on September 26, 2025. Despite his criminal history, which included attempted murder and aggravated battery, he was not apprehended for his serial crimes during his lifetime.
Robert Eugene Brashers is believed to have committed at least seven murders across multiple states, and there is speculation that he may have been involved in other unsolved cases due to his criminal history and the timeframe of his activities. Investigators and the public have theorized that his suicide was a desperate attempt to evade capture for his crimes, and advances in genetic genealogy have led to renewed interest in linking him to the infamous Austin yogurt shop murders in 1991. Furthermore, there is a belief that his relatively obscure life may have allowed him to evade law enforcement for years, raising questions about how many other victims he may have had.
The Shadow of Secrets: The Life and Crimes of Robert Eugene Brashers
Early Life and Background
Robert Eugene Brashers entered the world on March 13, 1958, in Newport News, Virginia. Born to Doulis and Nancy Brashers as the younger of two children, his childhood was spent in the tranquil setting of Huntsville, Alabama. There, Brashers appeared to lead an untroubled life, avoiding any brushes with the law during his teenage years. He abstained from drugs and alcohol, and after graduating, he served his country, enlisting first in the Army and later in the Navy.
After leaving military service in the early 1980s, Brashers found himself in the vibrant city of New Orleans, Louisiana. However, by the mid-1980s, he had relocated once more, this time to Fort Myers, Florida. By the early 1990s, he had married and fathered a daughter in 1991, later adopting two other girls, forming a seemingly normal family life. Yet beneath this facade lay a man with dark intentions.
The Crimes Begin: Attack on Michelle Wilkerson
The veil of normalcy began to slip on a November night in 1985. In the quiet town of Port St. Lucie, 24-year-old Michelle Wilkerson became Brashers' first known victim. He convinced her to join him at a bar in Fort Pierce, and after consuming six Budweisers, he drove her to a secluded alley near a citrus grove. There, he attempted to force himself on her. When Wilkerson rejected his advances and tried to escape, Brashers shot her twice—in the neck and head. Miraculously, she survived, managing to escape and hide in a roadside culvert.
As Brashers fled, discarding his weapon in the sea, Wilkerson summoned the strength to seek help at a nearby apartment complex. She provided police with a detailed description of her attacker and his vehicle. Soon after, Brashers was found wandering the beach, arrested, and charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery, and firearm use during a crime. Convicted in 1986, he received a 12-year prison sentence, but due to lenient laws, he was released early for good conduct on May 4, 1989.
Escalation of Violence: Post-Release Crimes
Once free, Brashers drifted across South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia, frequently changing his location. On February 18, 1992, in Cobb County, Georgia, he was arrested for grand theft auto and illegal weapon possession. A search of his belongings revealed a disturbing collection: a police jacket, lock-picking tools, a radio scanner, and a fake Tennessee driver's license. To avoid a lengthy sentence, he struck a plea deal, admitting guilt to the most serious charge while the others were dropped, leading to a five-year prison term. He served this sentence in full, gaining release in February 1997.
Yet, the pattern of crime continued. On April 12, 1998, Brashers attempted to break into a woman's home in Paragould, Arkansas, where he had previously worked. He cut the home's wires and was armed, with locksmithing tools and a video camera in tow. Though arrested, he was released on bail shortly after.
The Final Stand: Brashers' Suicide
January 13, 1999, marked a turning point. Police in Kennett, Missouri, discovered a stolen vehicle at a local Super 8 hotel, linking it to Brashers. As officers attempted to apprehend him, a standoff ensued. Brashers barricaded himself in a room, holding his wife, daughter, and stepdaughters hostage. After four tense hours, he released them and turned the gun on himself. He lingered in critical condition for six days before succumbing to his self-inflicted injuries on January 19, 1999. His death was ruled a suicide.
Unmasking the Killer: The Role of Investigative Genetic Genealogy
For years, Robert Brashers' name lay buried in obscurity until 2018. CeCe Moore, a genealogist with Parabon NanoLabs, used investigative genetic genealogy to unearth his dark legacy. DNA extracted from his remains confirmed his involvement in several heinous crimes dating back to 1990.
The DNA trail led to Genevieve "Jenny" Zitricki, murdered in her Greenville, South Carolina apartment on April 5, 1990. Bludgeoned, raped, and strangled with pantyhose, her body was submerged in a bathtub, with the words "don't fuck with my family" scrawled on the mirror. Although a DNA sample was isolated in 1995, it wasn't until 2018 that Brashers was identified as the killer, placing him in Greenville at the time of Zitricki's death.
His DNA also linked him to the brutal March 28, 1998, murders of Sherri Scherer and her 12-year-old daughter Megan in Portageville, Missouri. After tying and raping Megan, Brashers shot both victims with a .22 caliber gun. He then attempted to assault another woman in Dyersburg, Tennessee, but fled when she resisted. Ballistic evidence later confirmed the same gun was used, connecting Brashers to the crime.
Further DNA analysis revealed his involvement in the March 11, 1997, rape of a 14-year-old girl in Memphis, Tennessee. Armed with a revolver, Brashers had forced his way into the home, tying up the occupants before committing the assault.
The 1991 Austin Yogurt Shop Murders
Decades after his suicide, on September 26, 2025, Robert Brashers was identified as the perpetrator of the notorious 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders. On December 6, 1991, four teenage girls were tied up, raped, and murdered in an "I Can't Believe It's Yogurt!" shop in Austin, Texas. Their bodies were set ablaze, erasing much of the evidence. However, a partial Y-STR DNA profile from a victim's vaginal swab, combined with ballistic evidence from a bullet casing, matched Brashers' suicide weapon, conclusively linking him to the crime.
The Daughter's Revelation
In February 2019, Deborah Brashers, Robert's 27-year-old daughter, spoke to reporters, shedding light on her father's life. Recalling his return in 1997 after a prison stint, she described him as sometimes aggressive, even injuring her stepfather with a drill. Disturbingly, Brashers recorded himself inflicting minor wounds on his own body. Deborah suggested her mother, Dorothy, who passed away in December 2018, was aware of Brashers' criminal past, instructing the family to use a different name for him.
Deborah noted a deterioration in his mental health around April 1998, corresponding with his lengthy absences due to his construction job, raising the possibility of more unconfirmed crimes during this period.
Media Exposure
The chilling tale of Robert Brashers gained renewed attention through modern media. Genetic detective CeCe Moore detailed his identification on ABC's The Genetic Detective in June 2020. In September 2021, Brashers' daughter shared her story on the series Evil Lives Here, providing further insight into the harrowing life of a serial killer's family.
List of Confirmed Victims
- Michelle Wilkerson, 24, November 22, 1985, Fort Pierce, Florida - Attempted murder
- Genevieve Zitricki, 28, April 5, 1990, Greenville, South Carolina - Murder, rape
- Amy Ayers, 13, December 6, 1991, Austin, Texas - Murder, rape
- Eliza Thomas, 17, December 6, 1991, Austin, Texas - Murder
- Jennifer Harbison, 17, December 6, 1991, Austin, Texas - Murder
- Sarah Harbison, 15, December 6, 1991, Austin, Texas - Murder
- Unnamed victim, 14, March 11, 1997, Memphis, Tennessee - Rape
- Megan Scherer, 12, March 28, 1998, Portageville, Missouri - Murder, rape
- Sherri Scherer, 38, March 28, 1998, Portageville, Missouri - Murder
- Unnamed victim, 25, Dyersburg, Tennessee - Attempted assault
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Attempted Murder of Michelle Wilkerson
Robert Brashers shot Michelle Wilkerson after an attempted sexual assault.
Released from Prison
Brashers was released from prison after serving time for attempted murder.
Murder of Genevieve Zitricki
Brashers murdered and raped Genevieve Zitricki in Greenville, South Carolina.
Yogurt Shop Murders
Brashers committed the murders of four teenage girls in an Austin yogurt shop.
Double Murder of Scherers
Brashers murdered Sherri and Megan Scherer in Portageville, Missouri.
Brashers' Death
Brashers died by suicide after a standoff with police in Kennett, Missouri.
Exhumation of Brashers' Remains
Brashers' remains were exhumed for DNA testing linking him to multiple murders.
Identified as Yogurt Shop Killer
Brashers was identified as the perpetrator of the 1991 yogurt shop murders.
Robert Eugene Brashers, an American serial killer and rapist, is linked to at least seven murders committed between 1990 and 1998 across Missouri, South Carolina, and Texas. He died by suicide on January 19, 1999, in Kennett, Missouri, to evade arrest for an unrelated crime. Brashers remained unidentified as a suspect in his murders until advances in investigative genetic genealogy led to his identification as the perpetrator of the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders on September 26, 2025. Despite his criminal history, which included attempted murder and aggravated battery, he was not apprehended for his serial crimes during his lifetime.
Robert Eugene Brashers is believed to have committed at least seven murders across multiple states, and there is speculation that he may have been involved in other unsolved cases due to his criminal history and the timeframe of his activities. Investigators and the public have theorized that his suicide was a desperate attempt to evade capture for his crimes, and advances in genetic genealogy have led to renewed interest in linking him to the infamous Austin yogurt shop murders in 1991. Furthermore, there is a belief that his relatively obscure life may have allowed him to evade law enforcement for years, raising questions about how many other victims he may have had.
The Shadow of Secrets: The Life and Crimes of Robert Eugene Brashers
Early Life and Background
Robert Eugene Brashers entered the world on March 13, 1958, in Newport News, Virginia. Born to Doulis and Nancy Brashers as the younger of two children, his childhood was spent in the tranquil setting of Huntsville, Alabama. There, Brashers appeared to lead an untroubled life, avoiding any brushes with the law during his teenage years. He abstained from drugs and alcohol, and after graduating, he served his country, enlisting first in the Army and later in the Navy.
After leaving military service in the early 1980s, Brashers found himself in the vibrant city of New Orleans, Louisiana. However, by the mid-1980s, he had relocated once more, this time to Fort Myers, Florida. By the early 1990s, he had married and fathered a daughter in 1991, later adopting two other girls, forming a seemingly normal family life. Yet beneath this facade lay a man with dark intentions.
The Crimes Begin: Attack on Michelle Wilkerson
The veil of normalcy began to slip on a November night in 1985. In the quiet town of Port St. Lucie, 24-year-old Michelle Wilkerson became Brashers' first known victim. He convinced her to join him at a bar in Fort Pierce, and after consuming six Budweisers, he drove her to a secluded alley near a citrus grove. There, he attempted to force himself on her. When Wilkerson rejected his advances and tried to escape, Brashers shot her twice—in the neck and head. Miraculously, she survived, managing to escape and hide in a roadside culvert.
As Brashers fled, discarding his weapon in the sea, Wilkerson summoned the strength to seek help at a nearby apartment complex. She provided police with a detailed description of her attacker and his vehicle. Soon after, Brashers was found wandering the beach, arrested, and charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery, and firearm use during a crime. Convicted in 1986, he received a 12-year prison sentence, but due to lenient laws, he was released early for good conduct on May 4, 1989.
Escalation of Violence: Post-Release Crimes
Once free, Brashers drifted across South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia, frequently changing his location. On February 18, 1992, in Cobb County, Georgia, he was arrested for grand theft auto and illegal weapon possession. A search of his belongings revealed a disturbing collection: a police jacket, lock-picking tools, a radio scanner, and a fake Tennessee driver's license. To avoid a lengthy sentence, he struck a plea deal, admitting guilt to the most serious charge while the others were dropped, leading to a five-year prison term. He served this sentence in full, gaining release in February 1997.
Yet, the pattern of crime continued. On April 12, 1998, Brashers attempted to break into a woman's home in Paragould, Arkansas, where he had previously worked. He cut the home's wires and was armed, with locksmithing tools and a video camera in tow. Though arrested, he was released on bail shortly after.
The Final Stand: Brashers' Suicide
January 13, 1999, marked a turning point. Police in Kennett, Missouri, discovered a stolen vehicle at a local Super 8 hotel, linking it to Brashers. As officers attempted to apprehend him, a standoff ensued. Brashers barricaded himself in a room, holding his wife, daughter, and stepdaughters hostage. After four tense hours, he released them and turned the gun on himself. He lingered in critical condition for six days before succumbing to his self-inflicted injuries on January 19, 1999. His death was ruled a suicide.
Unmasking the Killer: The Role of Investigative Genetic Genealogy
For years, Robert Brashers' name lay buried in obscurity until 2018. CeCe Moore, a genealogist with Parabon NanoLabs, used investigative genetic genealogy to unearth his dark legacy. DNA extracted from his remains confirmed his involvement in several heinous crimes dating back to 1990.
The DNA trail led to Genevieve "Jenny" Zitricki, murdered in her Greenville, South Carolina apartment on April 5, 1990. Bludgeoned, raped, and strangled with pantyhose, her body was submerged in a bathtub, with the words "don't fuck with my family" scrawled on the mirror. Although a DNA sample was isolated in 1995, it wasn't until 2018 that Brashers was identified as the killer, placing him in Greenville at the time of Zitricki's death.
His DNA also linked him to the brutal March 28, 1998, murders of Sherri Scherer and her 12-year-old daughter Megan in Portageville, Missouri. After tying and raping Megan, Brashers shot both victims with a .22 caliber gun. He then attempted to assault another woman in Dyersburg, Tennessee, but fled when she resisted. Ballistic evidence later confirmed the same gun was used, connecting Brashers to the crime.
Further DNA analysis revealed his involvement in the March 11, 1997, rape of a 14-year-old girl in Memphis, Tennessee. Armed with a revolver, Brashers had forced his way into the home, tying up the occupants before committing the assault.
The 1991 Austin Yogurt Shop Murders
Decades after his suicide, on September 26, 2025, Robert Brashers was identified as the perpetrator of the notorious 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders. On December 6, 1991, four teenage girls were tied up, raped, and murdered in an "I Can't Believe It's Yogurt!" shop in Austin, Texas. Their bodies were set ablaze, erasing much of the evidence. However, a partial Y-STR DNA profile from a victim's vaginal swab, combined with ballistic evidence from a bullet casing, matched Brashers' suicide weapon, conclusively linking him to the crime.
The Daughter's Revelation
In February 2019, Deborah Brashers, Robert's 27-year-old daughter, spoke to reporters, shedding light on her father's life. Recalling his return in 1997 after a prison stint, she described him as sometimes aggressive, even injuring her stepfather with a drill. Disturbingly, Brashers recorded himself inflicting minor wounds on his own body. Deborah suggested her mother, Dorothy, who passed away in December 2018, was aware of Brashers' criminal past, instructing the family to use a different name for him.
Deborah noted a deterioration in his mental health around April 1998, corresponding with his lengthy absences due to his construction job, raising the possibility of more unconfirmed crimes during this period.
Media Exposure
The chilling tale of Robert Brashers gained renewed attention through modern media. Genetic detective CeCe Moore detailed his identification on ABC's The Genetic Detective in June 2020. In September 2021, Brashers' daughter shared her story on the series Evil Lives Here, providing further insight into the harrowing life of a serial killer's family.
List of Confirmed Victims
- Michelle Wilkerson, 24, November 22, 1985, Fort Pierce, Florida - Attempted murder
- Genevieve Zitricki, 28, April 5, 1990, Greenville, South Carolina - Murder, rape
- Amy Ayers, 13, December 6, 1991, Austin, Texas - Murder, rape
- Eliza Thomas, 17, December 6, 1991, Austin, Texas - Murder
- Jennifer Harbison, 17, December 6, 1991, Austin, Texas - Murder
- Sarah Harbison, 15, December 6, 1991, Austin, Texas - Murder
- Unnamed victim, 14, March 11, 1997, Memphis, Tennessee - Rape
- Megan Scherer, 12, March 28, 1998, Portageville, Missouri - Murder, rape
- Sherri Scherer, 38, March 28, 1998, Portageville, Missouri - Murder
- Unnamed victim, 25, Dyersburg, Tennessee - Attempted assault
Sources
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Join the discussion
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Attempted Murder of Michelle Wilkerson
Robert Brashers shot Michelle Wilkerson after an attempted sexual assault.
Released from Prison
Brashers was released from prison after serving time for attempted murder.
Murder of Genevieve Zitricki
Brashers murdered and raped Genevieve Zitricki in Greenville, South Carolina.
Yogurt Shop Murders
Brashers committed the murders of four teenage girls in an Austin yogurt shop.
Double Murder of Scherers
Brashers murdered Sherri and Megan Scherer in Portageville, Missouri.
Brashers' Death
Brashers died by suicide after a standoff with police in Kennett, Missouri.
Exhumation of Brashers' Remains
Brashers' remains were exhumed for DNA testing linking him to multiple murders.
Identified as Yogurt Shop Killer
Brashers was identified as the perpetrator of the 1991 yogurt shop murders.