en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Eugene_Brashers
2 corrections found
After graduating high school, he enlisted in the United States Army; he served in the United States Navy for several years.
Later reporting based on Brashers’ naval records says he enlisted in the Navy, not the Army, and served for only about 10 months rather than several years.
Full reasoning
KFVS’s 2026 investigative series reports that Brashers’ naval records show he enlisted in the Navy in El Paso, Texas on March 31, 1976. The same report says investigators know he was “in the Navy in ’76” for “about 10 months,” and that his honorable discharge from the Navy was effective December 10, 1976. That directly conflicts with the article’s statement that he first enlisted in the Army and then served in the Navy for several years.
1 source
- Chasing a Ghost: Chapter Ten - No Set Path
“We know he was in the Navy in ’76.” “For about 10 months.” … “Robert Eugene Brashers enlisted in the Navy in El Paso, Texas on March 31, 1976.” … “Brashers’ honorable discharge officially took place on December 10, 1976.”
On September 26, 2025, the Austin Police Department announced that it had identified Brashers as the perpetrator of the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders.
APD’s September 26, 2025 release did not say Brashers had been conclusively identified as the perpetrator; it said police had identified him as a suspect and that the investigation remained open.
Full reasoning
The Austin Police Department’s own September 26, 2025 news release says: “We have identified a suspect in these murders” and “The suspect is Robert Eugene Brashers.” It also says “This remains an open and ongoing investigation.” That is materially different from saying APD announced it had identified Brashers as the perpetrator. Contemporary local coverage likewise described Brashers as the suspected killer, not as a conclusively established perpetrator at that time.
2 sources
- Austin Police Make Significant Breakthrough in 1991 I Can't Believe It's Yogurt Murder Case | AustinTexas.gov
“We have identified a suspect in these murders through a wide range of DNA testing. The suspect is Robert Eugene Brashers, who committed suicide in 1999. This remains an open and ongoing investigation.”
- Austin yogurt shop murders linked to known serial killer, rapist through DNA | FOX 7 Austin
“Investigators have identified Robert Eugene Brashers as the suspected killer in the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders of four teenage girls.”