More than three decades after one of the most chilling crimes in Texas history, investigators have identified the man responsible for the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders. On Friday, police confirmed that Robert Eugene Brashers has been definitively linked through DNA evidence to the brutal killing of four teenage girls inside an “I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt” store.

The breakthrough brings long-awaited answers in a case that has haunted Austin for 33 years.

Who was Robert Eugene Brashers?

Brashers, who died by suicide in 1999 during a police standoff at a Missouri motel, was already suspected of being a violent predator. At the time of his death, he had been hiding with his wife, daughter, and two stepdaughters, all of whom he released before fatally shooting himself.

Subsequent DNA testing connected Brashers to a string of other violent crimes, including multiple rapes and murders in Missouri and South Carolina, and a rape in Tennessee. Authorities have long believed he was a serial offender who evaded justice until his death.

The yogurt shop murders

On December 6, 1991, four teenage girls were killed in what became one of the most infamous crimes in Texas. Victims Amy Ayers, 13; Eliza Thomas, 17; and sisters Jennifer Harbison, 17, and Sarah Harbison, 15, were bound, gagged, and shot execution-style inside the yogurt shop where Thomas and Jennifer worked. The store was then set on fire in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence.

The brutality of the crime shocked Austin and became known nationwide as the “Yogurt Shop Murders.”

Wrongful convictions and overturned cases

In the years that followed, investigators charged Robert Springsteen and Michael Scott, who were teenagers at the time of the crime. Both were convicted in 2001 and 2002, with Springsteen sentenced to death and Scott given life in prison.

But both convictions were later overturned on appeal after courts ruled their confessions had been coerced and, crucially, because no DNA evidence ever tied them to the murders. Both men were released, and the case remained unsolved for years.

Friday’s DNA findings linking Brashers may now close that painful chapter, clearing the names of those wrongfully accused.

Case remains open

Despite the identification of Brashers, the Austin Police Department says the yogurt shop murders investigation is still considered open. Detectives are working to determine whether Brashers acted alone or if others were involved.

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“Our team never gave up working this case,” Austin police said in a statement, adding that they will hold a press conference on Monday to share more details about the DNA breakthrough.

Renewed attention

The case has recently regained national attention following the release of HBO’s docuseries “The Yogurt Shop Murders”, which revisits the tragedy, the botched investigation, and the community’s decades-long wait for justice.

For the families of Amy, Eliza, Jennifer, and Sarah, the new DNA evidence may finally provide long-awaited clarity — though the painful scars of 1991 remain.

A startling new discovery from China is shaking the foundations of what we thought we knew about human origins. Scientists analyzing a skull believed to be around one million years old claim it suggests Homo sapiens – our own species – may have begun to emerge at least 500,000 years earlier than established timelines. If proven correct, this finding would fundamentally rewrite human history.

The fossil, known as Yunxian 2, was unearthed in Hubei Province decades ago but had long been categorized as belonging to Homo erectus, an early human ancestor. However, advanced computer modeling and 3D reconstructions have revealed new insights. Researchers now believe the skull belongs to Homo longi, a sister species on the same evolutionary level as Neanderthals and Homo sapiens.

“Unbelievable” results

The research, published in the prestigious journal Science, was conducted by a team from Fudan University and the UK’s Natural History Museum. Professor Xijun Ni, who co-led the study, admitted that the team was initially skeptical.

“From the very beginning, when we got the result, we thought it was unbelievable. How could that be so deep into the past?” he said. “But we tested it again and again, and we are now confident about the result. We’re actually very excited.”

Professor Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum added that the find “totally changes our understanding of human evolution.” He suggested that fossils of million-year-old Homo sapiens may already exist, waiting to be identified.

A longer coexistence of human species

If Yunxian 2 is indeed evidence of advanced human development a million years ago, it implies that Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, and Homo longi co-existed for as long as 800,000 years. This is far longer than previously thought, allowing for more interaction, cultural exchange, and even interbreeding.

This theory also helps resolve what scientists have called the “muddle in the middle” – a confusing gap where dozens of fossils dated between 800,000 and 100,000 years ago did not fit neatly into the human family tree. By pushing back the timeline, these fossils may now be grouped as sub-branches of the “big three” human species or their direct ancestors.

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Skepticism remains

Not all experts are fully convinced. Dr. Aylwyn Scally, an evolutionary geneticist at Cambridge University, warned that dating methods are notoriously difficult and that the findings, while plausible, remain uncertain.

“One has to be particularly tentative about the timing estimates,” Scally explained. “Even with the largest amount of genetic data, it is very difficult to place a time when these populations may have co-existed to within 100,000 years or more.”

A broader origin story

Traditionally, the earliest known fossils of Homo sapiens come from Africa, dating back around 300,000 years. But this Chinese discovery suggests Asia may have played a larger role in our evolutionary story than once believed. Still, scientists emphasize the need for more data before rewriting textbooks.

A new branch of the tree

Professor Ni compared human evolution to a tree with multiple branches: “There were three major branches – Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, and Homo longi. They may have interbred, and they coexisted for almost a million years. This is an unbelievable result.”

By using modern scanning techniques, his team restored Yunxian 2 and two other damaged skulls to their original shape, allowing for the groundbreaking reclassification.

For now, Yunxian 2 is being hailed as one of the most important fossil discoveries in decades. Whether it truly represents an earlier emergence of our species or a closely related branch of humanity, the debate it sparks is certain to reshape the future of human evolutionary research.

Australia’s eastern states are preparing for a turbulent weekend, as Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) forecasters warn of fierce storms, torrential rainfall, and hail as large as 5cm in diameter. Residents from Queensland to Tasmania have been told to secure property, expect power outages, and avoid unnecessary travel as the weather system intensifies.

Meteorologists say the weather chaos is being driven by a low-pressure system swirling over Great Australian Bight, dragging frigid polar air northward. At the same time, warm, unstable air masses across inland Queensland are fueling thunderstorms that could turn severe.

Queensland Hit First

By Friday afternoon, storms had already begun firing up across South East Queensland, with regions such as Ipswich, Scenic Rim, Lockyer Valley, Toowoomba, and Kingaroy facing winds in excess of 90km/h and hailstones up to 5cm.

Harry Clark, senior meteorologist at the BOM, explained:

“We’ve got a fairly warm air mass in place that’s giving us energy. A trough moving in from the west will turn that energy into thunderstorms. Any severe storm could bring wind gusts above 90km/h and giant hail.”

The BOM has also warned that the system will linger into Saturday, with Brisbane and the Gold Coast likely to see gloomy skies, scattered showers, and a slim chance of more thunderstorm outbreaks.

Victoria and NSW Under Threat

While Queensland braces for hail, Victoria and New South Wales are expected to see widespread thunderstorms and damaging winds from late Friday into Saturday. Gusts of up to 110km/h are forecast for northern Melbourne, the Dandenong Ranges, the Mornington Peninsula, and the Snowy Mountains.

Miriam Bradbury, a BOM meteorologist, said:

“We do have severe weather warnings in place for damaging winds across Victoria and NSW. As the stronger cold front arrives, rain will ramp up across inland parts of the east, spreading into South Australia as well.”

Tasmania to Be Battered

Further south, Tasmania will not be spared. Warnings have been issued for the Western District, Upper Derwent Valley, Central Plateau, and South East. The island state is expected to see bursts of rain, hail, and even snow flurries on Saturday as another cold front sweeps through.

According to Bradbury, the second system will be “extensive” and could bring more than one day of disruptive weather.

The Broader Picture

Satellite imagery from Weatherzone has shown speckled cloud masses spreading across the continent, highlighting the polar air driving this outbreak. By Saturday, thunderstorms are forecast to stretch from southern inland Queensland all the way down to Victoria, with the heaviest rainfall totals linked directly to storm cells.

This severe pattern follows a year of heightened climate volatility across Australia, driven by shifting ocean currents and stronger cold fronts funneling through the east. It comes only months after parts of Sydney and Melbourne were hit by flash flooding and destructive winds.

What Residents Should Do

Authorities are urging communities in the path of the storm system to take extra precautions. Residents are advised to:

• Secure outdoor furniture and loose objects.
• Charge mobile devices in case of power outages.
• Stay indoors when warnings are issued.
• Avoid driving through flooded roads.

Emergency services have also warned about the risk of localised flash flooding, particularly in low-lying areas and river catchments.

Human Impact

While forecasts focus on hail size and wind speeds, the human impact is also a concern. Farmers across Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley, known for their rich agricultural output, fear the hail could destroy crops just weeks before harvest. In Brisbane, small businesses have been racing to cover stock and secure shopfronts ahead of the storm.

For many families, the weekend will now mean staying indoors, with events canceled or postponed. Sporting fixtures in Queensland and NSW have already been called off.

Final Word

The ferocity of this weather system has caught the attention of meteorologists and the public alike. As BOM warns of multiple cold fronts hitting simultaneously, Australians are once again reminded of the country’s unpredictable climate.

Stay connected with Daily Global Diary for live updates, safety advisories, and ground reports from across the east coast.