AUSTIN (KXAN) — Nearly 34 years ago, four teenage girls were murdered at a north Austin yogurt shop. They were Amy Ayers, 13, Eliza Thomas, 17, Jennifer Harbison, 15, and Harbison’s younger sister, Sarah, 15.
After several overturned convictions for former suspects in the quadruple murder, and years of the case remaining unsolved, the Austin Police Department at last linked a suspect to the girls’ deaths.
Police announced on Friday that they’d identified the suspect as Robert Eugene Brashers, who committed suicide in 1999. Police said Brashers was identified through DNA and ballistics testing.
The murder happened on Dec. 6, 1991. Austin firefighters responded to a fire at the “I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt!” shop off Anderson Lane that night, and what began as a structure call quickly transpired into a quadruple homicide case, as the bodies of the four girls were found in the building.
Funeral services were held for the girls days later at St. Louis Catholic Church, where nearly 1,000 community members gathered outside to pay their respects to the victims. When the church hit maximum capacity, hundreds stood on the front lawn, peering through windows to hear portions of the sermon.
Three of the victims — the Harbison sisters and Ayers — were laid to rest together, while Thomas was buried separately at Austin Memorial Cemetery, according to KXAN archives.
The girls became friends through the Future Farmers of America (FFA) organization, of which they were all active members.
The young girls left behind family, friends, and loved ones, including beloved livestock. After their deaths, sisters and friends continued caring for their animals and later showed them at the Travis County Livestock Show.
Eliza Thomas’ little sister, Sonora, cared for her sister’s prized hog, earning the title of champion pig at the livestock show. “Just being determined, trying to make my sister proud of me,” Sonora told KXAN at the time. “I think she would think I did pretty good.”
Other friends of the girls cared for their livestock left behind, too: Melissa raised Amy’s pig, a friend named Christy cared for Sarah’s lamb, and a friend of Jennifer’s, Miranda, cared for Jennifer’s lamb, according to past KXAN coverage.
“This is like my link to Jennifer,” Miranda told KXAN at the time. “Jennifer had a wonder with lambs, so I imagine if Jennifer could’ve worked with her, she would’ve got grand champion, but I’m sure she would be pleased with what I did.”
Some of the $75,000 FFA prize money for winners of the livestock show that year came from an endowment that was established in the girls’ name, KXAN reported back then.
Two of the girls, Thomas and Jennifer Harbison, worked at the yogurt shop together, and they would’ve graduated together from Lanier High School (present-day Navarro Early College High School). Their graduating class honored them at their commencement ceremony by placing their caps and gowns in what would’ve been their seats, along with flowers.
The Harbison girls’ mom, Barbara Ayres-Wilson, talked to KXAN in 2011, marking 20 years since her daughters’ and their friends’ deaths.
“They were much more, who they were when they were alive, than how they were killed,” she said. “They made everyone else feel better that was around them, and they cared about people, and I think this city would’ve enjoyed having them here.”
On the 20th anniversary of her daughters’ death, Ayres-Wilson posted on Facebook, “Jennifer Ann Harbison and Sarah Louise Harbison you are with me as always.”
KXAN also spoke with Maria Thomas, mother of Eliza Thomas, in a 2011 interview. Eliza’s mother recounted memories about her daughter, 20 years after her death. Maria shared details about Eliza, like how she loved collecting rocks.
KXAN got in touch with Eliza’s sister, Sonora, on Saturday, too. She said she was on a plane to Texas and was going to see Barbara, the Harbisons’ mother, Saturday evening.
Community members gathered to dedicate a tree in honor of the victims the next year, on Amy Ayers’ birthday. She was the youngest of the victims.
Her mother spoke to KXAN at the tree dedication. “She isn’t here, but I’ll be able to come up here and see that and think of her, and Sarah and Eliza and Jennifer” – her mom
Amy’s brother Shawn and his wife, Angie, told KXAN on Saturday that they were considering an interview and said via message, “It’s been a pretty long and hard 24 hours. We are still trying to process. There is a lot to say to a lot [of] people.”
KXAN will update our coverage if family members decide to speak with us.
This story referenced previous and archived KXAN coverage on the Yogurt Shop Murders. Previous stories may be out of date.
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