Travis County seeks to clear four men after new finding ties Robert Eugene Brashers to 1991 yogurt shop killings

February 20, 2026

Travis County prosecutors have filed to exonerate four men convicted in the 1991 murders of four teenagers at an Austin frozen yogurt shop. The action follows a law enforcement finding that ties Robert Eugene Brashers to the killings, prompting officials to revisit the earlier convictions.

Investigators say their work connected Brashers to the crime, and county attorneys responded by seeking to set aside the previous verdicts against the four men. Prosecutors described the filing as a necessary step to correct the record after the new development in the investigation.

The murders occurred in 1991 and left the community searching for answers for decades. Those convictions had stood for years, meaning the men affected have faced prolonged consequences tied to those earlier rulings.

Legal steps to exonerate typically involve court motions to vacate convictions and formal declarations that the defendants are not guilty of the crimes for which they were convicted. In this instance, Travis County has initiated those measures, and the petitions will proceed through the local courts for review.

Defense lawyers for the men have welcomed the county's action, saying it acknowledges the updated findings in the case. Prosecutors emphasized that the goal is to correct past errors and align the criminal record with the most recent investigative conclusions.

Local officials have not yet announced a timetable for the court's decision, and judges will need to rule on the motions before the exonerations become final. If the court grants the county's request, the convictions will be overturned and the men will be formally cleared in connection with the 1991 killings.

The move brings renewed attention to how cold cases are handled and highlights ongoing efforts by investigators and prosecutors to resolve longstanding uncertainties. Families of the victims, the men who were convicted, and the wider Austin community may face further hearings as the judicial process continues.