[Breakthrough in Yogurt Shop Murders on September 29, 2025.]
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THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU THAT ARE HERE WITH US TODAY THIS MORNING.
I'M AUSTIN MAYOR KIRK WATSON, AND PLEASE, LET'S BEGIN TODAY WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR AMY, JENNIFER, SARAH, AND ELIZA, AND FOR THEIR DEAR FAMILIES.
ALL OVER THREE DECADES AFTER A HORRIBLE CRIME, TOOK THE LIVES OF FOUR TEENAGE GIRLS AND CHANGED AUSTIN FOREVER.
FOR THE PRECIOUS GIRLS WE LOST, WE'VE NEVER STOPPED SENDING OUR LOVE AND OUR PRAYERS TO THEIR FAMILIES.
AS ALL OF YOU KNOW, THE AUSTIN POLICE HAVE ANNOUNCED THAT A SIGNIFICANT BREAKTHROUGH HAS BEEN MADE IN THE YOGURT SHOP MURDER CASE.
THE, THE DETECTIVES TODAY WILL OUTLINE THE TIMELINE AND PROCESS OF THEIR INVESTIGATION.
THEIR INVESTIGATION IS THOROUGH AND RELIES ON TECHNOLOGY THAT WAS NOT AVAILABLE BACK THEN.
THIS DAY HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING MORE THAN A QUARTER CENTURY AGO.
IN A CIRCUMSTANCE MUCH LIKE THIS, TODAY, I SAID THAT AUSTIN LOST ITS INNOCENCE THE NIGHT THOSE YOUNG SOULS BECAME VICTIMS. TODAY, WE HAVE SOME CLOSURE.
WE ARE DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND A DIFFERENT CITY.
WE HAVE ENDURED MORE, HAVE BEEN DISAPPOINTED, AND HAVE FELT DEFEATED AND DEVASTATED TODAY WITH THE RESILIENCE NEEDED TO ENDURE SOMETHING THIS PAINFUL, RECOGNIZING THE SCARS, THE SUFFERING.
AND WHILE THERE'S NO CHANGE TO THE HORROR, NO WIPING AWAY ANY OF THE WRONGS, NO DIMINISHING THE GRIEF, WE CAN FINALLY EXPRESS A DEEP SIGH, A RELEASE THAT COMES FROM KNOWING THANKS TO ADVANCEMENTS IN SCIENCE, THANKS TO THE RELENTLESSNESS OF OUR COMMITTED DETECTIVES WHO HAVE LIVED AND BREATHED THIS CASE FOR DECADES.
THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF AUSTIN FORENSICS, AND THANKS TO AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN TODAY.
I'M JOINED TODAY BY OUR CITY MANAGER, TC BROAD NEXT, AND DEPUTY CITY MANAGER JOHN FORTUNE.
AND WE WILL HEAR FROM AUSTIN CHIEF OF POLICE, LISA DAVIS, DETECTIVE DAN JACK JACKSON, WHO HAS LED THIS CASE SINCE 2 20 22.
DANA COVEY, DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN FORENSIC SCIENCE DEPARTMENT, DISTRICT ATTORNEY JOSE GARZA, MINDY MONFORT OF THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE.
AND FINALLY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE GIRLS CHIEF DAVIS.
AFTER 34 YEARS, THE AUSTIN POLICE HAVE MADE A SIGNIFICANT BREAKTHROUGH IN THIS CASE.
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST DEVASTATING AND HAUNTING CASES IN THIS CITY'S HISTORY.
THIS UNTHINKABLE CRIME HAS WEIGHED HEAVILY ON THE HEARTS AND THE MINDS OF THE FAMILY, THE COMMUNITY, AND THE DETECTIVES WHO HAVE TIRELESSLY WORKED THIS CASE.
AS A MOTHER, I CANNOT BEGIN TO IMAGINE JUST THE GRIEF AND THE PAIN THAT YOU HAVE ENDURED FOR THE FAMILIES OF AMY, ELIZA, SARAH, AND
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JENNIFER.TODAY MARKS A CRITICAL STEP FORWARD IN HONORING NOT ONLY THEIR MEMORY, BUT GETTING AT TRUTH AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
WE NOW HAVE EVIDENCE LINKING A SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL TO THIS CASE.
ROBERT EUGENE BRAS, THE ONLY, THE ONLY PHYSICAL EVIDENCE LOCATED AT THAT SCENE HAS BEEN MATCHED TO HIM.
BRASHERS DIED BY SUICIDE IN 1999 AFTER A STANDOFF WITH POLICE IN MISSOURI.
AND HIS DNA HAS SINCE BEEN AND BEFORE THIS CONNECTION, HE HAS BEEN CONNECTED TO MURDERS AND RAPES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE ADVANCEMENTS IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY THAT HAVE ALLOWED US TO UNCOVER THIS CRITICAL EVIDENCE, IDENTIFY ROBERT EUGENE BRASHERS, AND MOVE CLOSER TO DELIVERING LONG AWAITED ANSWERS FOR THE FAMILY AND OUR COMMUNITY.
WHILE THIS IS A MAJOR STEP, MANY QUESTIONS REMAIN.
THE AUSTIN POLICE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THE FORENSIC SCIENCE DIRECTOR, DR.
CAVI AND OTHER PARTNERS, TO ENSURE THIS CASE CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD RESPONSIBLY AND WITH INTEGRITY.
I WANNA THANK THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE GIVEN COUNTLESS HOURS ACROSS DECADES TO THIS CASE.
THEY HAVE KEPT THIS CASE ALIVE AND IN THE MEMORIES OF MANY HERE IN AUSTIN.
THEIR COMMITMENT DEMONSTRATES THE WILL TO NEVER GIVE UP, AND WHAT IT MEANS TO SEEK JUSTICE AND TO SEEK TRUTH.
AND THEIR WORK WILL HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT ACROSS THIS COUNTRY WHEN THEY ASSIST WITH OTHER INVESTIGATIONS.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE DETECTIVE DAN JACKSON, THE LEAD INVESTIGATOR OF THIS CASE.
DAN, AS THE MAYOR SAID, STARTED THIS CASE IN 2022, AND WE ARE HERE TODAY BECAUSE OF THE WORK DAN HAS DONE ON THIS CASE.
DAN WILL NOW WALK US THROUGH A TIMELINE ON THE INVESTIGATION.
UH, MY NAME IS DANIEL JACKSON.
I'M THE LEAD DETECTIVE, LIKE YOU SAID, AND I'VE BEEN, UH, ON THE CASE SINCE 2022.
UM, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, THERE'S, THIS CASE WOULDN'T BE WHERE IT'S TODAY IF THERE WASN'T, UM, SOME RECOGNITION TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED ME FROM DIFFERENT AGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SO I'M GONNA, WHEN I NAME YOU, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND STANDING UP SO EVERYONE COULD, UH, COULD, UH, APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU'VE DONE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
UM, I'D FIRST LIKE TO THANK THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE COLD CASE UNIT, THE TEXAS RANGERS AND DPS.
Y'ALL CAN STAND
STEVE KRAMER AND STEVE BUSH AT END.
D**O SOLUTIONS, ANNMARIE SCHUBERT, DR. BRUCE OLI, AND DR.
OKAY, SO I'M GONNA WALK Y'ALL THROUGH HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
UH, I'LL START WITH A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORY OF THE CASE, BUT WHAT I, I'M NOT GONNA DO IS GO INTO THE DETAILS OF THAT ASPECT OF THE INVESTIGATION, BECAUSE IT WASN'T MY INVESTIGATION.
AND SO I'M JUST GONNA KIND OF GENERALIZE AND GET YOU GUYS CAUGHT UP TO SPEED OF WHERE, OF HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE NOW.
SO JUST SORT OF A HISTORICAL PICTURE OF WHAT THIS, UH, LOOKED LIKE.
AND THE DAY IS AFTER THE, UH, YOGURT SHOP, UH, COLIN FIRE, AS YOU CAN SEE IT, IT APPEARS TO BE JUST, YOU KNOW, YOUR EVERYDAY MIDDLE AMERICA RE RETAIL SPACE IN A STRIP MALL.
IT'S A BIRD'S EYE VIEW JUST OF A SORT OF LAYOUT OF THE BUILDING.
IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS CASE, UH, THE CUSTOMERS WOULD BE THERE IN THE FRONT, OBVIOUSLY.
AND THEN, UM, ON, IN THE BACK IS WHERE THE FIRE WAS STARTED, AND THE GIRLS' BODIES WERE DISCOVERED.
UH, SARAH, ELIZA AND JENNIFER WERE, WERE TOGETHER, AND AMY WAS A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO THE FRONT.
SO THE, THE GIST OF THE, UH, THE, THE MO OF THIS CASE WAS THE PERPETRATOR ENTERED OR REMAINED NEAR CLOSING TIME WHEN NO OTHER CUSTOMERS WERE PRESENT.
THE, THE GIRLS WERE FOUND NUDE AND HAD BEEN TIED UP WITH THEIR OWN CLOTHING AS LIGATURES AND BINDINGS.
THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT.
ALL FOUR HAD BEEN SHOT IN THE HEAD WITH A 22 CALIBER PISTOL, AND AMY WAS ALSO SHOT WITH A THREE 80 PISTOL.
AND THEN THE BUILDING WAS SET ON FIRE BEFORE THE SUSPECT LEFT THE SCENE.
SO DNA TECHNOLOGY IS PRIMITIVE AT BEST.
OKAY? UM, BUT THE DETECTIVES BACK THEN HAD THE, THE FORESIGHT TO GO AHEAD AND COLLECT WHAT EVIDENCE THEY
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COULD AND HAD SWABS TAKEN FOR POSSIBLY DNA TESTING OR, OR SOME SORT OF TESTING THAT MAYBE DOWN THE FUTURE IN THE FUTURE.THEY DID IT BOTH AT THE SCENE AT AND AT THE AUTOPSIES, WHICH TURNED OUT TO REALLY HELP US WITH THE AMOUNT OF DNA WE WERE ABLE TO GET LATER.
SOME OF THE ONLY PHYSICAL EVIDENCE THAT WAS RECOVERED WAS A ONE A SPENT THREE 80 SHELL CASING THAT WAS LOCATED IN THE FLOOR DRAIN.
THERE WERE NO 22 CALIBER, UH, CASINGS RECOVERED, AND THE FIRE, AND THEN THE WATER FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, BASICALLY DESTROYED PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WERE GONNA TRY TO COLLECT OR TRY TO PROCESS AS CRIME SCENE.
BACK THEN, THEY GOT THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF TIPS THAT CAME IN, A LOT OF CONFESSIONS FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
UM, BUT IT LED TO NOWHERE AND NO ARRESTS WERE EVER MADE.
THERE WAS ONE CONFESSION, UM, FROM A JUVENILE NAMED MAURICE PIERCE.
EIGHT DAYS AFTER THE MURDERS, PIERCE WAS AT NORTH CROSS MALL, WHICH IS DOWN THE STREET FROM THE YOGURT SHOP, AND HE WAS WITH HIS FRIEND NAMED FORCE WELBURN.
HE WAS CARRYING A 22 PISTOL ON HIS WAISTBAND.
HE WAS 16 AT THE TIME, AND HE WAS ARRESTED FOR THE POSSESSION OF THE, OF THE PISTOL, AND TAKEN DOWN TO THE HOMICIDE OFFICE WHERE HE WAS INTERROGATED FOR SEVERAL HOURS BY DE DETECTIVE HECTOR POLANCO.
UM, AT THE END OF IT, HE CONFESSED, AND THE NEXT MORNING HE SPOKE TO THE LEAD DETECTIVE, DETECTIVE JOHN JONES, UM, AS WELL, I'M NOT GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO THE DETAILS TOO MUCH HERE, BUT BASICALLY PIERCE CONFESSED THAT HE HAD LENT THE 22 TO HIS FRIEND FORREST AND FORREST CLAIMED THAT HE HAD KILLED THE GIRLS WHEN, WHEN FORREST WELBURN WAS QUESTIONED.
HE MENTIONED THAT HIS TWO OTHER FRIENDS, ROBERT SPRINGSTEEN AND MICHAEL SCOTT, ALONG WITH PIERCE, HAD ALL GONE TO SAN ANTONIO THE NIGHT AFTER.
BACK THEN, THE POLICE INTERVIEWED ALL FOUR, AND THEY WERE ELIMINATED SUSPECTS.
THE BALLISTICS ON THE 22, UH, TO SEE IF IT, TRY TO MATCH IT WITH THE FRAGMENTS FROM THE MURDER SCENE.
UH, WERE INCONCLUSIVE AT BEST.
THE PROJECTILES ARE HIGHLY FRAGMENTED AND DESTROYED, OR DISTORTED.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT IS NOT, UM, AN ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN OVERCOME SINCE WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY.
I HAD 'EM LOOKED AT JUST A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, AND, AND STILL THE BALLISTICS EXPERT WAS LIKE, THERE'S NOT MUCH WE CAN DO BECAUSE THEY'RE SO FRAGMENTED.
SO THEN THE CASE STALLS OVER THE NEXT FIVE OR, UH, YEARS OR SO, UM, THE PERSONNEL GETS SCALED BACK.
THEY HAD SEVERAL TASK FORCE COME AND GO, BUT IN 1999, THE NEW TASK FORCE REVISITED THIS MAURICE PIERCE CONFESSION
THE FOUR FROM THE, THE, THAT HAD BEEN ORIGINALLY INTERVIEWED BACK IN 91 OR EARLY NINE TWO, MAURICE PIERCE FOREST WELBURN, ROBERT SPRINGSTEEN AND MICHAEL SCOTT WERE RE INTERROGATED.
AND, UM, SEVERAL YEARS LATER, DURING THE INTERROGATIONS, THEY'RE ABLE TO GET CONFESSIONS FROM ROBERT SPRINGSTEEN AND MICHAEL SCOTT.
THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO GET CONFESSIONS FROM FORREST WELBURN, UM, OR MAURICE PIERCE.
AT THAT TIME, ALL FOUR SUBJECTS WERE ARRESTED FOR CAPITAL MURDER.
IN 1999, FORREST ENDED UP BEING NO BILLED BY THE GRAND JURY, AND PIERCE'S, UH, CHARGES WERE EVENTUALLY DROPPED.
MICHAEL SCOTT AND ROBERT SPRINGSTEEN WERE PUT ON TRIAL SEPARATELY, BOTH WERE FOUND GUILTY PRETTY MUCH BASED ON EACH OTHER'S CONFESSIONS AND IMPLICATING EACH OTHER.
MICHAEL SCOTT RECEIVED LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE, AND ROBERT SPRINGSTEEN RECEIVED A DEATH PENALTY.
THERE WAS NEVER ANY PHYSICAL EVIDENCE LINKING THEM TO THE YOGURT SHOP.
OF COURSE, THEY GO THROUGH THE APPEALS PROCESS LIKE ANY OTHER MURDER TRIAL, UH, WHILE THEY'RE ON APPEAL OR WHILE THEY'RE APPEALING THEIR CONVICTION.
A LANDMARK SUPREME COURT CASE, UH, COMES OUT CALLED CRAWFORD V WASHINGTON.
IT REFORMULATED WHAT HEARSAY STATEMENTS CAN BE OMITTED IN CRIMINAL CASES UNDER THE SIXTH AMENDMENT.
BASICALLY, YOU CAN'T USE SOMEONE ELSE'S WRITTEN OR VIDEOTAPED CONFESSION AGAINST SOMEBODY ELSE IF THEY'RE, THEY THEMSELVES ARE NOT TAKING THE STAND.
YOU CAN'T CROSS EXAMINE A VIDEO.
YOU CAN'T CROSS EXAMINE A WRITTEN STATEMENT.
AND THEN THAT'S WHAT WAS USED IN THEIR TRIALS.
THE TEXAS COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEAL GRANTED A MIN NEW TRIAL FOR SPRINGSTEEN AND SCOTT.
SO IN PREPARATION FOR THE NEW TRIAL, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DECIDED THEY NEEDED TO GET SOME, UH, PHYSICAL EVIDENCE TO LINK THEM TO THE CRIME.
BY THIS TIME, DNA HAD COME A LONG WAY.
AND THEN WE HAD A NEW TECHNOLOGY CALLED YSTR, EXCUSE ME, YSTR TESTING.
THE LAST T TESTING LOOKS AT GENETIC INFORMATION ON THE MALE CHROMOSOME ONLY.
AND THEY WERE ABLE TO GET A PROFILE FROM, WITH A SEXUAL, A SEXUAL ASSAULT KIT THAT HAD 16 MARKERS OR 16 LOCATIONS WITH GENETIC DATA ON IT.
ON THE Y CHROMOSOME, THE KIT ONLY TESTS FOR SPECIFIC 16.
ALL FOUR OF THE ORIGINAL SUSPECTS WERE EXCLUDED FROM THIS PROFILE.
IN 2009, THE CHARGES WERE DROP PENDING FURTHER INVESTIGATION.
THEN OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, HUNDREDS OF REFERENCE SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED, UH, FOR ELIMINATION OR SUSPECT PROFILES.
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FIRST RESPONDERS, FA, FAMILY, FRIENDS, UM, AND POTENTIAL SUSPECTS ASSOCIATES.I, I THINK WE TESTED THREE OR 400 DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN THIS CASE OVER THE YEARS.
SO SINCE 2008, THEY'VE TRIED NUMEROUS TESTING STRATEGIES, SENT NUMEROUS THINGS ACROSS THE, THE NUMEROUS LABS.
I THINK WE'VE HAD 13 DIFFERENT LABS OVER THE LAST, YOU KNOW, 20 YEARS.
THE, THE DIFFICULT PART IS MOST OF THE DNA IT WAS COLLECTED, IS ONLY A FEW PICOGRAMS. SO WE'RE TALKING, YOU KNOW, HEART FEW, UM, CELLS, AND IT'S OFTEN A MIXTURE WITH THE VICTIM.
IN 2018, THE UNKNOWN Y PROFILE WAS RESUBMITTED FOR RETESTING BECAUSE THERE HAD BEEN TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS.
NOW, WELL, UPON FURTHER TESTING, THE YSTR WAS EXPANDED OUT TO 27 MARKERS, 27 GENETIC LOCATIONS OR LOCATIONS OF GENETIC INFORMATION FOR MORE COMPLETE PROFILE.
IT'S 25 MARKERS, BUT TWO OF THOSE HAVE A DOUBLE ALLELE TO GIVE YOU 27 TOTAL.
HOWEVER, THE IDENTITY OF THE PRO, UH, PROFILE REMAINED UNKNOWN.
BUT ALSO ABOUT THIS TIME, WE'RE STARTING TO FIND THIS YSTR PROFILE ON OTHER ITEMS TAKEN FROM THE CRIME, UH, FROM THE GIRLS OR OTHER SWABS.
I INHERITED THE CASE IN THE JUNE OF 2022 AND SPENT THE FIRST FEW MONTHS SORT OF REVIEWING IT.
BUT ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I DID WAS I MET WITH THE GROUP OF, UH, SUBJECT MATTER MATTER EXPERTS ON DNA AND GENEALOGY.
AND, UM, WE SAT AROUND A ROUND TABLE.
UH, THEY WERE HAVING A, SOME OF 'EM WERE HERE TODAY, AND, UM, THEY WERE HERE FOR A CONFERENCE.
SO I WAS ABLE TO GET 'EM ALL IN ONE ROOM TOGETHER.
AND WE SORT OF WENT THROUGH THE EVIDENCE.
UM, I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT I HAD AND WHAT I COULD DO WITH IT.
AND WE KIND OF CAME UP WITH A TIERED SYSTEM OF, UH, BEST TO WORST THINGS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING WITH.
AND THAT'S WHERE SOME OF THIS ALL KIND OF, KIND OF PATCHED.
SEVERAL ITEMS WERE TESTED, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF LUCK.
BUT FAST FORWARD TO, UH, LATE JUNE OF 2025, I, UH, WAS RESEARCHING THE SPENT THREE 80 CASING THAT WAS FOUND ON THE FLOOR DRAIN TO SEE WHAT, WHERE IT WAS NOW AND WHAT WE COULD MAYBE DO WITH IT IF, IF ANYTHING, AND JUST RESEARCHING THE CHAIN OF CUSTODY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT MADE ME GO DOWN THAT RABBIT HOLE THAT MORNING, BUT I DID, AND I'M GLAD I DID.
UM, WHAT I FOUND WAS THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN SUBMITTED INTO THE
I BEEN, IS A NATIONAL INTEGRATED BALLISTIC INFORMATION NETWORK.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE CODIS FOR, UH, SHELL CASINGS.
YOU CAN PUT IT IN THERE AND IT'LL, UM, TELL YOU IF THERE'S OTHER, IF IT'S LINKED TO OTHER, UH, SHELL CASINGS AND OTHER CRIMES.
IT HAD BEEN PUT IN THERE A COUPLE TIMES, BUT IT HAD BEEN A LONG TIME.
SO I SPOKE WITH THE A TF GUYS HERE.
UM, A COUPLE OF 'EM ARE HERE, UH, JONATHAN, YOU'RE HERE.
AND, UM, I ASKED HIM ABOUT IT AND HE SAID, WELL, WHETHER IT'S IN THERE OR NOT, IF IT HAD BEEN MANY, MANY YEARS, RESUBMIT IT BECAUSE THE SOFTWARE HAS GOTTEN SO MUCH BETTER.
I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING LIKE 3D STUFF NOW, SO GO AHEAD AND DO IT.
UM, AND OF NOTE, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT LATER, THE ORIGINAL BALLISTICS REPORT SAID THAT IN ALL PROBABILITY, THE WEAPON USED FROM THAT THREE 80 PROJECTILE WAS LIMITED TO AN A MT BRAND BACKUP MODEL, THREE 80 HANDGUN THAT WAS USED TO, TO KILL AMY.
LATER THE MORNING OF JULY 2ND, UH, THE, UH, A TF SENT THE, UH, THREE 80 CARTRIDGE.
AND THAT AFTERNOON I WAS NOTIFIED OF A PIT OUT OF KENTUCKY, AN UNSOLVED MURDER OUT OF KENTUCKY.
SO I CAN'T NAME THE NAME OF THE CITY.
THEY HAVEN'T DONE THEIR PRESS RELEASE YET, BUT THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE, AND THEY DID A FANTASTIC JOB.
BUT MYSELF, A COUPLE OTHER, UH, FROM THE COLD CASE UNIT, AND, UH, MINDY MONTFORD FROM THE AGS OFFICE, WE FLEW UP TO KENTUCKY TO REVIEW OUR CASES WITH THEIR DETECTIVES.
AND THE MURDERS DID SHARE SIMILAR, UH, SIMILAR DETAILS.
UM, BUT THE, AND THE PRELIMINARY NIVAN RESULTS INDICATE A PRESUMPTIVE POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE TWO CASINGS INDICATING THE SAME GUN WAS USED IN YOGURT SHOP AS IT WAS, UM, SEVERAL YEAR, I'M NOT GONNA EVEN TELL YOU THE DATE.
UM, SO WHAT, WHEN WE DID, WE TRAVELED UP THERE TO KENTUCKY.
I TOOK THE CASING WITH ME SO WE COULD DO A ONE-TO-ONE, UH, BY A TOOL MARK EXAMINER FOR A DEFINITIVE COMPARISON AS REQUIRED, JUST LIKE YOUR FINGERPRINTS AND, UH, DNA, YOU STILL HAVE TO DO THE ONE-TO-ONE TO GET A DEFINITIVE, UM, RESULTS ARE PENDING.
WE SHOULD HAVE THOSE THIS WEEK.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, NIBIN HAS A, A CRAZY, UH, HIGH ACCURACY RECORD, AND IT'S ALSO GETS PEER REVIEWED BEFORE WE EVEN SEND IT.
UM, BUT ASIDE FROM THE MO AND THE NIVAN HIT, THERE WERE NO OBVIOUS LINKS BETWEEN THE TWO CASES.
SO WE KIND OF SAT DOWN AND DECIDED, WELL, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO NEXT? HOW ARE WE GONNA SOLVE THESE CASES TOGETHER, ASSUMING THEY ARE RELATED? AND WE WORKED WITH THEM ON A TESTING STRATEGY OF SOME ITEMS BECAUSE THEIR CASE HAD BEEN COLD AND THEY HADN'T, UH, HADN'T BEEN WORKED IN QUITE A FEW YEARS.
SO THEY HAD SOME I, SOME ITEMS THAT COULD BE SUBMITTED AND RETESTED, UM, INCLUDING THE, UH, UH, SEXUAL ASSAULT KIT.
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LAB AND ASKED THEM IF THEY HAD A Y PROFILE, UH, IN THEIR CASE, AND THEY HAD NOT DONE ONE YET.SO I REQUESTED THAT THEY GO AHEAD AND DO ONE.
SO WE COULD COMPARE IT TO OUR UNKNOWN Y AND SEE IF IN FACT, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME INDIVIDUAL.
UM, THAT SORT OF GAVE ME THE IDEA OF CAN YOU ALSO, WHILE YOU'RE AT IT MANUALLY CHECK ALL YOUR Y PROFILES IN KENTUCKY AND SEE IF YOU HAVE A PROFILE FROM ANOTHER CASE, ANOTHER CRIME THAT MATCHES OURS.
IF THIS GUY'S FROM KENTUCKY, PERHAPS HE'S ALREADY IN THEIR, IN THEIR DATABASE, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN, IT'S AUTOMATED SEARCH LIKE CODIS.
IT HAS TO BE A MANUAL, A MANUAL SEARCH.
BECAUSE WE HAD TRIED THIS ONCE BEFORE NATIONALLY, BACK IN 2018 AND INTO 2019, UH, DR.
CAVI HAD REACHED OUT TO THE DIFFERENT LABS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO DO YSTR TESTING AND RE AND, UH, RETAIN THOSE PROFILES AND ASKED IF THEY CAN MANUALLY SEARCH AGAINST OUR UNKNOWN.
THEY RETURNED ZERO PROFILE MATCHING.
NO, NOBODY IN THE COUNTRY, AT LEAST NOBODY, IT WAS ABOUT SIX, SIX LABS OR SO, RETURNED INFORMATION.
NOT A LOT OF LABS ARE DOING IT BACK THEN.
SO I SAID, WELL, IT'S BEEN A FEW YEARS.
UH, DATABASES ARE GETTING A LITTLE BIGGER.
UM, LET'S DO A NATIONWIDE AGAIN.
AND SO WE REACHED OUT TO AN ALL OF THE LABS IN THE COUNTRY THAT DO YSTR, UH, TYPING AND ASKED IF THEY CAN MANUALLY SEARCH AGAINST OUR UNKNOWN PROFILE.
THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE LAB WAS THE ONLY LAB IN THE COUNTRY THAT RESPONDED THAT THEY HAD A MATCHED QUOTE MATCH TO OUR UNKNOWN YSTR.
ALL THE OTHERS HAD NO HITS AT THAT LEVEL.
AND I'M TALKING, THIS IS AT 27 TO 27 MARKERS.
AND, UH, EVERY ALLELE WAS THE SAME.
SO IT TOOK US A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
THE RESULTS REVIEWED BY, FOR ACCURACY AND THEIR LEGAL DEPARTMENT WENT REVIEWED IT.
UM, IT TOOK THOSE LIKE THE LONGEST TWO WEEKS BECAUSE WE KNEW WE HAD SOMEBODY, BUT WE COULDN'T, THEY WOULDN'T TELL US.
SO IT WAS A, IT WAS A LONG TWO WEEKS.
THE REASON IT TOOK TWO WEEKS TO REVIEW, I FOUND OUT LATER IS BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE DOING IT RIGHT, BECAUSE I WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO EVER ASK THEM FOR THIS.
NO, NOBODY HAD REQUESTED A MANUAL SEARCH AGAINST THEIR DATABASE BEFORE.
SO THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT LEGALLY THEY WERE ON THE SAME, THE RIGHT FOOTING AND THEN THAT THERE WAS NO, UH, QUALITY ASSURANCE ISSUES.
SO ON AUGUST 22ND, UH, THEY SENT ME THE PRO THE INFORMATION, AND IT WAS FROM A SEXUAL ASSAULT AND MURDER FROM 1990 OUT OF GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA.
AND IT WAS, UH, THIS WAS THE PROFILE THAT THEY HAD, ROBERT EUGENE BRASHERS.
HE HAS A PERFECT 27 FOR 27 MATCH TO OUR UNKNOWN PROFILE IN YOGURT SHOP.
I GOT ON THE PHONE WITH GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA IMMEDIATELY.
UM, AND WE STARTED TALK CONVERSATIONS ABOUT OUR D OUR DIFFERENT CASES, HOW THEY, UH, SIMILAR.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS HE SAID TO ME WAS, HE SAID, UM, HE DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE CASE.
AND HE SAID, UH, YOUR VICTIMS WERE THEY BOUND WITH THEIR OWN CLOTHING.
AND THE, THE HAIR STILL IN THE BACK OF MY NECK, AND I KNEW WE WERE, WE WERE MAYBE GETTING SOMEWHERE FINELY WITH THIS CASE.
AND SO I ASKED FOR SOME BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE TO BE SENT TO ME.
SO WE COULD DO A ONE-TO-ONE COMPARISON ON THE Y AND ALSO, UH, TO HAVE POPULATION STATISTICS DONE, UM, BY SIGNATURE SCIENCE TO SEE HOW RARE THIS PARTICULAR Y PROFILE MIGHT BE.
NOT ALL WISES ARE CREATED EQUAL.
SO THIS PARTICULAR Y PROFILE IS VERY RARE.
UH, THEY HAD NEVER REALLY SEEN IT BEFORE, AND THEIR, THEIR POPULATION STATISTICS ESTIMATED THAT IT, IT'S ONLY 0.12% OF THE US POPULATION.
SO NOW WE'RE GETTING SOMEWHERE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BUILDING A CASE HERE THAT THIS IS BRASS, BUT STILL 0.12%.
WE NEED TO BE AT A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT WE'RE GETTING THERE.
HE'S STARTING TO LOOK BETTER AND BETTER.
JUST REAL QUICKLY, UM, MR. BRASHER WAS ARRESTED IN DECEMBER 12TH, 1985, UH, PLED THIS, THIS SECOND DEGREE HOMICIDE, AN AGGRAVATED BATTERY.
THIS IS IN FLORIDA WHERE HE, UH, MADE UNWANTED SEXUAL ADVANCES TOWARDS A WOMAN.
SHE TRIED TO LEAVE AND HE SHOT HER MULTIPLE TIMES.
THANKFULLY, SHE ACTUALLY, SHE SURVIVED AND WAS ABLE TO, UH, GIVE A DESCRIPTION.
HE WAS ARRESTED THAT LATER THAT NIGHT HE WAS SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS IN PRISON.
HOWEVER, HE ONLY DID ABOUT FOUR, AND HE WAS GRANTED PAROLE IN MAY OF 1989.
UH, CHIEF ALREADY WENT OVER SOME OF HIS KNOWN, UH, CASES, BUT AFTER HE DIED, UH, BASICALLY DNA LINKED MULTIPLE UNSOLVED MURDERS AND SEXUAL ASSAULTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO HIM, BETWEEN 20 2006 AND 2017, THEY, THEY KNEW THAT THEY HAD A SERIAL KILLER IN THESE DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS, BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHO HE WAS.
IT WASN'T UNTIL 2018 THE VERY SORT OF INFANCY OF GENETIC GENEALOGY THAT THESE DETECTIVES, SOME OF 'EM WHO HERE, HERE TODAY, GOT TOGETHER AND COLLABORATED ON HOW ARE, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE GONNA IDENTIFY THIS GUY? SO THEY THOUGHT ABOUT DOING GENEALOGY AND THEY, UH, THEY USE PARABON LABS TO, UH, SEND HIS DNA AND BUILD A, A PROFILE AND THEN LOOK FOR ANY RELATIVES IN THE GENEALOGICAL DATABASE.
THEY FOUND SOME DISTANT RELATIVES AND SORT OF TRIANGULATED AND SO LOOKED KIND, BUILT HIS
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FAMILY TREE.AND THEY SAID, THIS BRASHERS GUY'S GOT A VIOLENT HISTORY.
YOU SHOULD PROBABLY GET REFERENCE SAMPLES TO SEE IF IT'S HIM.
SO THEY REACHED OUT TO HIS FAMILY, THEY WERE ABLE TO GET A REFERENCE SAMPLE.
THE DNA SHOWED THIS, YES, THIS IS A CLOSE RELATIVE, PROBABLY A BROTHER.
SO AT THAT POINT, THEY GOT A, A JUDGE'S ORDER TO HAVE HIM EXHUMED OUT OF ARKANSAS.
AND, UH, THEY RETRIEVED BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FROM THE BODY, UH, TO DEVELOP A PROFILE FOR CODIS.
AND IN 2018, THAT DNA TESTING CONFIRMED THAT ALL OF THOSE UNSOLVED, UH, UP THERE AND WERE ALL FROM MR. ROBERT BRASHER.
SO HE'S GOOD FOR THE SEXUAL ASSAULTS AND MURDERS THROUGHOUT THE NINETIES THAT HE NEVER, UM, NEVER HAD TO STAND TRIAL FOR.
UM, SO TALKING WITH THE DETECTIVES, UH, THEY TOLD ME HOW HE HAD MULTIPLE, AND WE FOUND THIS OUT TOO, BUT HE HAD MULTIPLE FAKE IDS, THE GUY HAVING, UH, FAKED HIS OWN OBITUARY AND PUT IT IN THE NEWSPAPER, UH, TO ESTABLISH A NEW IDENTITY.
ALTHOUGH THEN HE WAS NAMED AS A GROOMSMAN IN A WEDDING A FEW WEEKS LATER.
SO IT DIDN'T REALLY WORK OUT FOR HIM.
UM, BUT HE HAD MULTIPLE ALIASES COMBINATION OF FAMILY NAMES.
UM, HE HAD KNOWN CRIMINAL HISTORY IN MULTIPLE STATES.
AND ACCORDING TO HIS DAUGHTER, SHE, UH, SHE WAS INTERVIEWED YEARS LATER AFTER THIS ALL CAME OUT.
AND SHE SAID, YEAH, WELL, YOU KNOW, HE WOULD TRAVEL FOR WORK AND IT WAS GONE WEEKS AT A TIME THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT BACK THEN AS A CHILD, BUT LOOKING BACK, IT WAS KIND OF ODD.
AND HER, HER MOM WOULD ASK HER TO CALL THE DAD BY A DIFFERENT NAME AT TIMES.
SO WE START RE UH, WE START RESEARCHING THIS GUY ON OUR END, YOU KNOW, HOW'S HE RELATED TO OUR CASE? I'M TAKE YOU BACK TO DECEMBER 6TH, 1991.
UH, THE YOGA SHOP MURDERS OCCURS ABOUT 11:00 PM WE START RESEARCHING BRASHERS, FIGURE OUT WHAT HE'S DOING AROUND THIS TIME WHERE HE IS AT DECEMBER 8TH, 1991, LESS THAN 48 HOURS AFTER YOGURT SHOP, ROBERT BRASS HAS STOPPED AT A BORDER PATROL CHECKPOINT GOING WESTBOUND ON I 10 BETWEEN EL PASO AND LAS CRUCES.
IT IS A RANDOM COLD STOP, UH, JUST LIKE ANYTIME YOU GO THROUGH A BORDER CHECKPOINT, EXCEPT THE BORDER PATROL AGENT THOUGHT REALIZED SOMETHING WAS UP.
HE DIDN'T LIKE THE WAY MR. BRASHERS WAS ANSWERING.
AND SO HE LOOKED INTO THIS GUY A LITTLE FURTHER, RAN HIS PLATE, AND IT SHOWED TO BE A STOLEN CAR OUT OF GEORGIA.
IT WAS, HAD BEEN STOLEN ON NOVEMBER 29TH.
DURING THIS, UH, INTERACTION, HE WAS ALSO IN POSSESSION OF A THREE 80 PISTOL.
THAT THREE 80 PISTOL WAS AN A MT BACKUP MODEL.
THAT SERIAL NUMBER, THE A 7 5 2 1 3, IS THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL IDENTIFIED BY BALLISTICS AS THE WEAPON USED IN THE YOGURT SHOP.
HE ACTUALLY DID, UH, EVADE FROM THERE.
HE WAS ABLE TO GET BACK INTO HIS TRUCK AND DRIVE DOWN ABOUT A MILE, BUT THEN HE STOPPED AND GAVE UP.
WE BELIEVE HE PROBABLY THREW OUT ANY OTHER EVIDENCE HE MAY HAVE HAD FROM THE YOGURT SHOP, POSSIBLY A 22, UM, AT, BECAUSE THERE WAS A, IT WAS VERY DARK OUT THERE.
SO HE'S CHARGED WITH AUTO THEFT AND FELON POSSESSION.
HOWEVER, UH, AT SOME POINT THE GUN IS RELEASED BACK TO HIS FATHER, UM, WHICH IS NOT AN EASY THING TO DO.
YOU GOTTA JUMP THROUGH A BUNCH OF HOOPS TO GET YOUR GUN BACK AFTER A CRIME, BUT IS RELEASED TO HIS FATHER.
'CAUSE BRASHERS REALLY WANTED THAT GUN BACK.
HIS YST HAS BEEN FOUND IN THE FOLLOWING THREE PLACES.
THIS SAYS THREE SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS.
OF THOSE OF THOSE YOUNG GIRLS, I, THERE ARE LIMITATIONS TO YSTR.
WHILE THIS GUY LOOKS GOOD, WE'RE BUILDING A CASE.
IT ONLY LOOKS AT MARKERS FOUND ON THE MALE CHROMOSOME.
SO IF YOU EVER HAD A FEMALE SUSPECT, YOU'RE OUTTA LUCK.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY UNIQUE TO ONE INDIVIDUAL LIKE AUTOSOMAL STR USED IN CODIS.
STRS ARE PASSED DOWN PATERNITY.
SO ME AND MY BROTHER HAVE THE SAME YSTR PROFILE, UH, UNLESS THERE'S SOME SORT OF MUTATION.
SO THE FURTHER AWAY YOU ARE RELATED, YOU'LL SEE MORE MUTATIONS.
UM, CERTAIN COMBINATIONS OF THESE ALLELES ARE MORE FREQUENT THAN OTHERS.
SO YOU COULD GET SEVERAL QUOTE HITS FROM A DATABASE THAT HAVE NO RELATION TO THE CRIME.
THEY'RE REALLY GOOD AT ELIMINATING SUSPECTS AND DONORS, BUT ARE DIFFICULT FOR A POSITIVE ID.
IT'S HARD TO GET IT A HUNDRED PER BE A HUNDRED PERCENT OR WITH CERTAINTY WITH JUST A-Y-S-T-R.
IT'S A PRO, IT'S A STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO ALSO HAVE THAT SAME WHY IN THIS CASE, WE KNOW MR. BRASHER HAS HAD A UNIQUE WHY AT WHAT 0.1% OF THE POPULATION.
SO EPTEMBER 15TH, UH, WE TOOK ADDITIONAL ITEMS TO DNA LABS INTERNATIONAL, AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET FROM, WE'RE PRETTY SURE IT'S HIM TILL WE KNOW IT'S HIM.
NOW, THESE ITEMS HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY TESTED IN YEARS PAST, UH, AND WHILE THEY WERE SCREENED FOR MALE DNA, THEY WERE VERY, VERY LOW QUANT AND VERY FRAGMENTED AND DEGRADED.
SO THEY WERE, THEY WERE PRESERVED OF, MAYBE SOMEDAY WE COULD DO SOMETHING WITH THIS, BUT WE CAN'T, TODAY.
WE WOULD JUST BE WASTING THE DNA 'CAUSE WE DON'T THINK WE'RE EVER GONNA BE ABLE TO GET ENOUGH DNA FOR A CODA UPLOAD.
UH, THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH QUALITY OR QUANTITY TO MEET THE THRESHOLD THAT CODIS REQUIRES TO SEARCH.
SO YOU WOULD JUST BE CONSUMING DNA FOR NO REASON.
SO WE DECIDED, WELL NOW WE'VE GOT A DIFFERENT TESTING STRATEGY.
WE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO UPLOAD TO SEARCH.
WE JUST NEED ENOUGH DNA TO COMPARE.
AND THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THRESHOLDS.
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SO WE NEED ENOUGH STR MARKERS TO DO A DIRECT COMPARISON FROM OUR CRIME SCENE TO ROBERT BRASHERS.SO WE IDENTIFIED SOME ITEMS THAT COULD BE DONE THAT POSSIBLY, AND THIS WAS GONNA BE IT.
WE WERE PUSHING ALL OF OUR CHIPS ON THE TABLE WITH US.
THIS WAS GONNA BE THE LAST SHOT EFFORT, UM, WITH SOME OF THIS DNA.
BUT WE WERE PRETTY CONFIDENT WITH THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THIS WAS, THIS WAS GONNA BE, UH, PAID DIRT.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE RETESTED WAS AMY'S FINGERNAIL CLIPPINGS FROM THE AUTOPSY.
THEY WERE ABLE TO GET QUITE A BIT OF STR, UH, PROBABLY GET DNA OUT OF AMY'S FINGERNAIL CLIPPINGS.
AND IT WAS DIRECTLY COMPARED TO BRASHERS PROFILE.
AND IT MATCHED SO THAT IT'S TWO AND A HALF MILLION TO ONE, THAT IT'S LIKELY ROBERT BRASHERS UNDERNEATH AMY'S FINGERNAILS THAN IT IS TO AN UNKNOWN INDIVIDUAL.
IN SEPTEMBER 22ND, DNA FROM KENTUCKY MURDER WAS DIRECTLY COMPARED TO BRASHERS.
AND AT THIS POINT, HE CANNOT BE EXCLUDED.
THEY'VE GOT THEIR DNAS, BUT THEY GOTTA DO A LITTLE MORE WORK ON IT.
BUT, UM, AS AT THIS POINT, IT APPEARS TO BE HIM AND OUR BALLISTICS REPORT IS, UH, STILL PENDING.
SO, JUST A BIT ABOUT HIS MO, HE WAS, BECAUSE THERE'S QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THE YOGURT SHOP COULD BE ONE PERSON WITH MULTIPLE GUNS.
HE WAS KNOWN TO CARRY MULTIPLE WEAPONS.
IN OTHER CASES, HE'S KNOWN AS TYLER'S VICTIMS, SOMETIMES WITH THEIR OWN CLOTHING.
HE'S KNOWN TO SEXUALLY ASSAULT YOUNG FEMALE VICTIMS. WHEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY HE ALL, HE OFTEN SHUT THE VICTIM INTO THE HEAD.
AND IN KENTUCKY, WE KNOW IT WAS THE SAME GUN IN SIMILAR DETAILS TO YOGURT SHOP.
AND NOW SIMILAR DNA AT THIS POINT, THERE'S NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE THAT LINKS SPRINGSTEEN SCOTT PIERCE ARE WELL BURNED TO THE YOGURT SHOP CRIME SCENE.
THERE'S NO EVIDENCE THAT CONNECTS THE PREVIOUS FOUR SUSPECTS WITH ROBERT GENE BRASHERS, EITHER THE SURVIVING VICTIMS OF BRASS VIOLENCE ALWAYS REPORTED HE WAS ALONE WHEN HE ACTED.
HE NEVER HAS KNOWN TO HAVE AN ACCOMPLICE.
AND HE WAS, AND WE HAVE A DOCUMENTED CASE BECAUSE THEY SURVIVED WHERE HE WAS ABLE TO DO A HOME INVASION.
HE CONTROLLED FOUR WOMEN ALONE, TIED THEM UP AND SEXUALLY ASSAULTED ONE OF 'EM IN 1997 IN MEMPHIS.
SO HE IS, THAT'S SOMETHING HE'S ABLE TO DO IS FOUR IN 1999 AFTER STANDOFF WITH POLICE, UH, HE ENDS UP AND HE HAD TWO GUNS DURING THEN, BUT HE CHOSE ACTUALLY THE LESSER POWERFUL ONE OF THE TWO TO KILL HIMSELF WITH.
HE USED THE A MT THREE 80 MODEL BACKUP PISTOL, SERIAL NUMBER, A 7 5 2 1 3 THAT HE WAS STOPPED WITH TWO DAYS AFTER YOGURT SHOP, SAME GUN.
NOW, I JUST WANNA, UH, REITERATE THAT THIS IS, UM, A COMBINATION OF TECHNOLOGY, GOOD POLICE WORK FOR MULTIPLE AGENCIES AND COOPERATION AND TIMING BECAUSE FOR EXAMPLE, THE KENTUCKY CASE, THEY DIDN'T RESUBMIT THEIR NIGHT, BEEN, UH, SHELL CASING UNTIL LAST YEAR.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED UNTIL 2025.
AND I'M SORRY THAT IT TOOK 34 YEARS FOR US TO GET HERE.
BUT, UM, WE'RE HERE NOW AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AMY'S FINAL MOMENTS ON THIS EARTH WERE TO SOLVE THIS CASE FOR US.
IT'S BECAUSE OF HER FIGHTING BACK.
DANA CAVY, DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN FORENSIC SCIENCE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO START OFF WITH EXPRESSING MY CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILIES AND ALL OF THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT HAVE BEEN DEEPLY IMPACTED BY THIS TRAGIC CASE.
I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE KEY ROLE THAT TRADITIONAL FORENSIC SCIENCE AND OBJECTIVE DATA HAVE PLAYED IN THIS MAJOR CASE DEVELOPMENT.
AUSTIN FORENSIC SCIENCE AND AUSTIN POLICE HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY WORKING TOGETHER, SOMETIMES DAILY AND HOURLY LATELY, ALONG WITH DOZENS OF PARTNER AGENCIES, FORENSIC LABORATORIES, AND NATIONALLY RENOWNED SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS LEVERAGING THIS COLLECTIVE EXPERTISE AND POWER COMBINING EXCELLENT POLICE WORK WITH OBJECTIVE FORENSIC EVIDENCE.
I AM CONFIDENT IN THE TOTALITY OF DATA GENERATED TODAY BECAUSE IT HAS REMAINED CONSISTENT.
THAT PREDOMINANT UNKNOWN MALE Y PROFILE THAT WE FIRST OBSERVED IN 2009 IS A PARTIAL PROFILE IS CONSISTENT WITH THAT FULL UNKNOWN MALE Y PROFILE WE SAW IN 2019.
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DESPITE ADVANCEMENTS IN TECHNOLOGIES, DESPITE BEING RUN BY INDEPENDENT LABORATORIES, BY DIFFERENT ANALYSTS USING DIFFERENT EQUIPMENT AND DIFFERENT PROCEDURES, THE RESULTS WERE THE SAME.THE DNA STORY NEVER CHANGED YET WE STILL HAD NO ABILITY TO IDENTIFY THE CONTRIBUTOR OF THIS UNKNOWN MALE PROFILE.
IT WASN'T IN ANY DATABASES THAT HAD BEEN SEARCHED OVER THE YEARS.
IT WASN'T UNTIL VERY RECENTLY WHEN THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE LAB SOLVED ONE OF THEIR OWN COLD CASES AND ENTERED THEIR SUSPECT'S PROFILE INTO THE, INTO THE DATABASE THAT WE HAD A HIT TO OUR UNKNOWN MALE SUBJECT.
THANKS TO THE DUE DILIGENCE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, WE FINALLY HAD THE MISSING FORENSIC PIECE, A KNOWN SUSPECT, AND HIS DNA REFERENCE SAMPLE.
FROM HERE, WE COULD DO DIRECT COMPARISONS OF HIS REFERENCE STANDARD TO THE SAMPLES COLLECTED AT THE CRIME SCENE.
THIS WAS THE PIECE THAT WE NEEDED.
WITH THESE DIRECT COMPARISONS COMPLETE, WE NOW HAVE THE DATA TO INDICATE WITH VERY STRONG STATISTICAL SUPPORT THAT ROBERT BRASS WAS INDEED THE CONTRIBUTOR TO INTIMATE VICTIM SAMPLES COLLECTED FROM THE YOGURT SHOP CRIME SCENE.
GIVEN THE TOTALITY, THE CONSISTENCY AND THE STRENGTH OF THESE DATA, I AM CONFIDENT IN THE UPDATE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING TO YOU TODAY.
I WANNA THANK YOU AND INTRODUCE DISTRICT ATTORNEY JOSE GARZA.
MY NAME IS JOSE GARZA, UM, AND IT IS MY PRIVILEGE TO SERVE AS THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY, AND I'M SO VERY HONORED TO BE WITH YOU TODAY AT THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
UM, WE HAVE NEVER FORGOTTEN ABOUT AMY, JENNIFER, ELIZA, AND SARAH.
OUR HEARTS WILL ALWAYS BE BROKEN FOR YOU.
TO ALL OF THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHO HAVE LOVED AND GRIEVED FOR AMY, JENNIFER, ELIZA, AND SARAH, WE KNOW THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO MAKE RIGHT WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING YOU IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN DURING THIS TIME.
I ALSO WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ATTORNEY GENERAL'S COLD CASE UNITS, ALONG WITH THE FORENSIC AND ANALYSTS WHO HAVE WORKED ON THIS CASE.
UM, AS YOU HAVE HEARD IN GREAT DETAIL, THEY NEVER GAVE UP.
THE COLD CASE TEAMS RELENTLESSLY FOLLOWED THE FACTS AND THE EVIDENCE, UM, ALONG WITH HELP FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND THEY, ALL OF THEM COLLECTIVELY ARE WHY WE ARE HERE TODAY.
AND WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO REMEMBER THE PATH THAT WE WALKED TO GET HERE.
IN OCTOBER OF 1999, MICHAEL SCOTT, ROBERT SPRINGSTEEN, FORREST WELLBORN, AND MAURICE PIERCE, WHO WERE ALL BETWEEN THE AGES OF 15 AND 17 AT THE TIME OF THE CRIME, WERE ARRESTED FOR THE MURDERS.
THERE WAS NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE TYING THEM TO THE CRIME MR. SCOTT CONFESSED.
AFTER AN 18 HOUR INTERROGATION, MR. SPRINGSTEEN CONFESSED AFTER A FIVE HOUR INTERROGATION, AND BOTH CONFESSIONS IMPLICATED.
THE OTHER TWO BOYS BOTH LATER RECANTED THEIR CONFESSIONS AND SAID THEY WERE FALSE AND COERCED IN 2001.
AND IN 2002, MR. SCOTT AND MR. SPRINGSTEEN WERE CONVICTED OF CAPITAL MURDER.
MR. SCOTT WAS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON, AND MR. SPRINGSTEEN WAS SENTENCED TO DEATH.
MR. PIERCE'S CASE WAS DISMISSED IN 2003 FOR LACK OF EVIDENCE, AND HE WAS RELEASED AFTER SPENDING THREE YEARS INCARCERATED.
THE CASES OF MR. SCOTT AND MR. SPRINGSTEEN WERE EVENTUALLY OVERTURNED IN 2006 AND 2007 BECAUSE OF CONSTITUTIONAL ERRORS DURING THE COURSE OF THEIR TRIALS, AND THEY REMAINED INCARCERATED UNTIL 2009.
IN 2009, DNA TESTING FOUND BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE THAT DID NOT MATCH ANY OF THE FOUR BOYS.
AND ON THE EVE OF RETRIAL, THEIR CASES WERE DISMISSED PENDING FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
I WANT TO BE CLEAR, UM, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE LEARNED ABOUT THE RESULTS OF THIS INVESTIGATION LESS THAN A WEEK AGO, AND THE FAMILIES LEARNED ABOUT THESE RESULTS EVEN MORE RECENTLY.
WE ARE SO INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR THIS INVESTIGATION, AND WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO TO REVIEW
[00:40:01]
THE FINDINGS OF THAT INVESTIGATION.I ALSO WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT'S INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.
AS WE STAND HERE TODAY, THERE ARE STILL INVESTIGATIVE STEPS THAT ARE UNDERWAY.
THAT BEING SAID, THE OVERWHELMING WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE POINTS TO THE GUILT OF ONE MAN AND TO THE INNOCENCE OF FOUR, THE EVIDENCE POINTS TO THE GUILT OF ROBERT EUGENE BRASHER AND TO THE INNOCENCE OF MAURICE PIERCE, MICHAEL SCOTT, ROBERT SPRINGSTEEN IV, AND FORREST WELLBORN.
IF THE CONCLUSIONS OF THAT INVESTIGATION ARE CONFIRMED, THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR ROLE IN PROSECUTING THESE MEN IN SENDING ONE TO DEATH ROW AND ONE TO SERVE LIFE IN PRISON.
IF THE CONCLUSIONS OF APDS INVESTIGATION ARE CONFIRMED AS IT APPEARS THAT THEY WILL BE, I WILL SAY I AM SORRY.
UM, THOUGH I KNOW THAT THAT WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH.
WE WILL TAKE ANY NECESSARY STEPS TO ENSURE THAT THEY CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR LIVES.
SO MUCH TIME HAS PASSED, UM, BUT IT IS NEVER TOO LATE FOR JUSTICE AND THE FAMILIES OF AMY, JENNIFER, ELIZA, AND SARAH SO DESERVE JUSTICE.
ONCE THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS COMPLETED THEIR INVESTIGATION AND TRANSMITTED THE RESULTS OF THAT INVESTIGATION TO OUR OFFICE, WE WILL WORK WITH ALL OF YOU TO PURSUE JUSTICE THROUGH OUR LEGAL SYSTEM.
I CANNOT IMAGINE HOW DIFFICULT IT HAS BEEN TO RECEIVE THIS OVERWHELMING INFLUX OF NEW INFORMATION IN THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS.
PLEASE REST ASSURED THAT WE WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED AT EVERY STAGE ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS CASE ABOUT ROBERT BRASHERS.
WE WILL WORK WITH YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE YOUR DAY IN COURT SINCE 2017.
UM, MINDY MANFORD HAS DOGGEDLY PURSUED JUSTICE IN THIS CASE FROM INSIDE THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE.
MINDY, WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO YOU AND I HOPE YOU ALL, UM, PLEASE WELCOME MINDY MONTFORD.
THANK YOU TO ATTORNEY GENERAL KEN PAXTON, FIRST ASSISTANT BRENT WEBSTER AND DEPUTY AG FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE, JOSH RENO FOR ESTABLISHING THE STATEWIDE COLD CASE AND MISSING PERSONS UNIT AND GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE STANDING HERE TODAY.
THEIR COURAGE AND LEADERSHIP TO ADDRESS THIS NEED FOR RESOURCES IN TEXAS SHOWS WHAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED IF WE ARE WILLING TO BREAK DOWN WALLS AND COLLABORATE FOR THE BENEFIT OF VICTIMS AND THEIR LOVED ONES.
I WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, THE MEMBERS OF THE COLD CASE UNIT THAT ARE HERE TODAY BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T STAND UP EARLIER, LL WAVE.
THEY REALLY WORK HARD TO, UM, HELP LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS, UM, WITH THEIR UNSOLVED HOMICIDE CASES.
ALSO, BRENT DUPRE, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO FOR THE AG G'S OFFICE, I WANNA SAY THAT HE'S BEEN WITH ME ON THIS JOURNEY, UM, STARTING THIS UNIT AND ALSO, UH, HELPING WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATION.
AND I DON'T THINK HE EVER TURNED DOWN A REQUEST FOR LAB TESTING IF I SAID IT WAS YOGURT SHOP.
SO I WANNA THANK HIM FOR THAT.
IN 2017, I WAS CALLED INTO ONE OF MY FIRST MEETINGS AS THE FIRST ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY, UM, WITHIN THEN TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY MARGARET MOORE.
IT WAS TO MEET WITH BOB AND PAM AYERS AND SEAN AND ANGIE AYERS FAMILY OF AMY AYERS.
SHE HAD BEEN TRAGICALLY MURDERED IN THE YOGURT SHOP MURDERS, AND I REMEMBERED THE CASE WELL, SINCE I LIVED IN AUSTIN SINCE 1976 AND GROWN UP IN NORTHWEST HILLS NEAR THE YOGURT SHOP.
THE INTENT OF THE MEETING WAS TO TELL US TO NEVER STOP LOOKING INTO THE CASE, AND PLEASE CONTINUE THE INVESTIGATION, NO MATTER THE EXPENSE.
WE ASSURED THE HEIRS THAT MONEY WOULD NEVER BE AN OBJECT TO GET TO THE TRUTH.
AND DA MOORE ASSIGNED THE CASE DIRECTLY TO ME AND EXPLAINED IT WOULD BE ONE OF OUR TOP PRIORITIES.
BOB A AND I HAD A LITTLE LAUGH THE OTHER DAY AS WE BOTH RECALLED THE TEARS IN MY EYES AS WE LEFT THE MEETING THAT DAY.
I WAS TRYING TO THINK, MAYBE HE DIDN'T SEE ME CRYING THAT DAY, BUT HE CALLED ME OUT THE OTHER DAY.
I WAS SO INCREDIBLY HONORED AND HUMBLED AND PROUD TO BE ENTRUSTED WITH AN IMPORTANT CASE SUCH AS THIS ONE.
I PROMISED THE FAMILY THAT DAY
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I WOULD NEVER GIVE UP ON THIS CASE.IT WOULD BE ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS OF MY CAREER UNTIL THIS PAST FRIDAY WHEN WE MET AGAIN WITH THE FAMILIES AND WE GAVE THEM THE NEWS ABOUT ROBERT BRASHER IN 2021 WITH THE HELP AND INSPIRATION OF ANGIE AND SEAN AYERS AND WITH THE BACKING OF ATTORNEY GENERAL KEN PAXTON, THE AGS COLD CASE AND MISSING PERSONS UNIT WAS CREATED TO SUPPORT LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ACROSS THE STATE WITH THEIR UNSOLVED HOMICIDE INVESTIGATIONS.
AND I WAS GIVEN A NEW OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ON UNSOLVED CASES AROUND THE STATE.
I REMEMBER WHEN SEAN AND ANGIE AYS CAME TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE IDEA OF CREATING A STATEWIDE UNIT.
AND THEY COMMENTED, THE CREATION OF THIS UNIT MIGHT NOT HELP OUR FAMILY, BUT IT, IF IT HELPS OTHER FAMILIES, THEN THIS COULD BE A PRETTY GOOD THING.
SEAN AND ANGIE, THANKS TO YOUR SELFLESSNESS, YOU'VE NOT ONLY HELPED OTHER FAMILIES, BUT YOU HELPED OWN.
AND I BET YOU DIDN'T THINK WHEN YOU SAID THOSE WORDS THAT DAY, WE'D BE STANDING HERE IN 2022, OUR UNIT BEGAN COLLABORATING WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT ON THE YOGURT SHOP MURDER CASE.
AND I FOUND MYSELF GETTING TO WORK ON THIS CASE AGAIN.
OF COURSE, I NEVER REALLY STOPPED.
SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE WORKED HAND IN HAND WITH A PD.
I'VE PERSONALLY SEEN THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION THE DEPARTMENT HAS DEVOTED TO THIS INVESTIGATION.
I REALIZED RECENTLY THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE DOCUMENTARY SERIES OUT THERE, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING, OH, THANK GOD A PD HAS FINALLY WORKED THIS CASE.
AS SOMEONE WHO HAS WORKED PRETTY MUCH NONSTOP ON THIS CASE WITH A PD FROM 2017, I WANNA TELL YOU, THERE CAN BE NOTHING FARTHER FROM THE TRUTH.
I HAVE PERSONALLY OBSERVED THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT WORK ON THIS CASE NONSTOP.
THEY HAVE NEVER STOPPED FOLLOWING LEADS, TESTING EVIDENCE, AND TRYING TO SEEK THE TRUTH.
WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO ON THIS CASE, AND WE WILL CONTINUE THIS JOURNEY WITH A PD AS LONG AS IT TAKES AND AS LONG AS THEY WILL HAVE US.
AND AS A STATEWIDE COLD CASE UNIT, WE WILL CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE POTENTIAL UNSOLVED CASES THAT MIGHT BE RELATED TO THIS SUSPECT.
I, I WOULD URGE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE PUBLIC TO REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE OR THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE INFORMATION ON ROBERT BRASHER.
HIS CRIMES INVOLVE SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES AS DETECTIVE JACKSON TOLD YOU.
AND THAT SLIDE HE HAD ON THE MODUS OPERA OPERANDI IS VERY IMPORTANT.
I HOPE THAT YOU WILL REPUBLISH THAT AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN.
HE USED LIGATURES TO TIE UP HIS VICTIMS, OFTEN THEIR CLOTHING.
HE USED A FIREARM MOST OFTEN, A THREE 80 OR A 22 WITH GUNSHOT WOUNDS TO THE HEAD OF HIS VICTIMS. HE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED HIS VICTIMS, OFTEN YOUNG GIRLS, AND SOMETIMES, AS WE'VE SEEN, HE SET FIRE TO THE CRIME SCENES.
IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION, WE'LL BE POSTING TIP LINES FOR BOTH OUR OFFICE, THE COLD CASE UNIT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE AND THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ROBERT BRASHER DIED IN 1999, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT HIM THAT OCCURRED PRIOR TO THE, THAT TIME, IT COULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
AND OUR TIP LINE, YOU CAN REMAIN ANONYMOUS THIS DAY, IS ABOUT THE FAMILIES.
AND SO I'M GONNA TURN THAT OVER TO THEM.
IT'S MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE OUR NEXT SPEAKER, MRS. BARBARA WILSON, MOTHER OF SARAH AND JENNIFER HAR.
UH, I AM, UH, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT BEING HERE.
UH, IT'S BEEN A CRAZY COUPLE OF DAYS AND, UH, UM, I I JUST REALLY CAME HERE TO SAY I'M FULL OF GRATITUDE.
IT HAS BEEN SO LONG, AND ALL WE EVER WANTED FOR THIS CASE WAS THE TRUTH.
WE NEVER WANTED ANYONE TO GO TO JAIL OR BE CHARGED WITH ANYTHING THAT THEY DID NOT DO.
VENGEANCE WAS NEVER IT, IT WAS ALWAYS THE TRUTH.
AND I'M HERE TO REALLY TALK ABOUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND HOW INVOLVED AND SUPPORTIVE THEY HAVE BEEN FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
WE HAVE MIKE HUCKABEE, AND PLEASE KEEP HIM IN YOUR PRAYERS.
SO, AND HE, HIM AND JOHN JONES, THEY WERE THE FIRST PEOPLE THAT WE FELL IN LOVE WITH ON THE FORCE BECAUSE THEY, I TOLD US ABOUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED.
AND STARTING WITH THOSE GUYS 34 YEARS AGO, THEY WERE BEEN IN OUR LIVES AND OUR FAMILIES ALL OF THIS TIME.
AND EVERY, EVERY OFFICER THAT I SEE IN AUSTIN THAT HAS BEEN THERE FOR US AND LOVED US
[00:50:01]
AND, UH, WHAT THEY HAVE DONE, PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW HARD THEY WORK.EVERYBODY IS CONCERNED FOR THE SOLVING OF THE CASE.
EVERYBODY WAS CONCERNED ABOUT ALL OF US HERE BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE TRAGEDY WAS SO PAINFUL AND CONTINUES TO BE.
BUT I REALLY JUST CAME TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ALL THE LOVE AND SUPPORT THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN US OVER THESE 34 YEARS.
AND NEXT UP WE WILL HAVE SONORA THOMAS SISTER TO ELIZA THOMAS.
10 YEARS AGO, MY MOM DIED, UH, 10 YEARS AGO, MY MOM DIED.
I WENT TO THE CEMETERY ON HANCOCK TO FILL OUT THE PAPERWORK AND THE CLERK BEHIND THE DESK WHEN SHE LOOKED UP THE LOCATION OF MY MOM'S PLOT PAUSED.
AND THEN SHE SAID, I'VE LIVED IN AUSTIN FOR SO LONG.
PLEASE KNOW THAT YOUR FAMILY HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN MY PRAYERS.
I HADN'T LIVED IN AUSTIN FOR 20 YEARS AT THAT POINT, BUT IT WAS SUCH A COMFORT TO HEAR THIS WOMAN'S WORDS WITHOUT EVEN SAYING ANYTHING TO HER ABOUT WHO I WAS.
THE OUTPOURING OF LOVE FROM STRANGERS BECAUSE OF THESE TRAGIC CIRCUMSTANCES, HAS TAUGHT ME ABOUT THE NATURE OF HUMANITY.
LIVING THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE THIS, YOU WOULD THINK THAT I'D FEEL WORSE ABOUT HUMANITY, BUT INSTEAD I'D FEEL BETTER WHEN I THINK ABOUT THOSE EARLY DAYS.
I THINK ABOUT MEYERS, VERN LEE CARR FROM PEOPLE AGAINST VIOLENT CRIMES COMING TO OUR HOUSE, TAKING US OUT TO LUNCH.
THEY EVEN TOOK ME A 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL CLOTHES SHOPPING.
DAWN AND SUSAN COX FROM THE CHRISTIE CENTER, LET MY MOM SLEEP ON THE COUCH WHEN SHE WAS TOO SCARED TO GO HOME.
THEN THERE WAS THE MEMORIAL COMPANY THAT DONATED THE HEADSTONE AND THE LINEAR STUDENT WHO PLAYED TAPS AT THE FUNERAL.
AND JOHN JONES, WHO WAS THERE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, WHO STILL ANSWERS MY PHONE CALLS, THE MILLIONS, THE MILLION KINDNESSES THAT HAVE BEEN EXPEND EXTENDED TO ME AND MY FAMILY HAVE GOTTEN US TO THIS MOMENT.
SOME OF US I THINK OF MY MOM TODAY, AND I WISH SHE WERE HERE.
OUR REALITY DOESN'T CHANGE AFTER TODAY.
OUR FAMILIES ARE STILL TOO SMALL, STILL MISSING AN ES ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT, AND WE ARE LESSER FOR IT.
WE HAVE BEEN ROBBED OF A LIFE WITH NIECES AND NEPHEWS AND GRANDCHILDREN, AND WITH SISTERS TO GROW OLD WITH THIS SORT OF MINDLESS VIOLENCE CONTINUES TO STEAL FROM ALL OF US.
I DON'T YET KNOW HOW THIS INFORMATION IS GOING TO CHANGE MY LIFE, BUT WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT MYSELF IN THE PAST TWO DAYS IS THAT MY BRAIN WAS SPLIT INTO ONE PART OF MY BRAIN HAS BEEN SCREAMING, WHAT HAPPENED TO MY SISTER? AND THE OTHER PART KEPT REPEATING, I WILL NEVER KNOW.
I WILL DIE, NOT KNOWING, AND I HAVE TO BE OKAY WITH THAT.
ON SATURDAY, THOSE TWO PARTS OF MY BRAIN STARTED MELTING INTO EACH OTHER.
I REALIZED HOW MUCH ENERGY I HAD USED TO KEEP THEM SEPARATE AND TO CONVINCE MYSELF THAT I WAS OKAY NOT KNOWING.
[00:55:05]
A FEW WEEKS AGO, A REPORTER ASKED ME, DO YOU THINK THIS WILL EVER BE SOLVED? AND I DIDN'T SKIP A BEAT.I SAID, I CAN'T THINK ABOUT THAT.
I WILL LOSE MY MIND IF I THINK ABOUT THAT.
I HAVE TO FOCUS ON MY WORK, HELPING MY CLIENTS AND MY GROUPS AS A THERAPIST, BUT NOW I CAN HAVE BOTH.
AND THAT DOES EASE MY SUFFERING.
AND I CAN CONTINUE TO PASS ON ALL THE KINDNESSES THAT HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO ME OVER THE DECADES AND HOPE THAT I CAN EASE THE SUFFERING OF OTHERS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND WE'LL NOW HEAR FROM ANGIE AND SEAN AYERS.
SEAN IS THE BROTHER OF AMY AYERS AND ANGIE IS THE SISTER-IN-LAW OF AMY AYERS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR LETTING US HAVE THE CHANCE TODAY TO SPEAK.
UH, WE, UH, GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.
I'M THE SON OF ROBERT AND PAM AYERS, AMY'S BIG BROTHER.
I'D LIKE TO FIRST THANK GOD FOR ALL, GIVING US ALL THE, THE STRENGTH AND PERSEVERANCE FOR THE LAST 34 YEARS TO FINALLY HAVE A LITTLE INTO IT.
AT ONE POINT I HAD GIVEN UP ON GOD, BUT HE NEVER GAVE UP ON ME AND I'M THANKFUL FOR THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THE PERSONS OR PERSONS THAT LEAKED INFORMATION TO THE MEDIA.
THANK YOU FOR THE BOMBARDMENT, TEXTS AND CALLS.
WE GOT MINUTES AFTER WE FOUND OUT FROM A FACE-TO-FACE MEETING WITH A PD.
THANKS FOR BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME OF THE PARENTS BEING CALLED BY MEDIA BEFORE THEY GOT THE CHANCE TO HAVE THEIR FACE-TO-FACE WITH A PD.
THANK YOU FOR FORCING THIS PRESS CONFERENCE TO BE MOVED UP.
SO WE ALL HAD TO RUSH TO PUT OUR THOUGHTS IN WORDS UNTIL A MOMENT.
WE'VE BEEN WAITING 34 YEARS FOR YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER.
THIS HAS TO STOP SINCE I HAD TO WRITE THIS DOWN LAST NIGHT ON THE DRIVE DOWN HERE.
I APOLOGIZE NOW IF I LEAVE ANYBODY OUT, DETECTIVE DAN JACKSON TO US.
HE'S JUST DAN, ONE OF THE FEW DETECTIVES I'VE MET DURING THE THIS JOURNEY THAT HAS NO EGO.
A MAN THAT LOOKS YOU IN THE EYE WITH GOOD OR BAD NEWS.
I GOTTA PUT THESE ON A MAN THAT DOES WHAT HE SAYS WITH NO EXCUSES.
A MAN THAT TREATED THE GIRLS, THE FAMILIES, AND THIS CASE WITH RESPECT.
A MAN THAT TURNED DOWN MULTIPLE PROMOTIONS TO STAY IN THE COLD CASE UNIT.
AND ON THIS CASE, PLEASE TAKE SOME PROMOTIONS NOW YOU DESERVE IT.
HE DID HIS JOB, NOT FOR CREDIT FOR HIMSELF.
HE DID IT FOR THE ANSWERS, THE JUSTICE AND A LITTLE PIECE FOR THE PEOPLE THIS CASE HAS TOUCHED.
AND BOY DID HIS, DID HE GET IT DONE? THANK YOU.
DAN MINDY MUMFORD LAST OF THE MOHICANS.
MINDY HAS BEEN THERE SINCE, SINCE THE BEGINNING.
AND YES, SHE TOLD US FACE TO FACE THAT SHE WOULD NEVER STOP FIGHTING AND NEVER STOP HELPING US.
NOT SURPRISING SHE KEPT HER WORD.
WE HAVE LAUGHED AND CRIED TOGETHER, BUT SHE NEVER BACKED AWAY FROM THE FIGHT AND ALWAYS GAVE US HOPE.
NOT WITH HER WORDS, BUT WITH HER ACTIONS.
I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT YOU MEAN TO US.
DAN AND MINDY THOUGHT OUTSIDE THE BOX, MADE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS, BUT THEY COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT ALONE.
WE STILL DON'T KNOW EVERYONE THAT HAS BE THAT HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH THIS LATEST UPDATE.
THANK YOU TO EVERY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER FROM MULTIPLE LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.
[01:00:01]
THANK YOU TO ALL THE LABS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES.THANK YOU TO ALL THE EXPERTS THAT HAD HAND IN THIS.
THE RESULTS YOU SEE TODAY IS WHEN YOU HAVE A ARMY OF PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER TO REACH A COMMON GOAL, NOT FOR THEMSELVES, BUT FOR THE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
AND THE LAST ONE, THE SPARK THAT LIT THE FUSE.
THE LOVE OF MY LIFE, THE MOTHER OF MY CHILDREN, AND A BADASS OF A HUMAN BEING.
SHE'S THE REASON I'M STANDING HERE AT THIS PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY.
SHE'S THE REASON THIS CASE IS NOT IN A BOX SOMEWHERE AT A PDI ASKED FOR HER HELP NOT KNOWING I WAS WHAT I WAS ABOUT TO WITNESS WITH NO EXPERIENCE, NO IDEA WHERE TO START, WHAT TO DO.
SHE STARTED MAKING PHONE CALLS TO EVERYONE THAT WOULD LISTEN.
AND THE ONES THAT DIDN'T LISTEN, SHE MADE THEM.
SHE WAS THE THORN IN THE SIDE OF MANY DETECTIVES, BUT SHE EVENTUALLY GAINED THE RESPECT OF ALL OF THEM.
SHE DIDN'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER.
AND SHE ALWAYS SAID SHE DIDN'T WANNA LET US DOWN.
SHE'S NOT A DETECTIVE OF ANY KIND OR LEGAL COUNSEL AT THIS POINT.
I'M PROUD TO BE CALLED HER HUSBAND.
I CAN SAY I NEVER CAN REPAY HER FOR WHAT SHE HAS DONE.
I'M GONNA SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE TRYING.
I LOVE YOU AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT'S EVER SENT IT AND ING YOU.
WORD BY CARD, TEXT, EMAIL, OR FACE TO FACE.
I WAS NEVER SURE I WAS GONNA GET HERE.
THIS CHAPTER WILL CLOSE SOON, BUT WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED.
UM, I THANK Y'ALL FOR ALLOWING ME THE TIME TO SPEAK TODAY.
THERE'S BEEN A GREAT AMOUNT OF EMOTION OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS THAT NO ONE CAN EXPLAIN UNLESS YOU'VE EXPERIENCED IT.
AND TO THOSE THAT LEAKED IT, LEAKED IT BEFORE ALL THE FAMILY MEMBERS WERE NOTIFIED.
THIS HAS NEVER BEEN A STORY TO US, THESE FAMILIES.
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN OUR LIVES AND WE WERE FORCED TO SHARE IT WITH THE WORLD.
AND THE ONE DAY THAT WE WERE TRYING TO COPE WITH IT AND TAKE A BREATH, YOU TOOK THAT FROM US.
I HOPE THAT YOU NEVER HAVE TO ENDURE THE PAIN THAT THAT CAUSED.
WITH THAT SAID, I'VE ALREADY BEEN INTRODUCED, SO I'M SORRY.
I'M ANGIE AYER'S, WIFE OF AMY, WHO'S BROTHER TO SEAN, I'M SORRY, WIFE OF SEAN, BROTHER TO AMY.
MY JOURNEY STARTED TWO DAYS AFTER THIS MURDER.
I WAS ACTUALLY FRIENDS WITH ONE OF THE HARBISON COUSINS.
I DID NOT KNOW FROM THAT DAY FORWARD I WOULD BE CONNECTED WITH THIS CASE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.
WHEN SEAN ASKED ME TO FIGHT FOR JUSTICE, I SAID, HOW FAR DO YOU WANT ME TO PUSH? AND HE SAID, AS FAR AS YOU CAN.
THAT LIT A FIRE IN ME THAT I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED IN MY LIFE.
I HAVE BEEN HERE LONGER THAN MOST INVESTIGATORS INVOLVED.
I'VE BEEN LONG IT BEEN HERE LONGER THAN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS, THE PROSECUTORS AND CHIEF OF POLICE.
I HAVE BEEN TOLD NO TO STAND DOWN, TOLD TO WAIT.
BE CAREFUL FOR WHAT YOU ASK FOR AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN IT'S DEEMED APPROPRIATE.
AND THOSE YESES HELP START A COLD CASE UNIT AT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE.
IT ALSO HAS HELPED MAKE A FEDERAL BILL FOR THE FAMILIES AND VICTIMS. AND I SAY THIS TO ALL THE OTHER FAMILY VICTIMS OUT THERE.
BUT GET BACK UP WITH THE VENGEANCE.
DO NOT TAKE NO WHEN YOUR GUT IS TELLING YOU TO PUSH, DO NOT GIVE UP.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, DON'T LET THEM PUT YOUR CASE BACK IN A BOX TO THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY, THE A PD COLD CAKES UNIT, AND THE HUNDREDS OF FRIENDS AND FAMILIES HERE ONLINE
[01:05:01]
AND WATCHING.THANK YOU FOR NOT FORGETTING THE GIRLS.
YOUR CARDS AND YOUR MESSAGES HAVE NEVER GONE UNREAD.
AND THEY WERE A COMFORT TO HAVE.
SO ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE REACHED OUT TO THOSE THAT HAVE STOOD BY US US TO GIVE US ADVICE AND A SHOULDER TO LEAN ON WHEN WE NEEDED IT.
THANK YOU TO THE FAMILIES OF THE COLD CASE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
I HOPE YOU CAN FIND THE RIGHT PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO PUT THEIR HEART AND SOUL IN YOUR CASE, AND WILLING TO FIGHT FOR YOU AND WITH YOU.
I HOPE THAT YOU CAN BUILD A TEAM OF LAW ENFORCEMENTS, GENETICISTS, GENEALOGISTS, PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS FOR FORENSIC EXPERTS, DNA EXPERTS, WHOEVER, AND WHATEVER, WHATEVER IT TAKES TO FIND THE PROOF THAT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO SOLVE YOUR CASE.
AS WE DID FOR THE GIRLS, THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY DETECTIVES THAT HAVE COME AND GONE OVER THE YEARS, BUT I GUESS NOW DANNY WILL BE OUR FAVORITE.
HE CAME IN EAGER, EAGER TO WORK FOR THE GIRLS AND WORK WITH THE TEAM HE HAS.
HE WAS WARNED AGAINST HOW INTENSE AND PASSIONATE I WAS IN ORDER TO HELP WILLING HELP THIS CASE.
HE WAS WILLING TO PUT ALL OF HIS EGO ASIDE AND DO WHAT WAS RIGHT FOR THE GIRLS.
HE FOLLOWED THE EVIDENCE AND UNDOUBTEDLY INVESTED HIS HEART AND SOUL INTO FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE.
HE AND HIS TEAM WORKED DILIGENTLY TO FIND THE HIDDEN PUZZLE PIECES THAT WE NEEDED.
DAN, WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR SARAH, JENNIFER, ELIZA, AND AMY, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THAT WE CAN FIND THE WORDS.
THERE IS NOT A PROPER WAY TO SHOW OUR GRATITUDE.
ALL I CAN SAY RIGHT NOW IS, THANK YOU.
THE OTHER PERSON IN THIS ROOM, I'M GONNA MAKE THIS.
SHE HAS BEEN BY OUR SIDE THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME.
SHE HAS SET THE BAR FOR COLD CASE UNITS AND MISSING PERSONS UNITS IN TEXAS, AND TOGETHER WE'LL BE FORMING A FOUNDATION TO FURTHER ADVANCE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN COLD CASES AROUND THE COUNTRY.
FROM OUR FIRST MEETING, SHE SAID SHE WOULD NEVER GIVE UP AND WOULD FIGHT WITH US, AND WOULD BE THERE UNTIL SHE COULD DELIVER THE NEWS THAT THE GIRLS AND THE FAMILIES DESERVED.
SHE HAS WITHSTOOD THE UPS AND THE DOWNS, THE TWISTS AND TURNS, AND THE EXHAUSTED AMOUNT OF TEXT, EMAILS, PHONE CALLS THAT I HAVE SENT THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
THANK YOU FOR BEING A WOMAN OF YOUR WORD.
THERE IS NOTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO REPAY YOU FOR WHAT YOU AND ALL OF THE TEAM HAS DONE FOR US.
THIS HAS GIVEN SO MUCH HOPE TO OTHER FAMILIES ACROSS THE THE COUNTRY.
TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND LAW ENFORCEMENT FAR AND NEAR, PLEASE HEAR THIS.
PLEASE PUT THE EVIDENCE IN THE DATABASES, RUN THE RAPE KITS.
YOU COULD HELP EASE SOMEONE'S PAIN TODAY WITH THE TECHNOLOGY WE SHOULD BE SOLVING MORE CASES.
LET'S QUIT LETTING MURDERERS AND HABITUAL CRIERS OUT OF PRISON.
THE JUSTICE SYSTEM HAS FAILED THE GIRLS NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE DECADES.
THIS SYSTEM HAS GOT TO CHANGE.
WE HAVE GOT TO DO BETTER FOR THE VICTIMS. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR A CONVERSATION TO HELP FIX THIS BROKEN SYSTEM.
I BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO HELP CHANGE IT TO THE FAMILIES OF THE GIRLS, TO MY IN-LAWS.
THANK YOU FOR TRUSTING ME WITH THIS TASK.
I'M SORRY THAT IT TOOK SO LONG.
I HOPE THAT THIS HELPS HEAL PART OF YOUR BROKEN HEART.
THE PAIN THAT YOU HAVE ENDURED OVER THE DECADES CAN NEVER BE HEALED.
BUT I HOPE YOU CAN STOP ASKING WHO DID THIS TO YOUR GIRLS, TO MY SON, TO MY DAUGHTER.
I'M SORRY THAT YOU WERE THROWN INTO THIS.
I'M SORRY FOR ALL THE INTENSE MOMENTS, ALL THE MEETINGS AND FRUSTRATIONS YOU HAVE WITNESSED AND HAD TO BE A PART OF.
BUT I HOPE THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT YOUR AUNT AND HER FRIENDS
[01:10:01]
WERE LOVED AND IT WAS ALL WORTH IT TO MY HUSBAND.I HAVE SEEN YOU SUFFER IN MORE WAYS THAN PEOPLE WILL EVER KNOW.
YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN THE STRONG AND SILENT ONE, BUT SOMETIMES IN THE SILENCE, IT'S THE ONE WHO'S SUFFERING THE MOST.
I'M GLAD I WAS ABLE TO KEEP MY WORD.
I WAS ABLE AND I'M, I WAS ABLE TO HELP YOU AND OUR FAMILY FIND JUSTICE.
AND LASTLY TO MY SISTER-IN-LAW, AMY AYERS, I'M SO HONORED TO HAVE FOUGHT NEXT TO YOU, BUT YOU CAN REST EASY NOW.
I WILL CONTINUE YOUR FIGHT TO HELP OTHER VICTIMS. THANK YOU.
THIS CASE HAS ALWAYS BEEN DEFINED BY ITS VICTIMS. AND THE ENDURING PAIN IS ESPECIALLY CLEAR TODAY.
UH, I WANNA SAY HOW, HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THE GRACE OF ALL THE FAMILIES OVER THE YEARS.
UH, I KNOW YOU MOVE EVERYONE IN THIS, EVERYONE IN OUR EARSHOT, SO GOD BLESS YOU.
UH, I I ALSO WANNA SAY AGAIN, BEFORE WE GO TO QUESTIONS, I WANNA SAY FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, ON BEHALF OF THE FAMILIES AND ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE OF THIS CITY AND THOSE THAT CARE ABOUT JUSTICE, THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO HAVE BROUGHT US TO THIS POINT.
UM, WE'VE NOT, WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE TREATED TODAY, UH, ALMOST LIKE WE'RE IN CHURCH, BUT I THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR US TO ASK YOU TO STAND AND RECOGNIZE YOU FOR THE VALIANT WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE ON OUR BEHALF.
DOCTOR, HAVE STAND UP AND ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, I ALSO WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN HELPFUL IN THIS.
UH, THE DETECTIVE CALLED YOU OUT, UM, AND BY NAME AND, UH, YOU HUMBLY AND KIND OF STAYED IN THE BACKGROUND, BUT WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE DONE BECAUSE YOU, YOU'VE CREATED HOPE.
AND TODAY I AM VERY HOPEFUL OF MY HOPEFULNESS, IS THAT WE CAN TURN A PAGE AS A COMMUNITY AND HOPEFULLY A FINAL PAGE, THE FINAL PAGE ON A HORROR THAT MARKED A VERY DIFFERENT TIME IN AUSTIN'S HISTORY.
I BELIEVE WE CAN TAKE HEART IN OUR GROWTH AND OUR PROGRESS AND OUR STRENGTH AS THE CITY.
AND WE CAN GO TO SLEEP KNOWING THAT WHILE THE THREAT OF THIS KIND OF EVIL MAY NEVER PASS IN THIS WORLD, WE ARE FAR, FAR BETTER ABLE TO PREVENT IT BEFORE IT HAPPENS AND SOLVE IT.
THE YOGURT SHOP MURDERS WILL ALWAYS BE PART OF AUSTIN'S HISTORY.
THE PAIN FROM THAT NIGHT AND ITS AFTERMATH WILL NEVER GO AWAY.
BUT WITH THE KNOWLEDGE WE HAVE NOW, WE CAN SHARE SOME PEACE.
GOD BLESS AMY, JENNIFER, SARAH AND ELIZA.
THEY WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF OUR CITY'S IDENTITY.
GOD BLESS THEIR FAMILIES AND GOD BLESS AUSTIN.
WE'LL NOW BE HAPPY TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS.
[01:15:01]
YOU.UM, WE'LL GET STARTED IN JUST A SECOND.
I DO WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY TO PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS AND WAIT FOR ME TO CALL ON YOU.
IF I DON'T KNOW YOUR NAME, I'LL DO MY BEST TO DESCRIBE YOU AND MAKE EYE CONTACT AS WELL.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND THE MEDIA OUTLET YOU'RE WITH.
THERE ARE MICROPHONES IN THE ROOM THAT SHOULD CAPTURE YOUR VOICES.
UM, AND I'LL DO MY BEST TO GET TO EVERYBODY.
BETTY, BETTY CROSS, CBS AUSTIN.
DO WE KNOW, DO WE THINK ABOUT IT ALONE? I MEAN, FOR A LONG TIME THERE WAS SO MUCH DISCUSSION ABOUT YOUR BEING TWO PEOPLE, EVEN A WITNESS, SAW TWO PEOPLE.
DO YOU FEEL CONFIDENT THAT HE'S A SOLE SUSPECT THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IN THIS CASE? SURE.
UM, AT THIS POINT, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT HE HAD AN ACCOMPLICE.
HE, UM, ALL OF HIS CRIMES THAT WE KNOW OF, HE WAS ALONE IN ALL OF THEM.
AND HE WAS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THINGS ALONE, SIMILAR TO WHAT HE DID IN YOGURT SHOP, PUT IN ANOTHER CRIMES AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE AT THIS POINT THAT HE HAD SOMEBODY WITH HIM.
THANK YOU ALL BY THE WAY, SO MUCH FOR TALKING TO US TODAY.
I'M BRIANNA HOLLIS WITH KXAN NEWS HERE IN AUSTIN.
MY QUESTION IS FOR POLICE AND PROSECUTORS.
FIRST FOR DETECTIVE JACKSON, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT YOU FOUND OUT IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR THAT THE BULLET WAS NOT ENTERED INTO THE MAGNET SYSTEM.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT PROCESS AND THAT LAG AND ALSO THE TECHNIQUES AND TECHNOLOGY THAT HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE FOUR PEOPLE MORE THAN LIKELY WRONGLY ACCUSED? SO EARLY ON, SO IT HAD BEEN ENTERED AT LEAST TWICE BEFORE.
UM, IT WAS, IT'S JUST THAT IT HAD BEEN SEVERAL YEARS AND THE SOFTWARE HAD JUST GOTTEN A LOT BETTER OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
WAS THERE A REASON IT WASN'T JUST RESUBMITTED EVERY YEAR? IS THAT A COST SITUATION OR? WELL, EVERY YEAR THE SOFTWARE DOESN'T, I, I WOULD PROBABLY PASS THAT TO THE A TF ABOUT HOW OFTEN WE SHOULD BE RESUBMITTING STUFF.
UM, BUT THEY, THEY HAD MADE, IT'S BEEN A BIG PUSH BY THE A TF LATELY, THAT SOFTWARE HAS GOTTEN SO MUCH BETTER JUST RECENTLY, THAT ASKING, AND THIS GOES OUT TO ACROSS THE COUNTRY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE GOT OLD SHELL CASINGS RES RESUBMIT THEM TO BAN WHERE WE ARE GETTING HITS IN OTHER CASES ALREADY, JUST FROM THE LOT.
SO I ASKED EVERYBODY TO DO THAT.
UM, SO YEAH, IT WAS, IT, IT HAD BEEN SUBMITTED BEFORE.
AND THEN I, I DID SNEAK, I KNOW IT WAS A PART TWO OF THAT QUESTION, BUT JUST ABOUT HOW, UM, TECHNIQUES AND TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS WHERE POOR PEOPLE GET WRONGLY ACCUSED EARLY ON, AND THEN WE FIND, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL REAL SUSPECT DECADES LATER.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CONFESSIONS, BRIANNA.
SO I THINK IT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT OVER THE SPAN OF MY CAREER AND THE WAY THAT, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UH, THE WAY EVIDENCE HAS CHANGED AND THROUGH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, SO HAS USING EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES TO GET, UM, TO INVESTIGATE A A CASE, NO CASES ARE GOING TO BE, UM, CLOSED SOLELY BASED OFF OF CONFESSION.
WE NEED OTHER EVIDENCE FOR THAT.
AND SO THAT HAS CHANGED AND THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE THEN.
WE'RE GONNA GO WITH AUSTIN NEXT.
HI, UH, AUSTIN SANDERS WITH THE STATESMAN GAVE THINGS, MAYBE YOU OR DETECTIVE JACKSON.
UH, DETECTIVE, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW TIMING WAS SUCH A CRUCIAL ELEMENT TO KIND OF LEADING TO THE SOLVING OF THIS CASE? UM, BUT I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT WHAT LESSONS LAW ENFORCEMENT CAN TAKE FROM THE, YOU KNOW, 34 YEAR HISTORY OF THIS INVESTIGATION THAT MAY HELP SOLVE OTHER HOMICIDES, OTHERS THAT ARE MAYBE NOT AS COLD, BUT STILL OUTSTANDING.
UM, SO REALLY THE APPROACH I TOOK FOR THIS CASE WAS A DIFFERENT APPROACH THAN, UM, HAVE TAKEN BEFORE.
MY GOAL WAS TO LOOK AT ALL THE EVIDENCE, WHAT EVIDENCE DO I HAVE AND WHAT CAN I DO WITH IT? AND WITH ANY COLD CASE, YOU SHOULD BE PERIODICALLY REVIEWING AND ASKING YOURSELF THAT QUESTION, WHAT DO I HAVE AND WHAT CAN I DO WITH IT? BECAUSE THOSE ANSWERS CHANGE OVER TIME AND YOU DON'T WANT TO DO SOME, YOU KNOW, HELL MARY AND END UP LIKE WASTING DNA THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE BECAUSE THERE'S SOME, YOU KNOW, JUNK SCIENCE OUT THERE.
BUT AS TECHNOLOGY GETS BETTER, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO REVAL CONSTANTLY REEVALUATE YOUR CASES AND, YOU KNOW, GO BACK INTO THE, YOU KNOW, GO BACK INTO THE, UH, THE VAULT AND FIND OUT WHERE THAT EVIDENCE IS AND MAKE SURE YOU ACTUALLY STILL HAVE IT AND, UM, AND, AND DO STUFF WITH IT.
UM, I DIDN'T, UH, TAKE THE, I TOOK THE APPROACH OF MY NUMBER ONE GOAL AND REALLY ONLY GOAL WAS TO IDENTIFY THAT UNKNOWN PROFILE, BECAUSE THE CASE WOULD NEVER MOVE FORWARD UNTIL WE FIGURED OUT WHO THAT PERSON WAS.
AND SO THAT WAS MY NUMBER ONE, REALLY MY ONLY PRIORITY WITH THIS CASE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I STILL HAD TIPS TO TRACK DOWN.
WE STILL HAD PEOPLE WOULD CALL IN AND WE'D STILL RUN THOSE TIPS DOWN, GO INTERVIEW PEOPLE, GET, UH,
[01:20:01]
DNA.BUT REALLY IT WAS, IT WAS THAT UNKNOWN PROFILE, UM, THAT WE HAD TO SOLVE.
I DID NEVER, UM, I TOOK THE APPROACH OF I'M NOT GONNA LISTEN TO THE CONFESSIONS.
I'VE NEVER LISTENED TO 'EM, I'VE NEVER READ 'EM THE TRANSCRIPTS.
AND, UH, THE FIRST TIME I HEARD ANY FOOTAGE FROM THE, UH, THE CONFESSIONS WAS THE HBO DOCUMENTARY.
THAT WAS MY FIRST EXPOSURE TO 'EM BECAUSE MY POINT OF VIEW IS, I DON'T KNOW AND I'LL, BUT I'LL GO WHERE THE EVIDENCE LEADS ME.
AND THAT SHOULD BE THE GOAL OF EVERY COLD CASE.
DETECTIVE RUDY, DETECTIVE, DON'T GO
RUDY KOSKI, FOX SEVEN NEWS HERE IN AUSTIN.
UH, CLARIFY FOR ME, IF YOU CAN, UM, THE LINK BETWEEN KENTUCKY, SOUTH CAROLINA, AND AS A CONTINUATION OF THAT QUESTION, HAVE WE BEEN ABLE TO EXPLAIN WHY RUSHERS WAS HERE IN AUSTIN? UH, WAS THERE A PATH WE KNOW ABOUT EL PASO, BUT WAS THERE SOMETHING THAT BROUGHT HIM TO AUSTIN? OKAY.
UM, I'LL ANSWER THAT PART FIRST.
UH, NO, WE, WE DON'T KNOW WHY HE WAS IN AUSTIN.
WE HAVE FOUND NO CONNECTION, UH, TO AUSTIN.
I DON'T, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT THE, IF YOU WERE GOING FROM, WE KNOW HE WAS IN GEORGIA ON NOVEMBER 29TH 'CAUSE HE STOLE THE TRUCK THERE IN, UH, MARIETTA, GEORGIA, AND THEN HE'S IN EL PASO OR LAS CRUCES.
UM, THAT'S, AUSTIN'S NOT THE MOST DIRECT ROUTE.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IF HE WAS, UH, IF HE'D TAKEN THE MOST DIRECT ROUTE, HE WOULD ACTUALLY SKIP AROUND LAS CRUCES.
HE WOULD GO INTO, UH, NORTHERN NEW MEXICO TO AR SO GLEN, UH, TO, UM, WHATEVER TOWN ARIZONA HIS DAD WAS AT.
UM, BUT IF YOU COME THROUGH AUSTIN, YOU, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT CHECKPOINT TO GET THE, IN LAS CRUCES TO GET WHERE, TO GET TO GLEN GLENDALE.
BUT WHILE HE WAS HERE, WE WE'RE STILL SEARCHING THAT FOR THAT ANSWER.
AND, UM, WHAT WAS THE SECOND QUESTION? I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET THE TIMELINE AGAIN IN REGARDS TO KENTUCKY TO SOUTH CAROLINA.
THE SOUTH CAROLINA CASE WAS A SOLVED COLD CASE THAT IDENTIFIED BRUSHERS.
YES, IT WAS, UH, IT OCCURRED IN 1990 AND IT WAS SOLVED IN 2018.
UM, AND, BUT THAT'S NOT HOW YOU GOT TO SOUTH CAROLINA.
YOU, YOU GOT THERE BY GOING THROUGH KENTUCKY.
KENTUCKY WAS A LINK INITIALLY THROUGH THE SHELL CASING, THE, THE BALLISTICS.
BUT THEN I GOT TO SOUTH CAROLINA WHEN I ASKED, WE ASKED FOR A NATIONWIDE MANUAL SEARCH OF ALL THE WIDE STR PROFILES THAT THEY HAD.
AND SOUTH CAROLINA HAD DONE ONE ON BRASHERS FROM THEIR SEXUAL ASSAULT KIT.
AND I'M SORRY, ONE LAST QUESTION IN REGARDS TO THE SHELL CASING.
I I, I'VE BEEN IN THE A PDA LAB AND ALL THAT.
WHAT MATCHED THE GUN? WAS IT THE, THE GROOVES ON THE SHELL CASING? WAS THERE A CUT THAT AND, AND IS IT A POSITIVE MATCH TO THE GUN THAT YOU RECOVERED? SO WE DON'T HAVE THE GUN.
UH, IT WAS LOST IN EVIDENCE IN MISSOURI AFTER THE SUICIDE.
WE, UM, THERE'S STILL HOPE THAT WE CAN FIND EITHER A, THE SHELL CASING FROM THEIR EVIDENCE OR, UH, THEY HAD ENTERED IT INTO
BUT WE, WE DON'T HAVE THE ACTUAL GUN.
UM, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE IT WENT.
UM, SO IT'S THE, IT'S PROBABLY THE BEST FOR, YOU KNOW, FIREARMS EXAMINER TO EXPLAIN.
BUT, UM, IT WASN'T THE GROOVES ON THE PROJECTILE, WHICH WE ARE DOING A ONE-TO-ONE NOW.
UM, IT WAS THE MARKINGS ON THE HEADS STAMP OF THE SHELL CASINGS FROM KENTUCKY AND AUSTIN AARON, UM, AARON MORTY WITH CVS NEWS.
FIRST, I WANNA RECOMMEND YOU AND SO MANY PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM FOR STATE OF THIS INVESTIGATION.
AS LONG AS YOU HAVE, WE ANSWER PART OF MY QUESTION, I WONDER WHETHER YOU HAVE THE THREE 80.
IS THERE ANY TRUTH TO THE STORY THAT, UH, BRAIER ACTUALLY NEWS THAT THREE 80 THAT YOU BELIEVE WAS CONNECTED WITH GILBERT TO SHOOT AND KILL HIMSELF? IT'S THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL.
UM, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE GUN.
WE'LL, PROBABLY UNLESS WE GET A SHELL CASING, THERE WILL BE NO WAY TO COMPARE.
UM, SO WE KNOW THE GUN HE GOT STOPPED IN ON DECEMBER 8TH IS THE SAME GUN THAT HE KILLED HIMSELF WITH, UH, EIGHT YEARS LATER.
WE KNOW THAT BECAUSE IT'S DOCUMENTED BY SERIAL NUMBER AND WE KNOW THE GUN TWO DAYS BEFORE HE GOT STOPPED AT YOGURT SHOP AND THE GUN IN KENTUCKY ARE THE SAME GUN, AND THEY'RE ALL FOUR.
THIS IS ALL SAME MAKE AND MODEL A MT THREE 80.
SO YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, DEDUCE WHAT, WHAT, WHAT GUN THIS IS.
BUT UNTIL WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE GUN TO SAY A HUNDRED PERCENT, YOU KNOW, BUT IS IT FAIR FOR ME TO SAY THAT IT'S PROBABLY THE, PROBABLY AND THERE'S NO REASON, I MEAN, IT'S ALL THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL AND WHY HE WOULD SWITCH GUNS AND GO BACK TO THE OLD GUN YEARS LATER.
I CAN I JUST ONE MORE, SORRY, ONE QUICK QUESTION.
ARE THERE LIKELY OTHER CASES LIKE THIS IN TEXAS? I MEAN, HE'S ALREADY BEEN SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, MISSOURI, HE'S LINKED TO FLORIDA.
IS IT LIKELY AND ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THAT? SO I WOULD SAY IT IS LIKELY THERE ARE OTHER VICTIMS OUT THERE, WHETHER THERE'S MURDERS OR SEXUAL ASSAULTS BECAUSE OF WHAT WE KNOW OF HIM WHEN HE WAS NOT IN PRISON, HE WAS COMMITTING HEINOUS CRIMES.
[01:25:01]
THREE MURDERS THIS WEEK, WE KNOW OF EIGHT, SO TO SAY THERE'S NOT A NINE OR 10, I'M SURE.I'M SURE THERE ARE AND WE WILL BE WORKING ON THAT ONCE I GUESS THE DUST SETTLES WITH THIS PART OF OUR INVESTIGATION HERE.
UM, DEFINITELY WANNA REACH OUT TO OTHER AGENCIES THAT MAY HAVE OTHER LINKS.
ASHER, HI, UH, I'M ASHER PRICE WITH AXIOS.
ACTUALLY, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
UM, UH, YOU HAD SAID THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR OFFICE IS AMONG OTHER THINGS DEDICATED TO, UH, UH, HELPING THE, THE MEN WHO HAD BEEN CONVICTED OF THESE CRIMES PREVIOUSLY, UH, FIND JUSTICE IS ASSUMING THIS CASE IS SETTLED THIS WAY, DOES THIS OPEN A PATH TO REST FOR RESTITUTION TO THOSE, THE, I THINK THERE ARE THREE MEN WHO ARE STILL ALIVE.
UM, AND IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE ALLUDING TO? I JUST WONDER IF YOU COULD ELABORATE ON THAT.
YEAH, AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE A COUPLE OF POINTS.
UM, ONE THAT THIS CASE REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION, UM, THAT THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO WORK ON IT.
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WILL EAGERLY AWAIT, UM, THE CONCLUSIONS OF THEIR INVESTIGATION.
IF, UM, THEIR CONCLUSIONS REMAIN AS THEY ARE NOW, UM, THERE WILL BE, UH, PROCESSES THAT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WILL BE, HAVE AN OBLIGATION, UH, TO TAKE THAT I THINK COULD LEAD, UH, TO THE OUTCOME YOU SUGGESTED MEANING RESTITUTION FOR THE YEAH.
THAT, THAT OBVIOUSLY INVOLVES A STATE, UH, PROCESS THAT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE DOES NOT ADMINISTER, IS NOT A DECISION MAKER IN.
UM, BUT I, I THINK THAT THERE ARE STEPS THAT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UH, WOULD TAKE THAT, THAT MAY HELP IN THAT PROCESS.
WE'RE GONNA GO WITH EVA AND THEN THE YOUNG LADY IN THE BLUE SHIRT AFTER.
EVA RUTH WITH, UH, CITY CAST AUSTIN.
I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE, UH, SHELL CAS THAT WAS FOUND IN THE DRAIN AND KIND OF HOW THAT WAS SO IMPLEMENT FOR, FOR BREAKING THIS CASE OPEN.
I'M CURIOUS ABOUT IF THERE WERE ANY PROCESSES THAT WERE CHANGED AS FAR AS EVIDENCE COLLECTION AT A FIRE, AT A FIRE SCENE AS A RESULT OF, UM, THIS CASE AND, AND MAYBE HOW THAT MIGHT HAVE CHANGED.
WELL, CRIME SCENE PROCESSING HAS CHANGED QUITE A BIT OVER THE LAST 34 YEARS, BUT, UH, WHAT THEY WERE DEALING WITH IN NINE ONE WITH THAT FIRE AND THAT WATER, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT THAT COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENT.
UM, NOT, NOT, NOT EVEN WITH HINDSIGHT OF 20, 20, 25 HINDSIGHT.
UM, IT'S JUST THE, IT'S THE HAND THEY WERE DEALT AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UH, CASING OF THE DRAIN.
IT WAS COLLECTED STANDARD PROCEDURES THAT WE WERE TODAY.
SO THAT ANSWER THAT IT WAS THE ONLY ONE.
I MEAN, YES, IT WAS, UH, IT WAS THE ONLY ONE AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE PROJECTILE.
I WAS ONLY FIRED ONCE AT THE CRIME SCENE.
SO THERE WERE NO OTHER PROJECTILES FROM A THREE 80 AND THE OTHER GIRLS, IT WAS JUST THE ONE ONE SHOT.
SO THERE WAS THE PEANUT THAT HE PRESUMABLY DID WITH OTHER CHILDREN? NO, UH, THE, THE 22 THAT REUSED TO SHUT THE GIRLS, THERE WAS NO CASINGS LEFT.
UH, AND BALLISTIC SAID IT WAS LIKELY FROM A REVOLVER SO THAT THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY, SO TO LEAVE.
I'M A REPORTER HERE IN AUSTIN MC KATY NEWS.
MY QUESTION'S ACTUALLY TO THE FAMILIES.
UM, GIVEN THAT ROBERT BRASHER WAS THE SOLE SUSPECT NAME AND THERE'S NO OTHER PERSON LINKED TO THIS CASE, I WANT TO KNOW, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED? ARE THERE STILL SOME MORE WORK TO GO? I WOULD SAY YEAH, THERE'S STILL WORK TO DO.
UM, I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE ALL KIND OF STILL ABSORBING THE NEWS.
UM, I KNOW FOR MYSELF, I WON'T SPEAK FOR ANYBODY ELSE.
I'M JUST KIND OF WAITING, SORRY.
UM, FOR THE RUG TO BE YANKED OUT FROM UNDERNEATH US, WE'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA TAKE EVERY DAY AS WE CAN SLOWLY AND SURELY AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING'S TAKEN CARE OF AT THE, THE VERY, AT ALL THE EVIDENCE TO LOOKED FOR AT, AND EVERYTHING'S RESOLVED AT THE END OF THE DAY.
BUT YES, THERE'S STILL THINGS TO BE DONE.
SO IF YOU DON'T MIND TELLING US BRIEFLY WHAT YOU SAID EARLIER IN SPANISH AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN ALSO FOR THE, UH, COUNTY TO HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE A SUSPECT AFTER SO MANY YEARS? AND EARLIER ALSO, YOU ALSO MENTIONED ABOUT, UM, THE PEOPLE WHO WERE, UH, ARRESTED.
CAN YOU JUST SAY SOMETHING BRIEFLY IN SPANISH? MY, MY MOTHER WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED TO, TO HEAR ME NOT BE ABLE TO COMPLY WITH YOUR REQUEST.
I'M HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU TO GET, GET YOU A STATEMENT IN SPANISH, BUT, UM, GIVEN THE COMPLEXITY OF THIS ISSUE, MY SPANISH JUST AIN'T THAT GOOD.
BUT, BUT, BUT, UH, TELL ME YOUR, UH, SECOND QUESTION.
UM, I MEAN, YOU CAN SAY IT IN ENGLISH IF YOU, IF YOU WANT, UM, SORRY, I LOST IT.
IT'S, SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE COUNTY
[01:30:01]
TO HAVE A SUSPECT UP TO 70 YEARS? WELL, UM, OUR FOCUS RIGHT NOW IS ON THE FAMILIES.UM, AND, AND THE POSSIBILITY, UM, OF BRINGING SOME MODICUM OF JUSTICE FOR THEM.
UM, WE ARE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THIS PROCESS.
UM, AND THE FAMILIES HAVE OUR COMMITMENT THAT WHATEVER PROCESS FOLLOWS WILL BE IN, UM, HAND IN HAND WITH THEM.
UM, AND A PROCESS THAT IS, THAT HONORS THEIR, UM, HONORS THEIR FAMILY AND, AND HONORS THE GIRLS.
AND HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU TO GET YOU SOMETHING IN SPANISH IN A BIT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING TODAY.