Y-STR DNA Explained Through a Real Cold Case #truecrimeshorts #truecrimeinvestigation #crimejunkies | Forensic Files

Number two, YSTR DNA. Now, this type of testing zeros in on one thing and one thing only, the Y
chromosome, which only exists in men. So, it can only trace DNA passed down from father to son. This type of testing
can be particularly powerful when evidence has a mix of male and female DNA, like for example, what could be
present in a sexual assault kit. By isolating the Y chromosome, labs can pull out just the male DNA from the
sample. One chilling example of this? The 1991 yogurt shop murders in Austin, Texas. [music]
At the time, YSTR testing was brand new, and the district attorney overseeing the
case decided to give it a shot. Investigators believed that at least one of the victims in this case had been
[music] sexually assaulted, and this test paid off. They pulled a partial male DNA profile from the evidence.
>> [music] >> But, in the '90s, that profile didn't match anyone in the system, so the case
went cold. Decades later, in 2025, everything changed when police received a report from a South Carolina state lab
that linked the yogurt shop unknown YSTR profile to a known YSTR profile from a 1990 sexual assault and murder out of
Greenville. The suspected killer? Robert Eugene Brashers, a known serial rapist and killer who had taken his own
life back in 1999. From there, investigators were able to use other evidence to connect Brashers
to the yogurt shop murders, bringing long-awaited answers to a case that haunted Texas and us crime junkies for
more than 30 years.

Y-STR DNA testing focuses on the Y chromosome, allowing investigators to isolate male DNA from mixed samples. This makes it especially useful in cases involving multiple contributors, such as sexual assault evidence.

In the 1991 yogurt shop murders in Austin, Texas, investigators used early Y-STR testing to develop a partial male DNA profile. At the time, no matches were found, and the case went cold.

Decades later, in 2025, that profile was linked to a known Y-STR profile connected to a 1990 sexual assault and murder in Greenville, South Carolina. The suspect, Robert Eugene Brashers, was a known serial offender who died in 1999.

Investigators then used additional evidence to connect him to the yogurt shop murders, providing long-awaited answers in a case that remained unsolved for more than 30 years.

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Brief Summary

YSTR DNA testing linked the 1991 yogurt shop murders to serial killer Robert Eugene Brashers after decades of investigation.

Key points

The Yogurt Shop Murders. A chilling case from 1991 that remained unsolved for decades until new DNA evidence emerged.
Breakthrough in Cold Case. In 2025, a link was found between the yogurt shop murders and a known serial killer.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

This type of testing zeros in on one thing and one thing only.

0:03WatchMay 23, 2026

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