LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Lexington police have solved a 27-year-old homicide case, identifying the killer of Linda Marie Rutledge through advanced DNA and ballistic evidence that connected her 1998 murder to the infamous "Yogurt Shop Murders" in Austin, Texas.
Personal Crimes Detectives officially closed the November 1998 homicide of Rutledge, bringing justice to the 43-year-old woman and her family after nearly three decades of investigation, a release from the department read.
Officials detailed that on November 7, 1998, at around 7:40 a.m., the Lexington Fire Department responded to a structure fire at the Nixon Hearing Aid Center in the 100 block of Malibu Drive. When crews arrived, they observed heavy smoke coming from the business and made entry. The fire was extinguished quickly, and Rutledge was found dead in the back hallway.
The Fayette County Coroner's Office determined Rutledge's cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds to the head.
Over the past 27 years, detectives and investigators continued working on the case, reviewing notes, reentering evidence, following up on leads and tips, and researching how new technologies could help further the investigation.
Lexington police reported that the breakthrough came in July 2025 when detectives were contacted by the Austin Police Department after they received a match from the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network regarding a .380 shell casing recovered from the Nixon Hearing Aid Center. The shell casing matched one located in Austin in December 1991 after the "Yogurt Shop Murders," police confirmed.
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The Kentucky State Police Forensics Lab examined the .380 spent shell casings from Austin and Lexington, and preliminary comparisons revealed the spent shell casings came from the same firearm, police noted.
In addition to the ballistic evidence, DNA evidence from both cases also matched. In September 2025, a sexual assault kit from Rutledge was sent to DNA Labs International for testing and matched the profile from Austin.
The suspect was identified as Robert Eugene Brashers. Brashers has been dead since January 1999, police reported. "If he were alive today, he would be arrested and charged with Rutledge's murder," the department's release read.
"This guy was going all over the place, and he was out on bond when he killed Linda Rutledge," said Aine Cain, co-host of "The Murder Sheet" podcast, which recently covered Rutledge's case. "He had broken into a woman's house in the spring, he had broken into a woman's house earlier that year, got bonded out, and then came up to Kentucky and murdered Linda. So, I think whenever this guy was not in prison, we need to be considering that he may have been doing some crimes and we need to be looking at what those are."
The case highlights Brashers' criminal pattern and raises questions about other potential victims. Margaret Brown, who directed an HBO series about the yogurt shop murders, described the far-reaching impact of his actions.
"Just the ripple effect on so many people is so immense," Brown said. "The film, the series that I made, it was really just about how the trauma sort of extended outward, starting with, of course, the families and the people who were wrongfully accused, the cops who worked on it, people who were making other films about it. It was just, you would see these ripples of so many people affected by this one man's actions."
Kevin Greenlee, co-host of "The Murder Sheet" podcast, emphasized how law enforcement collaboration can help solve other cases.
"Once they solve a crime like this involving DNA, they pool their knowledge, they talk to one another, and they help other agencies solve their crimes," Greenlee said. "So Lexington has been helped. Lexington is going to help other agencies, and at the end of the day there's going to be more justice for more victims because of this amount of teamwork."
Brown expressed hope that having answers will provide some peace for the Rutledge family.
"I think that knowing versus not knowing is always, is always a good thing," Brown said. "I think it seems like it just, talking to the families that I know that that's a, it's just something that can stop spinning in your head."
Rutledge's family is asking for privacy as they process this news. Police say if Brashers were alive today, he would be charged with her murder.
The Lexington Police Department thanked multiple agencies for their assistance, including the Austin Police Department, the Texas Office of Attorney General, the City of Austin Forensic Science Department, the Kentucky State Police Forensic Laboratory, DNA Labs International, the ATF, the FBI, and Lexington Fire Department.
The department also thanked its detectives, Forensic Services Unit, and investigators who remained dedicated and continued working on the case over the last 27 years.
"But most importantly, the Lexington Police Department wants to honor Linda. Her life was cut short at just 43 years old, and her family has had to live with the pain of losing her and not knowing who took her life. While her case may be solved, it does not bring Linda back, but we hope that by knowing who killed her, her loved ones can begin to heal," the department stated.
Kentucky State Police released the following statement on X:
"We are proud of the KSP Forensic Laboratory for assisting with solving the 1998 homicide of Linda Rutledge after nearly 27 years. Through detailed ballistic analysis and advancing forensic science, our lab helped provide critical answers."
To watch The Yogurt Shop Murders on HBO, click here.
Listen to The Murder Sheet podcast on Lynda Rutledge here.
