Robert Eugene Brashers
Robert Eugene Brashers (March 13, 1958 – January 13, 1999) was an American serial killer and rapist. In 2018, he was identified by CeCe Moore, chief genetic genealogist at Parabon, via genetic genealogy website GEDmatch as the murderer of Genevieve Zitricki in Greenville, South Carolina in 1990, the rapist of a 14-year-old girl in Memphis, Tennessee in 1997, and the killer of mother and daughter Sherri and Megan Scherer in Portageville, Missouri in 1998.[7][8]
Robert Eugene Brashers | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | January 13, 1999 40) Kennett, Missouri, U.S. | (aged
Cause of death | Suicide by firearm |
Other names | "Mr. Maroon" |
Children | 3[2][3] |
Details | |
Victims | 3+[4] |
Span of crimes | 1985–1999 |
Country | United States |
State(s) | South Carolina, Missouri |
Imprisoned at | 1986–1989, 1992–1997[5][6] |
He was convicted of beating and shooting a woman in Port St. Lucie, Florida, in 1985 and in 1992 in Cobb County, Georgia of possessing a stolen firearm and vehicle.[2] Brashers died in 1999 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he was approached by police officers in Kennett, Missouri for having a vehicle with a stolen tag.[9][10]
His body was exhumed in 2018 in order to collect a DNA sample. His DNA was confirmed to match the DNA evidence from the crime scenes.[11][12] Each of the victims closely resembled his wife's physical appearance particularly with each victim having the same hairstyle.[2]
References
- "U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007". Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 2015.
- https://www.islandpacket.com/news/business/article224749765.html
- News, DANIEL J. GROSS The Greenville. "Daughter of serial killer, rapist grieves for his victims". The Sumter Item.
- Sweeney, Kathy. "Heartland Solved: Serial killer identified". KVSF12.
- LaFleur, Elizabeth (October 5, 2018). "Robert Brashers: A timeline of crimes police say he committed". The Greenville News. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- Augenstein, Seth (October 18, 2018). "Working Backward From Genealogy: Tracking a Dead Killer's Trail". Forensic Magazine.
- Gross, Daniel J.; Lafleur, Elizabeth; Cavallaro, Gabe (2018-10-05). "Greenville cold case solved: Jenny Zitricki killed by serial killer Robert Brashers in 1990, police say". Greenville News. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
- Gearty, Robert (2018-10-05). "1990s cold case murders in South Carolina, Missouri solved through DNA breakthrough, police say". Fox News. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
- "Robert Eugene Brashers". Paragould Daily Press. 1999-01-15.
Robert Eugene Brashers, 40, of Paragould died Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1999, in Dunklin Co., Mo. A graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Shiloh Cemetery with Robert Jack officiating. Visitation will be from 6 to 9 this evening at Heath Funeral Home in Paragould.
- "20 year old Portageville murder solved by DNA match". Delta Dunklin Democrat. 2018-10-06. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
- "Robert Eugene Brashers". Paragould Daily Press. 1999-01-15.
Robert Eugene Brashers, 40, of Paragould died Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1999, in Dunklin Co., Mo. A graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Shiloh Cemetery with Robert Jack officiating. Visitation will be from 6 to 9 this evening at Heath Funeral Home in Paragould.
- "20 year old Portageville murder solved by DNA match". Delta Dunklin Democrat. 2018-10-06. Retrieved 2018-10-06.