Executive Summary
- Lexington police have solved the 1998 murder of Linda Rutledge.
- Ballistics and DNA evidence linked the crime to serial killer Robert Eugene Brashers.
- Brashers was also identified as the killer in the 1991 Austin Yogurt Shop murders.
- The suspect died in 1999 and was never convicted of the crimes.
Lexington authorities have identified deceased serial killer Robert Eugene Brashers as the individual responsible for the 1998 murder of Linda Rutledge, effectively closing a decades-old cold case investigation. Police confirmed the link through forensic evidence connecting the Kentucky homicide to the notorious 1991 “Yogurt Shop Murders” in Texas.
According to the Lexington Police Department, officers originally responded to a reported fire at a hearing aid business on Malibu Drive on November 7, 1998. While extinguishing the blaze, first responders discovered the body of 43-year-old Linda Rutledge inside the structure. Autopsy results later confirmed that Rutledge had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the head.
Kentucky investigators reported that the case remained unsolved until July 2025, when a tip from the Austin Police Department prompted a review of the evidence. Officials stated that forensic experts analyzed spent shell casings recovered from the Lexington scene and compared them to casings found at the 1991 Austin yogurt shop crime scene. Ballistics analysis determined that the casings from both locations were fired from the same weapon.
In addition to the ballistics match, investigators noted that DNA evidence collected from both the Kentucky and Texas crime scenes implicated Brashers. Authorities identified Brashers in September 2025 as the perpetrator behind the deaths of four teenage girls in the Austin attack. Law enforcement officials believe Brashers committed at least eight murders across multiple states before his death in 1999.
Investigative Outlook
The resolution of the Rutledge murder highlights the increasing efficacy of inter-agency cooperation and advanced forensic databasing in solving cold cases. By cross-referencing ballistics and DNA across state lines, law enforcement agencies can now connect isolated violent crimes to prolific offenders who previously evaded detection. While the suspect’s death precludes criminal prosecution, the findings provide definitive answers for surviving family members and formally close the investigative file. It is important to note that while authorities have identified Brashers as the primary suspect, all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
