Southwest
Texas police identify suspect in nearly 30-year-old cold case murder using DNA left at scene
Investigators in Austin, Texas, have solved a nearly 30-year-old cold case murder thanks to advancements in DNA forensics, which helped match evidence left at the scene to the suspect.
On May 12, 1994, Bert Allen Mann was found fatally stabbed in the kitchen of his home on the 2500 block of Star Grass Circle.
The Austin Police Department said evidence retrieved from the scene suggested Mann returned home from work when he discovered a burglar had broken into the residence through a rear sliding glass door.
The two men got into a fight near the front door of the home until Mann was ultimately stabbed and died.
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Bert Allen Mann, left, was fatally stabbed on May 12, 1994, and through advancements in DNA forensics, the Austin Police Department was able to identify Kenneth Robbins, right, as the suspect. (Austin Police Department)
The suspect was also injured during the scuffle and left blood inside the home.
Over the next several years, detectives conducted an exhaustive investigation, which produced over 40 people of interest.
A blood stain sample taken from the scene was tested for DNA in 2005, and the result was a profile determined to be from an unidentified man.
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Austin Police said they were able to identify a suspect in Bert Allen Mann’s 1994 murder thanks to advancements in DNA technology. (Andrew Brookes via Getty Images)
When the DNA profile was entered into the Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, no match was found.
Almost 20 years later, in March 2023, the profile of the unidentified man was sent to Bode Technology for forensic genetic genealogy, which identified a potential suspect who was not known to the investigation.
Detectives executed a DNA search warrant for the suspect’s DNA on Sept. 8, 2023, to compare his DNA with DNA found inside Mann’s home in 1994.
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Once investigators were able to identify Kenneth Robbins as a suspect through DNA, he was found dead. (iStock)
The suspect, who has been identified as Kenneth Robbins, was found dead in his work truck five days later in Weatherford, Texas.
Police said the DNA from Robbins matched, confirming he was the person whose blood was found inside Mann’s home.
FOX 7 reported that police said Robbins lived in Austin at the time of the murder.
An autopsy conducted on Robbins determined he took his own life, according to police.
“Mr. Mann is survived by his wife and his sister, and they are happy enough to have an answer as to the who,” Sergeant Melanie Rodriguez with the APD Cold Case Unit told the station. “I don’t know that they will ever have an answer as to the why. And I don’t know, quite honestly, if any of those answers would ever be sufficient for their grief.”
Over the last 29 years, more than 20 detectives contributed to the investigation of the case, along with several non-sworn employees.
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Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
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A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
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