Man Found Fatally Stabbed in 1994 Cold Case Finally Sees Suspect Identified

A long-standing mystery surrounding the death of Bert Allen Mann, 46, in 1994 has seen a significant breakthrough after almost three decades of investigation. Mann was discovered with fatal stab wounds in the kitchen of his residence on Star Grass Circle in Austin, Texas, in the afternoon of Thursday, May 12, 1994.

Evidence indicated that the suspect gained entry through a rear sliding glass door and was confronted by Mann upon his return home from work. A struggle ensued near the front door, resulting in Mann’s death from multiple stab wounds. The suspect, injured during the altercation, left blood inside the home before fleeing the scene.

Despite an exhaustive investigation that identified over forty persons of interest, progress remained elusive until recent developments. In 2005, DNA testing on a blood stain from the scene yielded a profile of an unidentified male. This profile was entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) but failed to produce a match.

In March of 2023, the DNA profile was submitted to Bode Technology for Forensic Genetic Genealogy analysis. By June 2023, a potential suspect, previously unknown to the investigation, was identified. Subsequently, on September 8, 2023, Austin Police Department (APD) detectives executed a DNA search warrant for the suspect, Kenneth Robbins, who was 23-years-old at the time of the crime.

However, Robbins was found deceased inside his work truck on September 13, 2023, in Weatherford, Texas. Autopsy results confirmed that Robbins had taken his own life. The DNA from the suspect confirmed that he was the person who left his DNA inside the victim’s residence in 1994.

The resolution of this case after 29 years was the result of the dedicated efforts of over 20 detectives and numerous non-sworn employees, including crime scene units, latent print examiners, and DNA case management personnel.

Bert Allen Mann is survived by his widow and his sister.