The Austin Police Department has identified a suspect in the cold-case killing of University of Texas nursing student Susan Leigh Wolfe over 40 years ago. Deck Brewer Jr., 78, has been charged with Wolfe’s murder after DNA evidence related to her sexual assault matched him. Wolfe was abducted while walking to a friend’s house in 1980 and later found dead with a gunshot wound to the head, signs of strangulation, and sexual assault.
The investigation into Wolfe’s murder has involved more than 40 persons of interest and led to the identification of six suspects. A breakthrough came in 2023 when evidence related to the sexual assault was reexamined, ruling out the initial suspects and pointing to Brewer as a possible match. Brewer, currently incarcerated in Massachusetts on unrelated charges, was interviewed and his DNA sample tested, establishing a high likelihood of him being the contributor of the DNA found at the crime scene.
The police are still searching for the individual who was in the passenger seat of the car during Wolfe’s abduction. The investigation remains ongoing, and anyone with information related to the case is encouraged to contact the Austin Police Department’s cold case unit. Brewer’s legal representation status is unclear at this time.
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