In a significant breakthrough, the Austin Police Department has solved a 44-year-old cold case involving the rape and murder of a Texas nursing student, leveraging the power of genetic genealogy.
Suspect identified after decades
Authorities have charged 78-year-old Deck Brewer Jr. with the murder of 25-year-old Susan Leigh Wolfe, who was a nursing student at the University of Texas Austin School of Nursing. Brewer, already serving a prison sentence for an unrelated crime, was identified as a suspect through advanced DNA testing.
The night of the crime
According to a press release from the Austin Police Department, the tragic incident occurred on January 9, 1980. At approximately 10 PM, Wolfe was on her way to a friend’s house, just a block from her residence, when she was abducted and murdered.
A witness reported seeing a driver exit a car, give Wolfe a “bear hug,” and force her inside while covering her head with a coat. The witness added that there was another passenger in the vehicle, “but he did not see what the passenger did during the abduction.”
Discovery and initial investigation
The following morning, Wolfe’s body was discovered in an alley in Austin. Authorities revealed she had been shot in the head, and her death was declared a homicide. An autopsy later confirmed signs of sexual assault by one of the two unidentified individuals seen in the vehicle.
Investigators followed multiple leads and examined numerous vehicles matching the witness’s description over the next year. Despite interviewing at least six suspects and over 40 people of interest, the case remained unsolved.
Breakthrough by DNA Evidence
In April 2023, investigators submitted evidence of Wolfe’s sexual assault to the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Laboratory. Forensic specialists determined the material was suitable for testing, leading to a significant breakthrough in February when the test results provided Austin police with a male DNA profile of the perpetrator.
Six individuals who did not match the DNA profile were subsequently eliminated from the investigation. The DNA profile was then uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a national, state, and municipal database of DNA profiles involving convicted criminals, unresolved crime scene evidence, and missing persons.
In March 2024, authorities discovered that the DNA evidence matched a profile linked to Brewer in CODIS. A DNA search warrant confirmed that Brewer’s DNA directly matched the DNA evidence found in Wolfe’s body during the autopsy. Brewer admitted to detectives that he was in Austin and San Antonio at the time of Wolfe’s death.
On August 14, Brewer was officially charged with Susan Leigh Wolfe’s murder, and an arrest warrant was issued. However, the search for the other passenger who was in the vehicle the night Wolfe was kidnapped is still ongoing.
This landmark case underscores the vital role of modern forensic science in solving decades-old crimes, and bringing long-overdue justice to the victims and their families.
Austin Police Department’s statement
The Austin Police Department continues to urge anyone with information about the second suspect to come forward. “We remain committed to bringing all involved parties to justice,” said a spokesperson for the department.