A 78-year-old man has been charged with a murder that occurred over 40 years ago, thanks to advances in genetic genealogy that led investigators to identify him as a suspect.
Deck Brewer Jr., who is currently serving time in Massachusetts, has been charged with the 1980 murder of 25-year-old Susan Leigh Wolfe, according to the Austin, Texas, Police Department.
Wolfe, who had recently begun her nursing studies at the University of Texas at Austin, was abducted, sexually assaulted, and killed on January 9, 1980. She was taken just a block from her home while walking to a friend’s house around 10 p.m. Witnesses reported seeing a car stop, and the driver then exited the vehicle, grabbed Wolfe in a “bear hug,” covered her head with a coat, and forced her into the back of the car.
Her body was discovered the following morning in an Austin alley, showing signs of ligature strangulation and a gunshot wound to the head. An autopsy revealed evidence of sexual assault, linked to one of two unidentified suspects seen in the car.
In the year following the murder, investigators pursued numerous leads and examined many vehicles matching the witness description. Over time, they identified more than 40 persons of interest and interviewed at least six suspects.
In April 2023, evidence from Wolfe’s sexual assault was sent to the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Laboratory, where forensic experts deemed it suitable for testing. By February 2024, Austin police received results indicating a male profile for the suspect, which led to the elimination of the six original suspects who did not match the genetic evidence.
The profile was then entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), which maintains DNA databases from convicted offenders, crime scenes, and missing persons. In March 2024, a potential match was identified in Massachusetts, where Brewer is currently imprisoned on unrelated charges.
Detectives conducted a brief interview with Brewer, during which he admitted to being in Austin and San Antonio around the time of the murder. When informed that DNA from the crime scene matched his, Brewer requested a lawyer.
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Following the DNA comparison, an Austin court found sufficient grounds to charge Brewer with Wolfe’s murder.
