Break in 1980 Cold Case: DNA Evidence Links Prisoner to Austin Murder

Charles Wolfe had grown pessimistic about ever finding answers regarding his sister's 1980 murder. Then, he saw her face on TV, announcing a break in the case.

"We were astonished, jubilant, of course, shocked and surprised to see my sister on the television screen for the first time in decades," said 60-year-old Wolfe of Leander.

Last Friday, the Austin Police Department announced that DNA evidence connected 78-year-old Deck Brewer Jr., currently incarcerated in Massachusetts on unrelated charges, to the abduction, rape, and killing of Susan Leigh Wolfe in Austin on Jan. 9, 1980.

An arrest warrant was filed in the Austin Municipal Court on Tuesday, but Brewer's extradition to Austin will not occur until his sentence ends on Aug. 28, according to police. The Travis County district attorney's office will coordinate the prisoner transport.

The Massachusetts Department of Corrections confirmed that Brewer is held at the Massachusetts Treatment Center, a medium-security prison for male sex offenders. The Middlesex County district attorney's office did not respond to inquiries about Brewer's criminal history.

'Someone with great potential'

Susan Wolfe, 25, was preparing for her first semester at the University of Texas to study nursing. She worked at the Austin State Hospital and graduated from Northeast Early College High School (formerly Reagan High School).

Her brother described her as a "surrogate mom" and a "prototype hippie." "She was bubbly... She loved to help people," Charles Wolfe said. Susan often traveled around town by bike or on foot.

Thomas Wolfe, her father, recounted memories of her catching her first flyball, her first heartbreak, and attending a sitar concert weeks before her death. "They've taken the life of someone with great potential," he said in 1980.

Many leads, but never any arrests

On Jan. 9, 1980, Susan was abducted near 200 Franklin Blvd. while walking to a friend's house after her home was fumigated. A witness saw a car pull up, and the driver grabbed Susan and drove away with a passenger.

Her body was found the next morning in the 2000 block of East 17th Street, showing signs of strangulation, sexual assault, and a gunshot wound.

Charles Wolfe took six months off from school to distribute flyers seeking help. Police hypnotized the witness, who provided a detailed description of the vehicle: a maroon-reddish 1970 Dodge Polara with a damaged white vinyl top.

Despite over 75 tips and multiple persons of interest, including famed serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, no arrests were made. Five lead investigators and over 30 detectives have worked on the case since 1980.

Charles Wolfe, disappointed that police didn't notify him directly, remains cautiously optimistic. "We just want to make sure she gets the justice she deserves," he said.

Police are still investigating to identify the passenger in the car. Anyone with information about Susan Wolfe's killing is asked to contact the cold case unit at 512-974-5250 or submit tips anonymously at austincrimestoppers.org or by calling 512-472-8477.