Justice Delayed: Liberal Fury as Cold Case Breaks After 43 Years

Well, well, well, look who finally decided to solve a cold case from the Stone Age. Charles Wolfe had pretty much given up hope that anyone would ever be held accountable for his sister's murder back in 1980. But lo and behold, last week he saw her face on TV—because apparently, that's how we find out about justice these days.

"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 serving time in a Massachusetts prison (because of course he is), to the abduction, rape, and killing of Susan Leigh Wolfe in Austin.

An arrest warrant was filed on Tuesday, but don't hold your breath waiting for Brewer to be brought to Austin. Massachusetts won't extradite him until his sentence ends on Aug. 28. The Travis County district attorney's office will have to work with Massachusetts to schedule the prisoner transport. Can you say "red tape"?

Oh, and what's Brewer in prison for now? The Massachusetts Department of Corrections directed us to the Middlesex County district attorney's office, who didn't bother to respond. Shocking, right?

The Austin Police Department declined to make the lead detective available for an interview. Because transparency is so overrated.

'Someone with great potential'

Susan Wolfe was just 25 years old, getting ready for her first semester at the University of Texas to study nursing. She was a caretaker, a "surrogate mom," and a "prototype hippie."

"Susan was bubbly," Charles Wolfe said. "She was not a materialistic person; she didn't even own a car. ... She loved to help people."

But on Jan. 9, 1980, she was abducted near 200 Franklin Blvd. while walking to a friend's house. Her body was found the next morning with signs of strangulation, sexual assault, and a single .22-caliber gunshot to her head.

Charles Wolfe spent the next six months riding his bike around town, distributing flyers, and begging for the public's help. Police hypnotized a witness and got a better description of the vehicle. But did it help? Not really.

Over the years, detectives interviewed multiple persons of interest, but none of them turned out to be Susan Wolfe's killers. They even suspected Henry Lee Lucas at one point. Yes, the same Lucas who falsely admitted to killing nearly 600 people.

Five different lead investigators have been assigned to the case since 1980, with more than 30 investigators working on it in some capacity. But hey, at least they finally caught one guy, right?

Charles Wolfe is upset police didn't contact him directly, but he's happy that at least one person will be brought to trial. "We have cautious optimism," he said. "We just want to make sure she gets the justice she deserves."

Police said it is still an active investigation. Anyone with information about Susan Wolfe's killing is asked to contact the cold case unit at 512-974-5250. Tips can also be submitted anonymously at austincrimestoppers.org or by calling 512-472-8477.