Austin authorities identify suspect in 1980 cold case killing of University of Texas nursing student

A suspect in the 44-year-old cold case killing of University of Texas nursing student Susan Leigh Wolfe was identified as Deck Brewer — but authorities are still searching for one more person in connection with the crime, according to a news release from the City of Austin.

In 1980, Wolfe was enrolled at the UT Austin School of Nursing. Around 10 p.m. local time, authorities say she was kidnapped about one block from her home while walking to a friend’s house after having her house sprayed for bugs. 

A witness to the kidnapping says they watched as a car stopped and the driver grabbed Wolfe in a “bear hug,” placing a coat over her head and forcing her into the car. The witness also said the passenger door opened, but he did not see what the passenger did during the abduction. The witness described the car as a 1970 Dodge Polara.

Wolfe’s body was found early the next morning in an Austin alley at 2000 E. 17th Street. The pathologist found “evidence of ligature strangulation,” determined the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head, and that the manner of death was homicide. 

During the autopsy, the pathologist found evidence of sexual assault left by one of the suspects. That evidence was retained by the Austin Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Laboratory throughout the investigation.

In April 2023, detectives from the APD Cold Case Unit submitted evidence related to the sexual assault to the Texas DPS Crime Laboratory. The Austin Forensic Science Department and DPS Crime Laboratory evaluated the evidence and decided it was suitable for testing.

APD received the test results in February and Texas DPS entered the profile from the results into CODIS or the Combined DNA Index System. CODIS operates local, state and national DNA profiles from convicted offenders, missing people and unsolved crime scene evidence.

In March, APD received notification from TX DPS that a possible match in CODIS was found in Massachusetts. Detectives examined the Massachusetts State Police Forensic Services Division report dated March 7, 2024. This report identified Brewer, 78, as the possible contributor to the profile developed by TX DPS.

Arrest records show Brewer is incarcerated at the Massachusetts Department of Corrections on unrelated charges.

In June, Travis County District Court found probable cause to issue a DNA search warrant to seize a DNA sample from Brewer for direct comparison to the evidence found during Wolfe’s autopsy.

In July, APD detectives executed the DNA search warrant in Massachusetts by obtaining the DNA sample from Brewer and interviewing him. During that conversation, Brewer said he had been in San Antonio and Austin at the time of the killing and invoked his right to counsel after he was told his DNA was found at the scene of a homicide.

APD received the results of the direct comparison of Brewer’s DNA to the DNA that was located inside the victim during the autopsy.

According to the DPS report: “Deck Brewer Jr. cannot be excluded as the contributor of the partial major component in this DNA profile. The probability of selecting an unrelated person at random who could be the contributor of the partial major component in this DNA profile is approximately 1 in 550.5 quintillion. One quintillion is followed by 18 zeros.”

In August, Austin Municipal Court found probable cause to issue an arrest warrant charging Brewer with Wolfe’s killing.

The investigation is ongoing, and APD is following leads to find the passenger in the car when Wolfe was abducted. 

According to CBS affiliate KEYE-TV in Austin, both of Wolfe’s parents have since died, and her roommate at the time appears to have passed away last year.

Anyone with information related to this case is being encouraged to call APD’s Cold Case Unit at 512-974-5250.