AUSTIN, Texas (TCN) — Police recently identified a suspect they allege abducted and fatally shot a nursing student whose remains were found in an alley in 1980.
According to the Austin Police Department, 25-year-old Susan Wolfe signed up to attend the University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing on Jan. 9, 1980, and was kidnapped a block away from her home later that evening. Wolfe’s residence was reportedly being sprayed for bugs, so she was walking to a friend’s house at the time.
A witness told police he saw a driver stop and grab Wolfe in a “bear hug” before allegedly putting a coat over her head and forcing the victim into the vehicle. According to officers, the witness claimed he also saw the passenger door open, but he didn’t observe what the passenger did during the alleged kidnapping. The witness identified the car as a 1970 Dodge Polara.
According to police, the following morning, an individual inspecting rental property discovered Wolfe’s body partially clothed in an alley. A pathologist determined she had been strangled with a ligature and the cause of death was a fatal gunshot wound to the head. The pathologist also discovered evidence of a sexual assault.
Police produced 40 persons of interests during the first year of investigation and interviewed six possible suspects. In April 2023, detectives submitted evidence regarding the sexual assault, and on Feb. 12, the testing eliminated the six suspects. The following month, police said investigators identified a possible suspect, 78-year-old Deck Brewer Jr., who was in Massachusetts at the time.
According to officers, Brewer is already in custody at the Massachusetts Department of Corrections for unrelated charges. In June, officials reportedly obtained a DNA sample from Brewer to do a direct comparison with evidence found during Wolfe’s autopsy. According to police, as a result, investigators determined Brewer was a probable match.
In an interview, Brewer reportedly admitted he had been in Austin and San Antonio around the time of Wolfe’s death. Authorities issued an arrest warrant on Aug. 14, charging Brewer with murder.