DNA leads to arrest of slain University of Texas nursing student

A significant development has emerged in the long-cold murder case of Susan Leigh Wolfe, a 25-year-old nursing student from the University of Texas, who was killed over four decades ago.

New Lead Identified

As per the Austin Police Department, a suspect has been identified in the killing, leading to a charging of Suspect Deck Brewer Jr., aged 78, with the crime. The breakthrough came after DNA evidence related to Wolfe's sexual assault was tested and linked Brewer to the case. Notably, Brewer is currently incarcerated in Massachusetts on unrelated charges.

The ominous incident occurred on the night of January 9, 1980, when Wolfe was on her way to a friend's place. In a disturbing turn of events, a 1970 Dodge Polara allegedly stopped, and the driver abducted Wolfe, as described by a witness. Despite seeing the passenger door open, the witness could not ascertain the passenger's involvement in the abduction. The passenger remains unidentified, and police are actively seeking leads on this individual.

Tragically, Wolfe was discovered the following morning in an alley in Austin, where she succumbed to a gunshot wound to the head. The manner of death was classified as a homicide, with indications of strangulation and sexual assault.

Cold Case Breakthrough

The investigation had been protracted, yielding over 40 persons of interest and interviewing six suspects. However, a critical turn of events transpired in April 2023 when detectives submitted evidence pertaining to Wolfe's sexual assault. This pivotal moment, nearly a year later, not only ruled out the six suspects but also pointed towards Brewer as a probable match.

In the recent development, Austin police detectives acquired a DNA sample from Brewer and undertook an interview with him in Massachusetts. During this encounter, Brewer allegedly acknowledged being in Austin and San Antonio, Texas, around the time of the murder. Notably, he invoked his right to counsel upon being informed that his DNA was discovered at the homicide scene.

Further analysis of Brewer's DNA sample revealed that he "cannot be excluded as the contributor of the partial major component in this DNA profile." This declaration was complemented by the staggering statistic that, statistically, the probability of randomly selecting an unrelated person who could match this DNA profile was approximately 1 in 550.5 quintillion. Such figures underscore the significance of the DNA evidence in this case.