Leander man hopes for justice after his sister's unsolved 1980 case makes a major breakthrough

LEANDER, Texas — After 44 years without answers, a Leander man is celebrating after a suspect was charged last week in connection with the 1980 murder of his sister.

Charlie Wolfe remembers his big sister Susan as a kind of second mother.

“Contagious smile, she really gave a lot to the community,” Wolfe said. “Wherever I was, my sister was always close by and took that burden off my mom. She really gave me that love and care…”

He also remembers being called home from high school in 1980 and his mother telling him that the 25-year-old nursing student had been murdered. She was attending the University of Texas at Austin and was on her way to a friend's house when she was kidnapped and sexually assaulted before she was killed on January 9, over 40 years ago.

“Being called out of class and going to see the principal, not understanding why, seeing the sad eyes and expression…” Wolfe said.

His mother died four years ago without ever getting answers, but now his family is one step closer to justice. Last Friday, Austin police announced that DNA evidence was used to identify 78-year-old Deck Brewer Jr., who is in custody in Massachusetts for an unrelated crime.

“I am overjoyed that the case has turned around. And there are no other words to describe that this was one of the happiest days of my life,” Wolfe said. “It was incredible to actually see my sister's face in the media again and to know that she was not forgotten.”

While Wolfe admits he was a little surprised to learn of the groundbreaking discovery on the news rather than through a call from police, his joy couldn't be greater.

“What an achievement to solve a case after 44 years thanks to science, DNA science, which did not exist at the time of my sister's death,” Wolfe said.

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Michael Bullock, president of the Austin Police Association, says retaining contact information is just one of the many challenges of maintaining cold case files.

“A lot changes in that time period, from the family that may be involved to the clues to the technology and tools available to solve the case,” Bullock said.

That's why he's proud that the APD has its own cold case unit, where every new detective is familiarized with these files.

“These investigators have put in an extraordinary amount of effort,” Bullock said. “They have a lot of information to sort through and comb through.”

But that is precisely why these detectives continue their work over four decades.

“It's still a victim whose voice should be heard,” Wolfe said. “And hopefully it brings peace and resolution to the family.”

A second suspect is still being sought in connection with the crime, but Wolfe says he is hopeful for the first time in a long time.

“This is just the beginning of the legal process and we want to make sure this is justice delayed and not justice denied,” Wolfe said.

We're told Austin Police contacted and spoke with Charlie directly on Monday.