Mystery of 25-year-old Texas nursing student brutally murdered 44 years ago finally solved

A man has been charged in the cold case of a 25-year-old nursing student who was kidnapped and murdered in Texas 44 years ago - as authorities continue to search for another person in connection with the horrifying crime.

Susan Leigh Wolfe was walking to a friend's house in Austin on the night of January 9, 1980 when she was kidnapped about a block from her home. Her body was found the next day in an alley.

The young woman had been sexually assaulted, strangled and shot in the head, authorities said. 

DNA and genetic genealogy testing revealed a suspect in Wolfe's killing, identified as 78-year-old Deck Brewer, Jr., who is currently behind bars in a Massachusetts jail for unrelated charges.

Last week, Austin Municipal Court found probable cause to charge Brewer in the young nurse's death as Austin police continue to search for a second suspect spotted on the night of her disappearance.

Victim Susan Leigh Wolfe, 25,  was sexually assaulted, strangled and shot in the head before her body was found in an Austin alley

An Austin court found probable cause to issue an arrest warrant charging Deck Brewer Jr. with the murder of Susan Leigh Wolfe

A witness gave police chilling details of what happened the night of Wolfe's abduction.

The witness described seeing a car approach Wolfe as she was walking alone around 10pm. The driver exited the vehicle and grabbed Wolfe in a bear hug before placing a coat over her head and forcing her into the car.

The witness also saw a passenger door open before losing sight of the victim. 

Wolfe, who had enrolled at the University of Texas earlier that day, left her house alone that night of the murder after her home was sprayed for bugs to go to a friends house. 

A year after her murder, investigators looked into numerous leads, including cars that fit the witness's description

Over the course of the investigation, police identified over 40 persons of interest and interviewed at least six suspects, ABC News reported. 

In April 2023, evidence of the sexual assault was sent to a crime lab at The Texas Department of Public Safety. 

Earlier this year, Austin police received lab results that eliminated six suspects but produced a new match.

When police entered the profile into a DNA index, it came back showing a possible match to a man in jail in Massachusetts identified as Brewer, Jr. 

In July, Brewer told detectives during an interview that he was in the Austin area around the time of Wolfe's murder.

Around the same time, police received the results of Brewer's DNA, which matched the DNA found on the victim.

On Wednesday, a court found probable cause to charge Brewer in Wolfe's murder.