Cold case murder of Berkeley woman Maria Weidhofer at Tilden Regional Park solved after 35 years
The cold case murder of a Berkeley woman in Tilden Regional Park has been solved using advanced DNA techniques, authorities announced Wednesday.
On Nov. 16, 1990, 32-year-old Maria Weidhofer, an avid jogger who frequented the Tilden Park trails, was found dead on a trail near Inspiration Point with a rope around her neck showing physical signs of a struggle. An autopsy found she had been raped and strangled to death.
On Wednesday, the East Bay Regional Park District Police Department said a man who died by suicide in Oregon in November 2024, Jon Lipari, was conclusively identified as the murderer.
Park District police, along with members of the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office and the FBI, held a press conference in Oakland on Wednesday to announce the findings.
A suspect was not identified during the initial investigation between 1990 and 1991. In 1997, biological evidence from the suspect found on Weidhofer was sent out for analysis and later submitted to a DNA database, police said.
In 2020, Park District police investigators began working with the FBI on the case. Police said through the use of advanced DNA techniques, Lipari was determined to be a potential suspect and became the primary suspect in 2024. The investigation also determined that Lipari was living in Gold Beach, Oregon.
Police said Lipari was found dead in his home last November from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. DNA collected from Lipari in Oregon matched the DNA profiles generated from the evidence collected at the Weidhofer murder scene.
"Even after 35 years of this horrific crime, we never gave up, and I really credit that again to our hard-working staff here at the park district and our police department," said Park District General Manager Sabrina Landreth. "None of this would have happened without all of our important regional partners ... and I really want to extend our thanks to you for also being alongside us and not giving up. And lastly, to the family, I know this doesn't bring complete closure, but I just want you to know, we always were here with you. This is a solemn day, but I do hope this does bring some little bit of answer and closure to you as you've been suffering through this."
There was no indication that there was any previous contact between Weidhofer and Lipari. East Bay Regional Park District Police Detective Christopher Rudy said Lipari was in his mid-30s and lived in Martinez at the time of the murder.
In response to a question from a reporter, Rudy said Lipari was not aware of the Weidhofer investigation when he died by suicide.
"There's nothing that leads us to believe that is the case," said Rudy. "No evidence that shows that he was aware of the investigation at all."
Rudy also read a statement from the Weidhofer's brother Hans at the press conference.
"Thirty-five years ago, our family was irreparably harmed because of the loss of Maria. In the ensuing years, our parents, Jane and Karl, struggled mightily with psychological repercussions, including the frustration of knowing the perpetrator was likely still free. Maria, the family, and the world have been carelessly cheated and deprived of her future. On behalf of our immediate and extended family, we would like to express our gratitude to law enforcement for their unceasing efforts in finally bringing some measure of closure to this tragedy. We shall remember Maria as a gentle soul, pursuing her dreams as an artist and baker in the Bay Area community she loved. Our wish is that she will be remembered for the person she was, and not for what happened to her."
