CA CA- Maria Jane Weidhofer, 32, artist & baker, raped & strangled while jogging on the Nimitz trail, 15 Nov.,1990, *New initiative*

[dotr]

Feb 18 2025

Authorities to release 'recent results' in Berkeley cold case

Maria Jane Weidhofer was raped and strangled while jogging on the Nimitz trail in 1990, police said previously. She was just 32.

www.berkeleyscanner.com

''Weidhofer "was a free-spirited artist and baker who loved life and worked hard to stay healthy by jogging every day in the East Bay hills," the San Francisco Chronicle reported in 2005, the same year police and relatives put up a $10,000 reward "in hopes of sparking new interest in the investigation."

''Authorities said Weidhofer was raped and strangled while jogging on the Nimitz trail on Nov. 15, 1990, according to media reports from 2005. Her body was found "on a trail in a redwood grove," the East Bay Times reported that year''

 

[dotr]

2017

https://www.kron4.com/news/new-sketches-in-tilden-park-cold-case-murder/

''Witnesses describe the man as Italian or European, 25 to 30 years old with a slender build with broad shoulders, short dark hair that was neatly-groomed, and a mustache.''

New leads in unsolved 1990 Berkeley park slaying

East Bay Regional Park District police have released composite images of what a prime person of interest in a 1990 Tilden Park murder might look like today

www.eastbaytimes.com

Cops Used DNA to Predict a Suspect’s Face—and Tried to Run Facial Recognition on It

Police around the US say they're justified to run DNA-generated 3D models of faces through facial recognition tools to help crack cold cases. Everyone but the cops thinks that’s a bad idea.

www.wired.com

''Nearly 30 years later, the department sent genetic information collected at the crime scene to Parabon NanoLabs—a company that says it can turn DNA into a face.''

''The face of the murderer, the company predicted, was male. He had fair skin, brown eyes and hair, no freckles, and bushy eyebrows. A forensic artist employed by the company photoshopped a nondescript, close-cropped haircut onto the man and gave him a mustache—an artistic addition informed by a witness description and not the DNA sample.''

 

[annemc2]

What does "European in appearance" mean? His style of dress or something? What am I not getting??

 

[Oiseaux]

What does "European in appearance" mean? His style of dress or something? What am I not getting??

It could be referring to style of dress - but since they call out Italian specifically, I would guess it might be referring to a light-skinned person with olive or tan skin undertones and dark hair.

MOO

 

[annemc2]

I can't get into the Wired article but I gather that it's talking about the ethical implications of using facial recognition/AI with the parabon-generated image. That's fascinating.

The park looks pretty large and was probably not that populated in 1990 as it is today, where you usually see "about 4 groups of hikers and bike riders per minute near the parking lot, gradually dropping off to a group every two or three minutes at the Nike Missile site" according to the Nimitz Trail link above. It looks far out enough to think that the perp was likely hunting for a victim, as it's not a place someone would just be hanging out. Perhaps the European angle meant something like he was dressed in something other than typical American exercise wear like sweats and tennis shoes.

Fingers crossed that the Parabon development leads to something. It's a huge advance and always so cool to finally see a suspect side by side with the composite!

 

[iamshadow21]

I can't get into the Wired article but I gather that it's talking about the ethical implications of using facial recognition/AI with the parabon-generated image. That's fascinating.

The park looks pretty large and was probably not that populated in 1990 as it is today, where you usually see "about 4 groups of hikers and bike riders per minute near the parking lot, gradually dropping off to a group every two or three minutes at the Nike Missile site" according to the Nimitz Trail link above. It looks far out enough to think that the perp was likely hunting for a victim, as it's not a place someone would just be hanging out. Perhaps the European angle meant something like he was dressed in something other than typical American exercise wear like sweats and tennis shoes.

Fingers crossed that the Parabon development leads to something. It's a huge advance and always so cool to finally see a suspect side by side with the composite!

I think they're trying to talk about the darker complexion that certain European countries trend towards. Southern Italy, Greece, parts of France and Belgium, etc.

MOO

 

[annemc2]

I think they're trying to talk about the darker complexion that certain European countries trend towards. Southern Italy, Greece, parts of France and Belgium, etc.

MOO

Oh yes, I totally get that but I just can't understand how olive skin/darker features would stand out in the Bay Area. If this was in like rural Mississippi it would make more sense to me. Sorry to harp on this and I do understand where "European" could mean swarthy but it just seems like an odd word to use in the diverse Berkeley area, even in 1990.

Just super curious as to why specifically European as opposed to "exotic," a "foreigner" or "not from around here." I guess it also depends on the life experience of the witness(es) who described him as such. I'm picturing a guy on the trail wearing very nice clothes/shoes and maybe some jewelry. Definitely not a hoodie and running shoes. Sorry - rambling!

 

[imstilla.grandma]

In 1997, biological evidence found on Weidhofer from the suspect was analyzed and submitted to the Combined DNA Index System. Through the use of advanced DNA techniques, Lipari was determined to be a potential suspect and became the primary suspect in 2024.

Police say there's no indication there was any previous contact between Weidhofer and Lipari.

Suspect identified in 35-year-old Tilden Park cold case murder of woman

Police announced they've identified a suspect in the November 1990 murder of Maria Weidhofer, who was found dead on a trail in Tilden Regional Park. Suspect Jon Lipari died by suicide last year.

abc7news.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

 

[imstilla.grandma]

*Police announced Wednesday that the suspect in the rape and murder of 32-year-old Maria Weidhofer in Tilden Regional Park in 1990 has been identified using advanced DNA techniques.

 

[annemc2]

Looks like he lived in Gold Beach, Oregon - Wikipedia - only around 2300 people. Will be interesting to hear from people who knew him. Looks like everyone was spot on about the Italian ancestry! What wonderful news!

 

[DS2021]

Lipari died by suicide in Nov

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.

www.cbsnews.com