Charges filed in missing woman’s presumed death

By Tom Davidson

Douglas Berry confided to other inmates at the Allegheny County Jail that he killed Elizabeth Wiesenfeld and needed to get out of jail so he could dispose of her body using sulfuric acid, according to a criminal complaint charging him with homicide in the case.

Berry, 48, was charged Thursday with homicide, burglary, access device fraud, receiving stolen property and two counts of theft for entering the 67-year-old Whitehall widow’s home April 30 and presumably killing her, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. said. Berry lived in Liberty borough, near Mc-Keesport.

Berry is also accused of using one of Wiesenfeld’s bank cards to make a $500 withdrawal, according to the criminal complaint.

Berry presumably hid her body somewhere. Wiesenfeld’s remains haven’t been found, despite an intensive search by authorities, Zappala said.

Berry was a handyman who operated Berry General Contracting. Between September 2015 and October 2018, Berry did some work for Wiesenfeld, who owned several properties. According to the 14-page criminal complaint, Wiesenfeld stopped employing Berry because he made her feel uncomfortable, an unnamed witness told police.

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