Police Questioning Person Of Interest In Whitehall Woman's Disappearance
LIBERTY BOROUGH (KDKA) -- It's been nearly a week since 67-year-old Elizabeth Wiesenfeld was reported missing from her Whitehall home by her daughter.
Police suspect 47-year-old Douglas Berry may be involved in her disappearance. Berry is now jailed on a gun violation charge. He is not currently accused in the Wiesenfeld case.
Sources tell KDKA's Ralph Iannotti that Berry was acquainted with the missing woman and her family.
Berry lived off Washington Boulevard in Liberty Borough.
Armed with a warrant, police have been searching his property and nearby wooded areas looking for possible clues and evidence connected to Wiesenfeld's case.
"I'm very surprised. I mean, this is a very quiet neighborhood. You can hear the lawnmowers going in the background. I mean, myself, I just got done cutting the grass, too. The police activity this last week and a half has been a little heavy here," neighbor Rob Gasser told KDKA News.
"I'm just sick. This man knocked on my door and now, to find out what he's about, it's scary ... Oh my gosh, it was one o'clock in the morning, there's guys walking here, and I didn't know. My dogs were going nuts," Susan Gasser said.
In the criminal complaint county police filed when they arrested Berry, they noted there was blood in Wiesenfeld's bed.
They also wrote Wiesenfeld's debit card was used by a masked person at an ATM machine on Route 51 in Whitehall after she was reported missing.
In that same complaint, they wrote when they searched Berry's home, they found a Glock pistol on the night stand in the bedroom with one live round in the chamber and six rounds in the magazine.
Because police say Berry is a convicted felon, he's not allowed to possess a firearm.
Rob Gasser said he wouldn't describe Berry as a close neighbor.
"I only knew him in passing. He stopped and knocked on my door one day and introduced himself. He said he was gone for 27 months, and you know that said, I kind of figured he was in prison before, he actually admitted to that as well," he said.
Police said Berry pleaded guilty to robbery first degree in 2001 in Berks County.
Anyone with information on Wiesenfeld's whereabouts is asked to call the Allegheny County Police tipline at 1-833-255-8477. Calls can be made anonymously.