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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2025

Brookings, Oregon

Curry County man implicated in 1990 Berkeley, California murder: Weidhofer Cold Case

Press Briefing: The East Bay Regional Park District, in California, held a recent press conference and identified former Gold Beach resident, Jon Lipari, as the killer.

The East Bay Regional Park District Police Department announced today that Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) evidence has conclusively identiﬁed the murderer in a 35-year-old case that took place in Tilden Regional Park. Evidence collected from Jon Lipari, who died by suicide in Oregon in November 2024, was linked to the victim Maria Weidhofer. Weidhofer was an avid jogger and park user of Tilden Regional Park. On November 16, 1990, Weid-

Regional Park District Police Department. A suspect was not identiﬁed from this initial investigation. In 1997, biological evidence found on Weidhofer from the suspect was sent to the Contra Costa Crime Lab for analysis. That evidence was later submitted to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). Among the evidence collected, during the initial investigation, was semen from which a DNA proﬁle was generated. In 2020, the East Bay Region-

hofer was found deceased on a trail near Inspiration Point in Tilden Regional Park. Weidhofer was found with rope around her neck and with physical signs of a struggle after she had been reported missing the night before. An autopsy, performed at the time of the crime, found that Weidhofer’s cause of death was asphyxia by ligature strangulation and found a multitude of minor abrasions and contusions upon her person. A lengthy investigation was conducted in 1990-1991 by the East Bay

al Park District Police Investigations Unit began working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on this case. This collaboration included the use of advanced DNA techniques. Through this investigation, Lipari was determined to be a potential suspect and became the primary suspect in 2024. Once Lipari was identiﬁed as a potential suspect, hundreds of hours of further investigation were conducted in collaboration with the FBI, Contra Costa County District Attorney’s

Office, and the Curry County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation also determined that Lipari was living in Gold Beach. In early November 2024, Lipari was found deceased in his residence by local law enforcement from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. DNA from the scene was retrieved by the Curry County Sheriff’s Office and a direct comparison was done by the Contra Costa County Crime Laboratory. The comparison determined the Please see COLD CASE Page 2

Brookings Addresses Stormwater Crisis

City Launches "My City" Program to Educate Third Graders on Local Government BY LINDA LEE

Curry Coastal Pilot

Brookings City Council tackled a range of issues at its recent meeting, from urgent infrastructure repairs to a plea to the governor regarding a crucial housing development. The council also solidified its representation on a regional transportation commission. A significant concern was the discovery of a sinkhole at the intersection of Fifth and Ransom Streets, along with failing stormwater pipes on a nearby private drive. Public works staff identified two corroded pipes, over forty Please see CRISIS Page 2

Friends of Curry Campus Speaker Series Presents:

Imaginative Creative Writing BY LINDA LEE

Curry Coastal Pilot

Southwestern Oregon Community College's Curry Campus is offering a free taste of creative writing this spring. The community is invited to a special program, "Imaginative Creative Writing," on Thursday, March 13TH from 12:00 to

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1:00 p.m. in the Community Room at the Curry Campus in Brookings. Attendees are encouraged to bring a brown bag lunch and a friend. The event, sponsored by the Friends of Curry Campus, will feature Coral Anderson, who will be teaching Creative Writing and Story Worlds at the campus this spring.

Participants will have the opportunity to meet Anderson and experience a preview of her teaching style. Her upcoming full-term class will cover the analysis of published works, focusing on elements like scenes, dialogue, themes and structure, followed by in-class and athome writing exercises. “I have profoundly

enjoyed teaching writing in both college and high school contexts. Homeschooling my own high school aged children has granted me a broader scope of appreciation for curriculum that can foster cross-curricular excellence while preparing them for collegiate studies and career Please see WRITING Page 2

Phone Number: 541-813-1717 • Address: 519 Chetco Avenue, Unit 7, Brookings, OR 97415 • Email: Circulation@CountryMedia.net

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