The Murder of Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Wisenfeld
Warning, this case discusses murder and abduction.
For this case, I watched an episode of On the Case with Paula Zahn. It’s season 26 episode 8, titled ‘Text, Lies, and Video.’
A woman receives an odd text message from her mother.
Background
Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Wisenfeld lived in Whitehall, Pennsylvania, and was 67 years old at the time of her disappearance.
Betsy worked as a nurse at an adult daycare center. Betsy loved her patients and loved to help people. She was very religious and spiritual. She and her daughter, Kathleen weren’t just mother and daughter, but also best friends. Betsy’s religion had helped her get back on her feet after her husband, Bill passed away. Betsy enjoyed reading her Bible and journaling in the mornings.
Betsy Wisenfeld
Betsy and her daughter, Kathleen
The Disappearance
Betsy’s daughter, Kathleen said the morning of April 30, 2019, started off like any other day. They texted each other every morning and sent a few messages to each other that day.
A few hours later, Kathleen tried calling her mom, but it went to voicemail. She texted her, but the texts weren’t delivered. She tried calling again, but there was no answer.
Kathleen contacted her mom’s job to see if she was there and was okay. But, she learned that Betsy hadn’t shown up, and was a no-call no-show. Betsy’s supervisor also knew that something was wrong. Betsy was very reliable.
Kathleen contacted the police and drove to her mom’s house with her husband. An officer knocked on the door, but there was no answer. They walked around the house and didn’t see any signs of foul play. Betsy’s car was found in her garage.
The Crime Scene
Kathleen found it odd that Betsy’s car was still in the garage. The police said that maybe she had gotten a ride somewhere. But, Kathleen was the only person who would have given her mom a ride.
Kathleen gave the police permission to enter her mom’s house to search around. The alarm had not been set, which concerned Kathleen. Betsy would always set her alarm.
The police didn’t find that anything was out of place. Kathleen was insistent that something had happened to her mom. She agreed to enter the home to look around to see if anything was missing.
The end of Betsy’s bed had been pushed up against her dresser. There were scuff marks on the floor, and the closest door was off the tracks. Betsy’s glasses were also found on her bed. Betsy wouldn’t have been able to see without her glasses. It was clear that whatever had happened to Betsy had started in her bedroom.
While Kathleen was inside the house, she noticed a few other odd things. There was a pile of cigarette smoke. Betsy lived alone and didn’t smoke. Betsy’s teabag was still inside her cup. Betsy’s mirror, makeup bag, Bible, and journal were on the kitchen table. Betsy kept her home very neat and wouldn’t have left her things lying around.
The Text Message
On the day of Betsy’s disappearance, Kathleen received an odd text message from her. It said, “I met someone we are leaving now for about a week look after everything at the house please. I am going to have a good time for once.”
Kathleen knew that her mom had not sent the text message. Kathleen said Betsy would use short messages, abbreviations, and emojis. Betsy’s sister, Linda agreed that Betsy had not sent the message.
Kathleen and Betsy had spoken on April 29, so she knew her mom had not been planning a trip. Kathleen also said that her mom had no desire to meet someone after Bill had passed away.
Betsy was officially declared a missing person.
The Surveillance Footage
The police used Betsy’s phone records to trace her last known movements. Her phone had pinged near a Japanese steakhouse just a few miles from her home. The police went inside the restaurant with a photo of Betsy, but no one had seen her.
A medical examiner was asked to search Betsy’s home for any clues. They found drops of blood on the comforter and bedpost inside her bedroom.
Kathleen continued to do her own investigation. She searched her mom’s bank records online. Around 9 pm, someone withdrew $500 at an ATM using Betsy’s debit card.
The police obtained the CCTV images from the ATM. The person wore an oversized hooded sweatshirt with the hood over their head. It was clear it wasn’t Betsy. The person was taller and stocky. There was a paint mark on the side of the sweatshirt.
The police also obtained surveillance footage from near Betsy’s home. The camera was facing Betsy’s driveway.
At 8:40 am on April 30, Betsy had disarmed her alarm to open her front door. A dark-colored truck was seen driving into the neighborhood just before Betsy had opened her front door. The truck pulled into Betsy’s driveway. A shadowy figure could be seen walking from the home and into the truck. At 8:56 am, the truck drove to the back of the home where the garage was located. A few minutes later, the truck left the neighborhood.
The truck was identified as a Ford F-150.
A Person of Interest
Betsy’s stepson and brother told the police that Betsy had issues with a handyman named Doug Berry. He had done work for her late husband. Betsy had become very afraid of him.
Kathleen told the police that nothing seemed off about Doug at first. But, Betsy had learned that Doug had been in trouble with the law, and became afraid. Betsy told Doug that she didn’t need his help anymore.
The police looked into Doug’s DMV record and learned that he drove a dark-colored Ford F-150.
The police used a device to read license plates. Doug’s license plate was read entering and exiting Betsy’s driveway and neighborhood.
The police went to Doug’s home to interview him. They told him that they were investigating Betsy’s disappearance. He admitted to knowing her and doing work for her. Doug said he and Betsy had a good relationship, but he hadn’t seen her for several months. Doug said he didn’t have time to answer any more questions and left in his wife’s SUV. His truck was not at the home at the time.
The police hoped that Doug’s wife would be more helpful. They knocked on the door. As soon as she answered, one of the detectives noticed a dark-colored sweatshirt with a paint stain hanging on a hook. It was collected and taken in for evidence.
The Evidence
4 days after Betsy’s disappearance, the police obtained search warrants for Doug’s home and truck. They also collected the sweatshirt and his cell phone.
Inside Doug’s bedroom, they found a firearm. He wasn’t allowed to have a gun, and he was arrested. He had previously been arrested on a felony robbery charge.
The police found several tools and 4 bottles of drain cleaner inside Doug’s truck.
Doug said he had no involvement in Betsy’s disappearance. He asked for a lawyer which ended the interview.
Doug’s wife was very cooperative. She said Doug had left their home in a hurry on April 30 at 8:45 pm. Doug had taken her car and was annoyed when she asked him why he was driving it. She also noticed that Doug hadn’t taken his cell phone with him. It was around the time that Doug had withdrawn money from Betsy’s account. The license plate reading device placed the SUV at the bank.
The next day, she saw Doug burning something in their kitchen. She asked him what he was doing. He shoved whatever he had been burning into a beer can. The beer can was recovered inside the trash can. Doug had been burning Betsy’s credit card. Luckily, Doug’s thumbprint was recovered from the credit card.
The Discovery
Doug’s phone records placed him at Betsy’s home at the time that she had been abducted. The phone traveled together until Doug most likely threw out Betsy’s phone. Betsy’s phone was located on the side of the road. A man had found it and called Betsy’s sister.
Doug didn’t speak to the police, but he did speak to his cellmate. He was concerned about whether or not the police would locate Betsy’s body. The cellmate met with the police. He said her body was put into multiple garbage bags. Doug was concerned that someone was going to “stumble upon it.” Doug had wanted to put acid onto Betsy’s body to get rid of it. Doug had purchased the 4 bottles of drain cleaner the day after he abducted Betsy.
In September 2019, Doug was charged with Betsy’s murder. Betsy’s family told the police that they were considering a plea deal to be offered if Doug would tell them where Betsy’s body was.
In April 2020, an officer with the Plum Borough police discovered Betsy’s remains before the plea deal was offered. Betsy’s remains were found in an illegal dumpsite. The officer had noticed what looked like the sole of a shoe sticking out of a garbage bag.
Pieces of jewelry that had been found with the remains had been shown to Kathleen. She identified them as belonging to her mom.
The Conviction
In April 2022, Doug pled guilty to third-degree murder, burglary, theft, and receiving stolen property. He was sentenced to 17-40 years in prison. He could be eligible for parole as early as 2036.
The police believed that the motive was revenge. Doug had abducted and killed Betsy because she had fired him.
Doug Berry
FINAL THOUGHTS
My heart breaks for Kathleen, Linda, and all of Betsy’s loved ones. They were never going to give up on their search for Betsy. Doug is a low-life and a scumbag. He became so angry over being fired. He claims to be sorry for what he did, but if he was truly sorry then he should have admitted to what he did. He should have been helpful and told the police and Betsy’s family where her remains were.
Sources
https://thecinemaholic.com/betsy-wiesenfeld-murder-where-is-douglas-berry-now/
https://people.com/crime/woman-missing-found-garbage-bag-handyman-arrested/
https://www.wtae.com/article/elizabeth-wiesenfeld-douglas-berry-whitehall-guilty-plea/39629433#
https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/douglas-berry-pleads-guilty-elizabeth-wiesenfeld-murder
