Man to be sentenced for killing

By Jeff Pope

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008 | midnight

A 59-year-old Green Valley man convicted of killing his live-in girlfriend is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 9.

A jury found Vincent DiBerardino guilty on July 28 of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon and robbery with a deadly weapon for killing Stephanie Zweig, 57.

Zweig was discovered bludgeoned in a home she rented in the 3100 block of Strawberry Park Drive, near Warm Springs Road and Pecos Road, on June 19, 2006. Her 1999 Mercedes-Benz was missing.

DiBerardino faces a maximum penalty of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Zweig's son Jon Reale and his wife went to Zweig's home after she failed to respond to several phone calls on June 19. Reale said they knew something was wrong because all of the blinds were shut. Zweig was an outgoing person who opened the shades every morning, Reale said.

Zweig leased the home in February 2006. The couple had dated for about eight months and moved in together to share expenses, but Zweig was upset that DiBerardino was not paying his share, Reale told police.

Reale used a spare key to open the door and found his mother on the living room floor. A bloody hammer was lying near her.

Police said they found blood in the kitchen and on towels in an upstairs bathroom.

Police recovered e-mails from Zweig indicating a strained relationship regarding money. The e-mails indicated that she was bank rolling DiBerardino in several poker games.

DiBerardino had recently been hired as a cab driver. Zweig worked the late shift at Dollar Rent-A-Car.

The attorneys could not be reached for comment.

Jeff Pope can be reached at 990-2688 or jeff.pope@hbcpub.com.