Slain Woman’s Father Mad at Mayor’s No-Show

The father of one of five women killed in the Clairemont-University City serial slayings said Friday that he is angry with Mayor Maureen O’Connor over her failure to attend a ceremony honoring his daughter at a local park earlier this week.

Raymond Weinhold, whose daughter, Janene Marie, was found stabbed to death in her Clairemont apartment Feb. 16, said he’s “highly irritated” over the mayor’s failure to attend the ceremony but “irate” over her refusal to “even respond to an invitation.”

Weinhold and his wife flew from their home in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Wednesday to donate $1,000 in their daughter’s name to the South Clairemont Park and Recreation Center. He said the money would be used to buy playground equipment for children.

He invited City Councilman Bruce Henderson, who represents the district--and who attended--as well as Police Chief Bob Burgreen, who sent a high-ranking representative. He said O’Connor failed to send an aide or even acknowledge his invitation, even though he spoke with Chris Cameron, one of the mayor’s underlings, “several times.”

“I’m hurt,” Weinhold said. “Obviously, if the mayor of the city had taken a few minutes to be there, it would have meant that my daughter meant something to the city she loved. Janene came to San Diego (to attend UC San Diego) and loved it. She was a great citizen.”

Asked about O’Connor’s failure to respond to the invitation, spokesman Paul Downey said, “That’s inaccurate. He was told that the mayor herself would not be able to attend, and we told the Crime Victims’ Fund.”

Downey said the mayor felt that the city was well-represented by Councilman Henderson, as well as Kevin Munnelly, the city’s endowments officer.

“She was in . . . well, I don’t know what meeting, but she had a fairly full morning and was not able to be there,” Downey said. “Obviously, we’re very sympathetic to the family, but her not being there should in no way indicate that the mayor does not have sympathy for the terrible tragedy that has befallen that family.”