Las Crucen sentenced to life in prison for mother’s murder

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- A Las Cruces judge sentenced Dillon Alexander Waller, 31, to life in prison for murdering his mother, Cynthia Berendzen. A jury convicted Waller of murder in December 2024.

In addition to the life sentence for murder, the judge also gave Waller a three-year sentence for tampering with evidence. The judge agreed with prosecutors' request that the sentences be imposed consecutively, a spokesperson for the District Attorney's office explained.

The murder happened in late 2022. Las Cruces Police officers found Berendzen during a welfare check after neighbors said they had not seen her for weeks. They discovered her body in her home's shower.

"Following Waller’s arrest, he initially denied any involvement in his mother's death but later confessed to strangling her while she slept," the spokesperson explained. "He admitted to moving her body to the shower, cleaning the scene, and attempting to cover up the crime with the help of a friend."