A man serving four consecutive life sentences for murder in California has been accused of killing his wife during a conjugal visit last year. He has not yet been charged in her death.
David Brinson, 54, has been serving life sentences since his 1994 conviction for murdering four men while committing a robbery in Los Angeles. His wife Stephanie Brinson, 62, known as Stephanie Dowells according to family members, visited him at Mule Creek State Prison in Amador County, California, in November.
Early in the morning on Nov. 13, Brinson reported his wife had passed out. She was ultimately pronounced dead despite lifesaving efforts, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation told the Los Angeles Times.
Coroners determined that Dowells had been strangled to death, Amador County Sheriff Gary Redman told the Sacramento Bee Tuesday.
Her husband, who is currently incarcerated in the California Health Care Facility in Stockton, California, has not yet been charged in the death of Dowells.
While he is the sole suspect, Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe told the Bee that his office is waiting for the full autopsy and for reports from Mule Creek before charging Brinson.
The victim’s family members are demanding answers as to why she saw Brinson unsupervised during the visit.
“How could they just let this happen? I just don’t get it. My mom was just left alone, and she called for help, I’m sure, and there’s nothing she could do. Given the history that this guy has, we kind of wanted to know how is it even possible for them to be unsupervised?,” Dowells’ son Armando Torres told KCRA-TV.
