David Brinson convicted mass murderer strangles wife, Stephanie Dowells during conjugal visit at North California prison as family demands answers.
‘They would read the Bible together …. ‘ A ‘notorious’ convicted mass murderer serving life in prison without the possibility of parole strangled his wife during a conjugal visit at a California prison.
David Brinson, 54, serving life for the murders of four people in 1994, claimed his wife, Stephanie Dowells, had fainted when she was found unresponsive following an unsupervised overnight visit last November at the Mule Creek State Prison near Sacramento.
Prison staff attempted lifesaving measures, only for the woman to be declared dead just before 3 a.m, the Los Angeles Times reported.
‘How could they just let this happen?’
An investigation showed that Dowells, a 62-year-old grandmother and small business owner had been strangled with her death ruled a homicide, prosecutors told KCRA.
Prosecutors said they are waiting for investigators to conclude their investigation before filing further charges against the husband, who is already serving life without the possibility of parole for shooting dead four men during a 1994 Los Angeles robbery.
All four victims were shot execution-style after being forced to lay face down on the floor, the Times reported.
In the aftermath of the Dowells alleged strangling, the victim’s two children are searching for answers, demanding to know how she could be left alone with a known violent killer.
‘How could they just let this happen? I just don’t get it,’ her son, Armand Torres, told the outlet.
‘Given the history that this guy has, we kind of wanted to know how is it even possible for them to be unsupervised?
‘My mom was just left alone, and she called for help, I’m sure, and there’s nothing she could do,’ he added.
Strict eligibility criterion for family visits
The only inmates currently banned from so-called family visits — which are held ‘in private, apartment-like facilities on prison grounds’ and can last up to 40 hours — are those on death row or sex offenders, according to the California Department of Corrections.
‘Family visits are a privilege, and incarcerated persons must apply and meet strict eligibility criteria to be approved,’ a spokesperson for the department said.
‘Only those who demonstrate sustained good behavior and meet specific program requirements are considered. These visits are designed to support positive family connections and successful rehabilitation.’
Dowells’ daughter-in-law, Nataly Jimenez, said the slain victim was pushing her spouse to be a better person — despite Brinson’s violent past.
‘They would read the Bible together,’ she said. ‘He was in school in there because she was pushing him to try to be this better person.’
It was not immediately clear how long the pair had been married.
Brinson has since been transferred to the California Health Care Facility in Stockton, a state prison for incarcerated patients with long-term medical or acute mental health needs.
