Mass murderer allegedly strangles wife during conjugal visit: ‘How could they let this happen?’
By
Emily Crane
Published March 21, 2025, 10:40 a.m. ET
A mass murderer strangled his wife during a conjugal visit in his California prison, according to prosecutors.
David Brinson, already serving life for four murders, had claimed that his wife, Stephanie Dowells, a 62-year-old grandmother, had fainted when she was found dead after an unsupervised overnight visit last November at the Mule Creek State Prison near Sacramento.
But an investigation showed that his wife had been throttled, with her death ruled a homicide, prosecutors
told KCRA.
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Stephanie Dowells, a 62-year-old grandmother, was at the Mule Creek State Prison near Sacramento for an unsupervised overnight visit with her husband, David Brinson, 54, when she died last November.Facebook / Stephanie Dowells
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David Brinson, 54, is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for gunning down four people during a 1994 robbery. He hasn’t been charged in his wife’s death.California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Prosecutors said they are waiting for cops to wrap up the investigation before they file further charges against the husband, who is already serving life without the possibility of parole for gunning down four people during a 1994 robbery.
It was not immediately clear how long the pair had been married. However, Dowells’ two children are 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.
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, the California Department of Corrections site states.
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The mystery surrounding her death unfolded after her inmate husband summoned guards to the prison’s family visitation unit at about 2:30 a.m. Nov. 13 midway through their conjugal visit.Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
“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.”
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Dowells’ daughter-in-law, Nataly Jimenez, said the slain victim was pushing her spouse to be a better person — despite his checkered 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.”
shinemycrown.com
Rest in peace to that woman.
