Woman 'strangled' to death while visiting convicted murderer husband in prison

Prison officials are investigating the death of a 62-year-old woman who died of strangulation while visiting her husband at a prison in California.

Stephanie Diane Dowells, who also went by the name Stephanie Brinson, died in November after she went to visit her husband, 54-year-old David Brinson, behind bars at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione.

The 62-year-old hairdresser had gone to the prison overnight to spend time with Brinson, who is serving four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole after he was convicted in the 1990s for murdering four men during a robbery.

Stephanie Diane Dowells' husband was serving four life sentences (CBS News Sacramento)

At 2:04am on November 13, Brinson called prison officials to tell them his wife had passed out. Officers then began administering life-saving measures and called 911, but Dowells was pronounced dead a short time later.

The Amador County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Dowells' cause of death was strangulation and ruled the incident a homicide, however her death remains under investigation by prison officials and the district attorney’s office.

In the wake of Dowells' death, her family are now questioning why a convicted murderer is allowed to have family visits. Speaking to NBC News, Dowells’ son, Armand Torres, and his wife, Nataly Jimenez, claimed that Brinson's accounts of the events kept changing in the days after Dowell died.

“He would say, you know, she passed out on the floor, or she was passed out on the bed,” Jimenez said in an interview.

Dowells' family are now mourning the death of their mother (CBS News Sacramento)

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has stated on its website that some inmates are eligible for the family visits which occur in apartment-like facilities on the grounds of the prison. The visits can last from 30 to 40 hours.

In a statement on the visits cited by NBC News, a spokesperson for the department said: “The family visits are a privilege, and incarcerated persons must apply and meet strict eligibility criteria to be approved. Only those who demonstrate sustained good behavior and meet specific program requirements are considered.”

According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Dowells' death marks the second time in a year a visitor has died at Mule Creek State Prison in 2024.

The first instance involved 47-year-old Tania Thomas, who was found unconscious on July 1, 2024. The man she was visiting at the time has been charged with murder in connection with her killing.

Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe has said charges relating to Dowells' death are dependant on prison and autopsy reports.