A California inmate already serving life for four murders is now accused of killing his own wife during an overnight prison visit.
David Brinson, 55, was charged with murder on Aug. 13 in connection with the November 2024 strangulation of 62-year-old Stephanie Diane Dowells, Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe stated.
According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Brinson called prison staff shortly after 2 a.m. on Nov. 13, 2024, claiming his wife had passed out. Officers began life-saving measures and called 911, but Dowells was pronounced dead less than an hour later. Her death was ruled a homicide by strangulation.
Dowells, a hairdresser from Inglewood, lived with her son, daughter-in-law, and young grandson. Her family has not spoken publicly, but their attorney, Michael Oppenheimer, released a statement calling the charge “the first step towards getting justice for her brutal murder” and blaming the state for failing to prevent the tragedy.
Brinson has been behind bars since his 1993 conviction for killing four men during a robbery. He is serving four consecutive life terms without parole. He has not yet entered a plea and is scheduled for arraignment on Sept. 19.
Dowells’ death marked the second fatality during a family visit at Mule Creek State Prison within months. In July 2024, 47-year-old Tania Thomas was killed while visiting her husband, Anthony Curry, who has since been charged with murder. Curry, serving a life sentence for attempted second-degree murder and an additional 13 years for carjacking, pleaded not guilty.
District Attorney Riebe said these are the first violent acts during family visits at Mule Creek that he has seen in more than 25 years.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Strangle him
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
Blame the stupid wives who marry and physically visit these scumbags!
A four-time murderer is allowed to have someone in for a sleepover and guess what happens. Oh but it’s his “wife”. This guy has been doing time for serial murders since 1993, over thirty years. He’s nobody’s “husband”. I feel for her and her family but they (and the California Prison System) should have seen this coming.