Questions Arise About How A Woman Visiting Her Incarcerated Husband Was Found Strangled to Death

Dowells’ daughter-in-law remembers her mother-in-law visiting Brinson to help him become a better person.

The family of Stephanie Diane Brinson is demanding answers after she was found dead from apparent strangulation while visiting her husband, an inmate at the Mule Creek State Prison in California, in November 2024, KTVZ 21 reported.

The Amador County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Brinson’s death was ruled a homicide in early March 2025. An incarcerated man, David Brinson, made a call on Nov. 13 shortly after 2 a.m. to notify officers that his wife passed out during her visit. After officers jumped in to perform life-saving measures before paramedics took over, Brinson, known by family as Stephanie Dowells, was pronounced dead around 2:51 a.m.

While the website of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) says, “family visits occur in private, apartment-like facilities on prison grounds and last approximately 30 to 40 hours,” Dowells’ son, Armand Torres, questioned how a person with a violent past was permitted to have private family visits in prison. “How could they just let this happen? I just don’t get it,” Torres said, according to WBAL TV.

“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?”

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Brinson, 54, is serving four consecutive life sentences with an additional 20-year determinate sentence without the possibility of parole following his 1993 conviction of four murders. Dowells’ mother, Oveta Wilson, remembers her 62-year-old daughter as “the most giving, kindhearted person.” “I would often tell her, ‘Sweetheart, you can’t save the world,’” Wilson explained.

Dowells’ daughter-in-law, Nataly Jimenez, remembers that her mother-in-law was using prison visits in an attempt to help Brinson become a better person. “They would read the Bible together. He was in school there because she was pushing him to try to be this better person,” Jimenez remembered.

As the sheriff’s department said an investigation is ongoing, they announced no charges have been filed while they await the completion of the investigation.

While the family continues to question unsupervised visits for a violent inmate, a spokesperson from CDCR released a statement saying each request goes through an approval process. “Family visits are a privilege, and incarcerated persons must apply and meet strict eligibility criteria to be approved,” the statement read.

“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.”

The operations manual for the department also states inmates are mandated to present themselves for a count at least four times per 24-hour period in addition to the watch commander being able to order unscheduled inspections.

However, the manual also claims that “every effort shall be made to ensure the privacy of the inmate and their visitor(s).”