Prison officials are looking into the circumstances surrounding the death of a 62-year-old woman who died from strangulation during a visit to her husband at a California prison.
Stephanie Diane Dowells, also known as Stephanie Brinson, passed away in November after visiting her husband, 54-year-old David Brinson, at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione.
Dowells, a hairdresser aged 62, was at the prison to spend time with Brinson. He is serving four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole for the murder of four men during a robbery in the 1990s.
At 2:04 a.m. on November 13, Brinson contacted prison officials to report that his wife had lost consciousness. Officers responded by initiating life-saving procedures and called 911, but Dowells was declared dead shortly thereafter.
The Amador County Sheriff’s Office identified strangulation as the cause of Dowells’ death and classified it as a homicide. Nonetheless, the incident is still under investigation by prison authorities and the district attorney’s office.
Following Dowells’ death, her family has raised concerns about why a convicted murderer was allowed family visits. In an interview with NBC News, Dowells’ son, Armand Torres, and his wife, Nataly Jimenez, mentioned inconsistencies in Brinson’s accounts of the events following Dowells’ death.
“He would say, you know, she passed out on the floor, or she was passed out on the bed,” Jimenez noted during an interview.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation states on its website that some inmates are permitted family visits in apartment-like accommodations on prison grounds, which can last from 30 to 40 hours.
According to NBC News, a department spokesperson commented that “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.”
Dowells’ death is the second visitor fatality reported at Mule Creek State Prison in 2024, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
The first case involved 47-year-old Tania Thomas, who was discovered unconscious on July 1, 2024. The individual she was visiting has been charged with her murder.
Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe has stated that charges related to Dowells’ death will depend on findings from prison and autopsy reports.