Convicted Killer Strangles Wife During Conjugal Visit at California Prison

By Yolanda Spivey

A convicted mass murderer allegedly strangled his wife during an unsupervised conjugal visit at a California prison, according to prosecutors.

David Brinson, who is already serving life without parole for the 1994 murders of four people during a robbery, initially claimed his wife, 62-year-old Stephanie Dowells, had fainted. She was found dead following an overnight visit last November at Mule Creek State Prison near Sacramento.

However, prosecutors told KCRA that an investigation determined Dowells died from strangulation, and her death has been ruled a homicide. Authorities are awaiting the conclusion of the investigation before pursuing additional charges against Brinson.

It remains unclear how long Brinson and Dowells had been married. Dowells, a grandmother, leaves behind two children who are demanding answers about how she was left alone with a known violent offender.

“How could they just let this happen? I just don’t get it,” her son, Armand Torres, said. “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.”

According to the California Department of Corrections, family visits take place in private, apartment-style units on prison grounds and can last up to 40 hours. Only inmates on death row or convicted sex offenders are excluded from participating. The department states that family visits are considered a privilege and require inmates to meet strict behavioral and program standards.

Dowells’ daughter-in-law, Nataly Jimenez, said she had hoped her relationship with Brinson would inspire him to change. “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.”