The family of grandmother Stephanie Dowells - the second woman to be choked to death last year during a conjugal visit at the same California prison - claims authorities are covering up details of her homicide.
The 62-year-old hairdresser was strangled at Mule Creek State Prison last November during a visit with her husband David Theodore Brinson, who is serving life without parole for four murders.
Now her grieving family suspects a ‘cover-up’ as they seek ‘justice’ and are desperate to know why better precautions weren’t in place to keep their beloved relative safe.
The gruesome tragedy occurred just weeks after Dowells made Brinson, who attempted suicide in the months before he killed her, the sole beneficiary of her $275,000 life insurance policy, Daily Mail can reveal.
He called guards at 2am on November 13 telling them his wife had ‘passed out’ in the apartment-type accommodation within the prison grounds used for family visits.
Staff and paramedics attempted to revive her but it was too late and she was pronounced deceased 50 minutes later.
Dowells was the second woman to be killed during a conjugal visit at Mule Creek last year - both occurred in the space of four months.
It is the same facility where Scott Peterson, who killed wife Laci and their unborn son Conner in 2002, is incarcerated.
Tania Thomas, 47, was allegedly killed by her inmate husband, Anthony Curry, 48, on July 1 - also by strangulation, according to authorities. He is serving life in prison for attempted murder and carjacking. He pleaded not guilty to murdering Thomas.
‘We want justice from the State,’ Dowells' grief-stricken son Armand Torres, 28, told Daily Mail.
Stephanie Dowells was the second woman to be choked to death last year during a conjugal visit at the same at Mule Creek State Prison in Northern California
Around 2017, Brinson called Dowells from prison and the two rekindled their relationship - even though he was behind bars for the execution-style murders of four people
'There was another family that suffered before us. We just don't want to see this again. It shouldn't happen in the first place.’
Torres said his mother was ‘happy’ and in good physical shape - she ran the Long Beach half-marathon the month before her death - before traveling from the home they shared in Los Angeles to see Brinson at the remote prison located 40 miles southeast of Sacramento.
The shocked family has not been allowed to retrieve any of Dowell’s possessions that were left at the prison, including her purse, cell phone and clothing, because of a continuing investigation.
It took four months for officials to finally inform them that her death was a homicide.
They still haven’t formally been told that Brinson, 54, was responsible - although the couple were alone in the locked apartment.
Details have only trickled in from authorities - a call by the family to the prison warden was never returned - and the official autopsy report has been withheld adding to the family’s growing fears of a conspiracy.
Brinson is serving four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole for gunning down four men execution-style during a drug-related robbery in Los Angeles in 1990
We want justice from the State, Dowells' grief-stricken son Armand Torres told Daily Mail. pictured with his mother
It took four months for officials to finally inform them Dowells' death was a homicide
Without access to the official autopsy, they arranged for their own private one to be performed although the result was ‘inconclusive’ as some parts from Dowells’ had been removed during the official autopsy.
Daily Mail obtained a copy of the family’s own autopsy, which states: ‘This case was challenging due to prior autopsy and embalming.
'Extensive tissue degeneration made accurate organ identification difficult.
‘Furthermore, tissues, such as the trachea, had been taken during the preceding autopsy.
The findings of this autopsy are not specific to any cause of death. Correlation with the medical examiner’s report is required.’
Torres also revealed that Brinson had attempted suicide by slashing his neck and arm in the weeks prior to his mother’s killing and was treated in hospital for severe injuries.
Brinson was named the full beneficiary to the life insurance policy on August 27.
Torres said his mother was ¿happy¿ and in good physical shape - she ran the Long Beach half-marathon the month before her death - before traveling from the home they shared in Los Angeles to see Brinson at the remote prison located 40 miles southeast of Sacramento
Dowells was the second woman to be killed during a conjugal visit at Mule Creek last year - both occurred in the space of four months. It is the same facility where Scott Peterson, who killed wife Laci and their unborn son Conner 2002, is incarcerated
Amador County Deputy Coroner Greg Moon initially listed the manner of death as ‘pending investigation’
On March 13, an amendment to the death certificate was created which lists death as homicide - and states Dowells was strangled during visitation with inmate'
'We think he manipulated her into doing it,’ said Torres. ‘The last couple months, she really wasn't herself.’
The attempted suicide ‘really messed with her.’
Despite the obvious red flag over Brinson’s mental instability, prison staff still allowed the fateful conjugal visit to proceed.
Brinson is serving four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole for gunning down four men execution-style during a drug-related robbery in Los Angeles in 1990.
The family told Daily Mail that Dowells was previously married to Brinson but divorced him after his arrest for the murders and moved on with her life with two more marriages which both ended in divorce.
But around 2017 Brinson called Dowells from prison and the two rekindled their relationship while he was behind bars.
She began visiting him in prison, with a pause during the COVID pandemic.
‘She was thinking “Let's kind of carry on from where we left off and see where it goes,’ explained Torres.
‘She always came back from the visits in a good mood, happy. So she took our son twice up there.’
Armand Torres said when his mother applied for conjugal visitations, prison authorities told her a background check revealed she was still married to David Brinson
The couple would meet at a prison ‘apartment’ for inmates’ families with TV, kitchen and bed.
She would pre-order groceries that would be delivered for them to cook meals and they were locked in during her visit, which usually lasted three days.
Torres said when his mother applied for conjugal visitations, prison authorities told her a background check revealed she was still married to Brinson.
‘Apparently the divorce didn’t go through,’ he told Daily Mail. ‘They ended up not officially divorcing. The divorce was never finalized because he never signed it.
The killing of his beloved mother, who would often accompany him to LA sporting events, ‘was a very shocking situation.’ Dowells had two grown sons and six grandchildren.
The family was encouraged by a friend to have their own private autopsy done as a precaution which was performed in LA on December 13.
However, the cause of death was deemed ‘inconclusive’ because of the body’s condition following the previous autopsy, which left missing parts from the neck.
According to authorities, Tania Thomas was killed by her inmate husband, Anthony Curry on July 1 - also by strangulation. He is serving life in prison for attempted murder and carjacking
Curry is serving life in prison for attempted murder and carjacking. He pled not guilty to murdering his wife Thomas
Torres said he had previously been told by the Coroner’s Office that there was evidence that his mother’s death ‘might not be natural. That’s all they gave us.
‘They were pretty much trying to cover it up because they were giving us the runaround.’
He added, ‘Once they knew that we were getting a private autopsy done, they just had to be honest with us’
The family was shocked when it received another call on March 13 - four months after Dowells' passing - telling them the death was homicide by strangulation.
Daily Mail has obtained a copy of Dowells’ death certificate which states she was married and lists Brinson as the surviving spouse.
Signed by Amador County Deputy Coroner Greg Moon on Nov. 20, it listed the manner of death as ‘pending investigation.’
Then on March 13, Moon created an ‘amendment’ to the death certificate which lists death as ‘homicide’ and that she was ‘strangled during visitation with inmate’ in ‘Family Visiting Unit 4.’ Moon called Torres the same day about the added details.
The family’s suspicions of a cover-up increased when family member Nataly Jimenez was contacted on April 9 by Amy Drake, Director of the Victim/Witness Assistance Bureau, part of the Amador County District Attorney’s Office
Jimenez, 31, told Daily Mail she was informed that the DA’s office could not proceed with charges against Brinson unless it was provided a copy of the family’s own autopsy report - as authorities continue to withhold the official report from them.
'They can't proceed with pressing charges until they have a copy of our autopsy report because they need all evidence,’ she commented. ‘That doesn’t make sense,’
Jimenez said she asked Drake why the family is being kept from seeing the original autopsy report.
The family's private autopsy of Dowells states: This case was challenging due to prior autopsy and embalming. Extensive tissue degeneration made accurate organ identification difficult. Furthermore, tissues, such as the trachea, had been taken during the preceding autopsy'
A family member told Daily Mail the DA's office said it would not proceed with charges against Brinson unless it was provided with a copy of the family's own autopsy report
‘She couldn't say, she couldn't answer me,’ she added. She was stuttering. I got mad. I said, “How do you have the nerve to sit here and call my phone and say you can't press charges until you guys see my autopsy report?”
‘I said, “What are you guys hiding? Because you guys have all the evidence - you gave us a cause of death!”’
According to Jimenez, Drake responded she was ‘sorry’ and had called at the behest of the DA Todd Riebe.
In a statement to Daily Mail, a CDCR spokesman confirmed Brinson contacted officers by phone shortly after 2am on November 13 to say Dowells had ‘passed out’ but paramedics were unable to revive her and she was pronounced dead approximately 50 minutes later.
Her family was shocked when it received a call on March 13 - four months after Dowells' passing - telling them the death was homicide by strangulation
The incident is still being investigated by the prison officials and DA’s office.
Per the statement, ‘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. These visits are designed to support positive family connections and successful rehabilitation.’
According to the California Department of Corrections website, Brinson has been transferred to the California Health Care Facility in Stockton which ‘provides medical care and mental health treatment to incarcerated people who have the most severe and long term needs.’
Jimenez said, ‘Maybe he’s playing crazy.’
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