Convicted killer David Brinson charged with murder of wife Stephanie Diane Dowells during prison visit

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California inmate David Brinson, 54, now faces a murder charge for killing his wife, Stephanie Diane Dowells, during an overnight conjugal visit at Mule Creek State Prison in November 2024. Brinson is already serving four life sentences for a 1993 quadruple homicide. The Amador County District Attorney announced the new charge on August 13, nearly nine months after officials found Dowells dead in the prison’s family visit unit.

Background: A Visit With David Brinson That Turned Fatal

On November 13, 2024, prison staff found Stephanie Dowells, 62, a well-known hairdresser from Inglewood, California, unconscious in the family visit unit at Mule Creek State Prison while she was visiting her husband, inmate David Brinson.

According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Brinson alerted prison staff shortly after 2 a.m., claiming his wife had passed out. Officers began life-saving measures and called 911, but doctors pronounced Dowells dead at 2:51 a.m. The coroner later determined she died by strangulation, ruling the case a homicide.

Brinson’s initial explanation was that Dowells had simply collapsed. However, family members say his story shifted multiple times in the days following her death. “He would say, you know, she passed out on the floor. Or she was passed out on the bed,” said her daughter-in-law, Nataly Jimenez.

Stephanie Diane Dowells murder case: Legal Action and Family Response

Dowells’ family, represented by attorney Michael Oppenheimer, expressed relief at the murder charge. However, they emphasized that justice is far from complete. “While nothing can bring Stephanie back to her family, this is the first step towards getting justice for her brutal murder,” Oppenheimer stated to PEOPLE.

The family has also joined forces with relatives of Tania Thomas. Thomas is another woman who died during a conjugal visit at Mule Creek just months earlier. Both families have file a wrongful death lawsuit against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The suit alleges systemic failures in supervision and safety protocols during family visits.

Prison Policy Under Scrutiny

Mule Creek’s family visit program allows eligible inmates to spend up to 40 hours in apartment-like units with loved ones. While inmates must meet strict behavioral criteria, critics argue that violent offenders like Brinson should not qualify. The CDCR has yet to publicly address whether policy changes will follow these incidents.

Brinson has not yet entered a plea, and the court has scheduled his arraignment for September 19.