California woman strangled during prison visit, police allege

 Stephanie Brinson was found dead in November last year during an overnight conjugal visit with her husband at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, CA, near Sacramento. Authorities have now declared her cause of death a homicide. According to the authorities, she was strangled, but so far, no charges have been filed.

According to Sacramento’s ABC 10, Brinson’s husband, David Brinson, reported his wife “unconscious” in a family visitation room where they had been left alone at the prison around 2 a.m. Staff and responding paramedics attempted life-saving measures, but Brinson, 61, was pronounced dead at the scene about an hour later.

In 1994, Brinson’s husband, David, was sentenced to life in prison for murder with no chance for parole. Stephanie’s death is under investigation. It’s not immediately clear how long Stephanie had been at the prison or how often she visited before she died.

“How could they just let this happen?”

Deputies say Stephanie Diane Brinson, 62, died while visiting her husband at Mule Creek State Prison in November 2024. No charges have been filed. https://t.co/8Q2OLnXxfF

— WCNC Charlotte (@wcnc) March 20, 2025

Brinson’s husband, David, has a violent criminal record, and he reported his wife “unconscious” after they had been alone together, so perhaps naturally, suspicion would fall on him, but there’s not enough publicly available information to confirm he’s involved.

According to the Los Angeles Times, however, the Amador County Sheriff’s Office, where Mule Creek State Prison is located announced David killed his wife. But Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe told the outlet at that time he had not yet received the proper documentation to press charges. The L.A. Times also says Brinson, 54, had been transferred to the California Health Care Facility in Stockton.

According to Brinson’s daughter-in-law, Nataly Jimenez, she had visited David in prison before, and they read the bible together. Stephanie was “pushing him to try to be this better person,” Jimenez said.

Speaking with Sacramento’s KCRA, Brinson’s son, Armand Torres, added, “How could they just let this happen? I just don’t get it.” He said, “My mom was just left alone, and she called for help, I’m sure, and there’s nothing she could do.”

In a statement, a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) spokesperson explained, “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.”

In an unrelated case, the infamous convicted murderer Scott Peterson, convicted of killing his wife and also housed at Mule Creek State Prison, was attacked by another inmate at the facility in a pickleball disagreement around the same time Brinson’s cause of death was announced. Both men sustained minor injuries, Oakland’s KTVU reported.