Convicted murderer accused of killing wife in northern California prison during visit

USA Today

24-03-2025

A California inmate convicted of killing four people is now being accused of killing his wife during a conjugal visit at a prison in November, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.
David Brinson killed 62-year-old Stephanie Brinson at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, about 40 miles northeast of Stockton in northern California, the Times reported this week, citing a local sheriff's and district attorney's office.
David Brinson, 54, is serving four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole for killing four men during a robbery at a Los Angeles apartment in 1990, the Times reported.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation did not respond to USA TODAY's request to confirm the killing on Saturday. The department only released a statement saying that on Nov. 13, David Brinson phone corrections officers around 2 a.m. to report "that his wife had passed out during her visitation."
Officers attempted to resuscitate her but she was pronounced dead at 2:51 a.m., the department said. The investigation into Stephanie Brinson's death by Mule Creek State Prison investigators and the Amador County District Attorney's Office is ongoing.
"The Family visits are a privilege, and incarcerated persons must apply and meet strict eligibility criteria to be approved," the department said in its statement. "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."
Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe confirmed to the Times that Stephanie Brinson was killed during a conjugal visit and had yet to receive reports from Mule Creek to make a charging decision.
The Amador County District Attorney's Office and Amador County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment Saturday. The agencies confirmed to multiple other media outlets that a homicide investigation was underway and that Stephanie Brinson had been strangled.
'We're just devastated,' son says
Stephanie Brinson, known by those closest to her as Stevi, was a hairstylist and a small business owner in the Los Angeles area, local MSNBC affiliate KCRA3 reported. She was a mother to two sons and a grandmother to six.
"She was the most giving, kindhearted person,' her mother, Oveta Wilson, told the outlet. "Stevi was literally the glue that held the family together."
Armand Torres, Stephanie Brinson's son, told the outlet that his family was "just devastated."
He said that she would visit her husband at the prison and "would read the Bible together."
"He was in school in there because she was pushing him to try to be this better person,' daughter-in-law Nataly Jimenez told the outlet.
The Amador County Coroner recently told the family that Stephanie was strangled, and her death had been ruled a homicide, MSNBC affiliate KCRA3 reported. Torres told the outlet he believes the prison should be held accountable for his mother's death.
'How could they just let this happen? I just don't get it,' Torres said. "My mom was just left alone, and she called for help, I'm sure, and there's nothing she could do. Given the history that this guy has, we kind of wanted to know how is it even possible for them to be unsupervised?"