A Woman Visited Her Husband in Prison. She Never Made It Out — and Now He's Charged with Murder (Exclusive) By Janelle Griffith

The wife of a California man serving life in prison for four murders died during an overnight visit with him last year — and now her husband is charged with killing her.

David Brinson, 55, was charged with murder on Aug. 13, in connection with the November 2024 strangulation of Stephanie Diane Dowells, 62, Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe tells PEOPLE. 

On Nov. 13, 2024, shortly after 2 a.m., Brinson called prison officials and told them that his wife had passed out, prompting officers to begin life-saving measures and call 911, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has said.

Dowells could not be saved and was pronounced dead at 2:51 a.m. Her death was ruled a homicide by strangulation.

Dowells, a hairdresser, lived in Inglewood, Calif., with her son, his wife and her young grandson.

Brinson was convicted in 1993 of murdering four men during a robbery, and was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.

Reached Thursday, Dowells’ family declined to comment through her daughter-in-law and referred PEOPLE to their attorney, who did not immediately return a request for comment.

Brinson has not yet entered a plea to the murder charge — he is set to be arraigned on Sept. 19, Riebe said.

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Dowells was the second person within months to die at Mule Creek State Prison during a family visit, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Tania Thomas, 47, was killed in July 2024 while she was visiting her husband, Anthony Curry, at the Northern California lockup. Curry was charged with murder in connection with her death; he pleaded not guilty.

Curry is serving a life sentence for attempted second-degree murder, plus 13 years for carjacking, a Department of Corrections spokesperson said.

Riebe has said the killings of Dowells and Thomas are the first violent acts during family visits at Mule Creek that he has seen in his more than 25 years as district attorney.