A convicted murderer serving a life sentence for four Los Angeles County killings allegedly strangled his wife to death late last year during a conjugal visit at Mule Creek State Prison, authorities said.  The coroner ruled that 62-year-old Stephanie Diane Brinson, known to family as Stephanie D owells, died by strangulation during an overnight visit in November, with no one else present except her husband, Northern California sheriff’s officials confirmed. Family members remembered Dowells as a compassionate woman who had been urging her incarcerated husband, 54-year-old David Brinson, to “be a better person,” according to KCRA. David Brinson was convicted in 1993 for the ruthless execution-style murders of four men during a June 12, 1990, robbery — a crime that netted him little more than a small bag of marijuana. Just 23 at the time of his sentencing, Brinson received four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole. Armand Torres, Dowells’ son, spoke to KCRA about his mother’s relationship with Brinson, recalling how they would “read the Bible together.” He condemned prison officials for leaving her alone with an inmate who was behind bars for the brutal murder of four people. “How could they just let this happen? I just don’t get it,” he said. “We’re just devastated.”  Dowells, affectionately called “Stevi” by those close to her, built a life around family and entrepreneurship. A mother of two and grandmother of six, she ran her own hairstyling business in the Los Angeles area, her loved ones told KCRA. “Stevi was literally the glue that held the family together,” Dowells’ mother Oveta Wilson said. Around 2 a.m. on Nov. 13, David Brinson alerted guards from the prison’s family visit unit, where he was spending an extended conjugal visit with his wife. He claimed she had “passed out,” prompting officers to begin life-saving measures. Paramedics took over upon arrival, but Dowells was pronounced dead at 2:51 a.m. For reasons that remain unclear, Brinson is currently housed at the state prison system’s healthcare facility in Stockton and has yet to be charged in Dowells’ death. The Amador County district attorney told The Sacramento Bee that his office is waiting for a full report from the corrections department and a completed autopsy before filing charges. The family visiting unit is a private, apartment-style section within the prison where eligible inmates can spend 30 to 40 hours with their spouses or immediate family members. Death Row inmates and those convicted of sex offenses are barred from such visits, yet Brinson — serving a life sentence for a quadruple murder committed three decades ago — was somehow granted access. “Family visits are a privilege, and incarcerated persons must apply and meet strict eligibility criteria to be approved,” the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a statement, according to the Sacramento Bee. “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.” It remains unclear how Brinson and Dowells crossed paths or how long they had been married. Prison officials did not disclose the number of conjugal visits the pair had shared before Dowells’ last visit. Mule Creek State Prison also houses Scott Peterson, who was convicted of murdering his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson, in 2002. He is serving a life sentence and was recently attacked by another inmate. ‘How Could They Just Let This Happen?’: Inmate Convicted of Quadruple Murder Was Granted Conjugal Visit, Now His Wife Is Dead ...read more read less