Two women were visiting their significant others in a California prison when they were allegedly killed last year.
The deaths of two women during conjugal visits with their significant others at a California prison last year should prompt a suspension of the visits altogether while authorities conduct a “top-to-bottom” review, the county’s top prosecutor said Thursday.
“That’s the responsible thing to do when you have two tragedies that have occurred in the same institution in the same program within a very short time span, is take a look at whether or not the protocol, policies and procedures are adequate,” Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe told USA TODAY in an interview.
The two women, 47-year-old Tania Thomas and 62-year-old Stephanie Brinson, who also went by Stephanie Dowells, were both allegedly strangled during what the state prison system calls “family visits” − extended visits in apartment-like facilities at Mule Creek State Prison in northern California, Riebe said.
Thomas’ domestic partner Anthony Curry, 48, was charged with murder and accused of strangling her in July 2024. He was already serving a life sentence for attempted second-degree murder. Dowells’ husband, 54-year-old David Brinson, hasn’t yet been charged but is a suspect in her death in November, Riebe said. He was already serving a life sentence for murder, according to media reports.
The prosecutor’s call for action joins those of family members like Thomas’ cousin, Jeanine Rojo.
“Something needs to be done, and it should have been done two homicides ago,” Rojo told NBC News.
Only four U.S. states allow family members of inmates to participate in some form of a conjugal visit, and last year’s tragedies have thrown the controversy surrounding them into the national spotlight.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a statement to USA TODAY on Thursday that visits have not been suspended.
“Family visits were not modified or paused as a result of this incident and continue to be available to eligible incarcerated individuals,” the agency said.
DA calls for conjugal visits to be suspended
Riebe called the deaths “hard to fathom” and said in his 30 years as chief public defender and then district attorney, he has never seen violent crimes during family visits at Mule Creek State Prison. Violence during conjugal visits appears to be rarely reported throughout the country.
“It’s just hard to wrap your arms around how you could have two alleged homicides occur within six months of each other at the same institution during conjugals. It just boggles the mind,” he said.
Riebe said prison officials should review the eligibility criteria for inmates to have family visits, evaluate safety procedures and consider using technology to ensure safety while respecting visitors’ privacy.
Curry is scheduled be arraigned in court on April 3, Riebe said. An attorney wasn’t listed to comment on Curry’s behalf. While Brinson has not been charged in his wife’s death, Riebe said he will review the evidence as he receives it from investigators.
Victims’ families want the visitation process changed
The families of both victims told NBC News they thought their loved ones shouldn’t have been allowed to be alone with the men because of their histories of violent crimes, and that they want eligibility criteria changed. Privacy from the prying eyes of prison guards is a key feature of the visits, where family members can stay with inmates for 30 to 40 hours in apartment-like facilities on prison grounds.
“One thing I do want to know is how many other times has this happened at Mule Creek and it’s gone undetected,” Rojo told NBC.
Family visits are intended to “support positive family connections and successful rehabilitation,” the California corrections department said. To be eligible for the program, inmates need to meet specific requirements and have good behavior, the department said.
The department didn’t answer an inquiry about the history of violent incidents during conjugal visits in the state.
“I’m sick to my stomach that this happened to Tania, but then it happened again just months after her to Stephanie,” Rojo told NBC News, adding, “and it should have been prevented.”
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