A Pennsylvania mother was sentenced to life in prison after murdering her 11-year-old son by strangling him with a belt while he slept.
Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead, 51, was found guilty of first-degree murder earlier this week for the killing of her 11-year-old son Matthew Whitehead in their home last April.
Police were called to the home in Horsham after Matthew’s father found him dead, and DiRienzo-Whitehead drove his van onto the beach at the Jersey Shore after killing the boy.
Footage shows the truck partially submerged in water, and a criminal complaint reveals that officers found a black men’s dress belt on the floor of the vehicle.
Police then found DiRienzo-Whitehead wandering the streets before she was taken into custody.
6abc reported that he confessed and told the police that he did not want his son to grow up with his family’s financial problems, and decided to strangle him with a belt while he slept.
Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead, seen here, was found guilty of first-degree murder earlier this week for the murder of her son Matthew Whitehead in their home last April.
Police were called to the home in Horsham after Matthew’s father found him dead, and DiRienzo-Whitehead was later found after driving his SUV onto the beach on the Jersey shore.
According to the Philadelphia researcherDiRienzo-Whitehead told officers that Matthew had been crying “on and off all day about the family’s financial difficulties.”
The boy’s father, Daniel Whitehead, was sleeping in another room at the time, which he told authorities was not out of the ordinary.
Testifying through tears on Monday, Whitehead told the court: “I saw him lying on the bed face down. I screamed. He was a great guy. He was always happy.’
Delco Times reported that Whitehead also repeatedly referred to his wife of 13 years as “the defendant” and glared at her while being asked to identify her for the record.
DiRienzo-Whitehead’s attorneys argued that she strangled her son because she was suffering a psychotic break due to financial worries and family problems, and they felt she was sparing her son a painful life.
A defense expert testified that DiRienzo-Whitehead was suffering from depression and mental illness at the time.
Montgomery County prosecutors argued the murder was premeditated, saying she had conducted numerous online searches on how to strangle someone and researched mental illnesses that lead women to kill their own children.
They also said DiRienzo-Whitehead, who worked as a real estate agent, blamed her husband for the family’s financial problems and was motivated to kill by a mix of anger and revenge.
A defense expert testified that DiRienzo-Whitehead was suffering from depression and mental illness at the time.
Montgomery County prosecutors argued the murder was premeditated and said she had conducted numerous online searches on how to strangle someone.
The boy’s father, Daniel Whitehead, was sleeping in another room at the time, which he told authorities was not out of the ordinary. They are both seen here.
Delco Times reported that DiRienzo-Whitehead had been the sole caregiver for her mother, who suffered from dementia, and was stressed about having to sell her family home.
Whitehead testified that his wife was “upset” and “not happy” about having to sell the home that had been in their family for decades.
In handing down the guilty verdict Thursday, a judge refused to consider mental illness as a defense.
On Friday, prosecutors successfully argued that DiRienzo-Whitehead knew killing her son was wrong and that she acted out of revenge and not mental illness.
Footage of her being led out of court in shackles shows the mother addressing reporters and saying: “I’m heartbroken.”
NBC Philadelphia reported that DiRienzo-Whitehead had always remained silent before this week.
On Friday, he admitted that he had taken his son’s future away from him and asked for forgiveness, telling the court that only “a monster would do something like this.”
The outlet reported that she also said she knows the life her son should have had and that she was proud of him.
The van became partially submerged while officers picked up DiRienzo-Whitehead, who was found wandering, and detained her.
Matthew was a sixth grade student at Germantown Academy in Fort Washington, which he had attended since kindergarten.
The Pottstown Mercury reported that Whitehead cried in court Friday and said, “Matthew was a gift from God, he touched a lot of people.” I would have done anything for him.
‘He was so happy to make his parents proud. His future was limitless. I will miss him forever.’
Matthew was a sixth grade student at Germantown Academy in Fort Washington, which he had attended since kindergarten.
The private school said in a statement: “Matthew was an extraordinary boy with a smile as bright as the sun.
‘We love him and will always mourn his loss, a devastating tragedy for our community, his family, his friends and our world.
“We will do everything in our power to carry forward his memory, honor him as he truly deserves, and live our lives well as a tribute to him.”
“Matthew is the embodiment of love, promise and goodness, and we will never, ever forget him.”
Defense attorney Eugene Tinari has vowed to appeal the conviction.