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Pennsylvania Mom Allegedly Strangles 11-Year-Old Son with Belt Due to Financial Struggles
Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead, 50, was charged with murder after allegedly strangling her 11-year-old son with a belt, as she did not want him to grow up with the family’s financial struggles.
The boy, Matthew Whitehead, was found dead inside their Horsham home on Tuesday morning.
Motivation for the Crime
According to The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, DiRienzo-Whitehead told investigators that her son was crying on and off throughout the day due to the family’s financial problems.
She admitted to strangling him so that he wouldn’t have to “grow up with these struggles.”
Discovery of the Crime
The police were called to the family’s home just after 7 a.m. on Tuesday after the boy’s father discovered his body in the master bedroom, where he had gone to sleep with his mother the night before.
The father found the bedroom locked and his wife and their SUV missing.
It is unclear where DiRienzo-Whitehead’s husband slept before discovering the tragic event.
Escape and Apprehension
Prosecutors allege that DiRienzo-Whitehead fled the home after strangling her son and drove 120 miles to Cape May, New Jersey, where she drove her SUV into the ocean.
The belt used in the slaying was later discovered in the vehicle. DiRienzo-Whitehead was nabbed by cops a short time later after walking six miles to a nearby neighborhood where the family has a beach home.
Charges and Legal Proceedings
DiRienzo-Whitehead has been charged with first and third-degree murder, as well as possession of an instrument of crime.
An autopsy carried out on Wednesday concluded that the boy’s death was due to strangulation.
She is currently being held in Cape May and will be extradited back to Montgomery County to be arraigned on the charges.
Gratitude to Law Enforcement
Montgomery County DA Kevin Steele thanked Cape May Police, Wildwood Crest Police, and Cape May Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland’s Office for their assistance with apprehending the defendant and other aspects of the investigation.
He commended their quick action and help in holding the defendant accountable for the killing of the boy.
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