An 11-year-old Pennsylvania boy is dead, allegedly strangled by his mother. Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead, 50, reportedly killed her son, Matthew Whitehead, to prevent him from having financial difficulties as he got older. She seemingly felt that death would be easier on the boy than living with money woes.
The Montgomery County District Attorney's Office issued a statement Wednesday that the boy's body was discovered by his father, Daniel Whitehead, in the main bedroom around 7 a.m. Tuesday in a home in the 500 block of Privet Road in Horsham Township. When he realized his wife and her car were missing, he called 911. Police discovered DiRienzo-Whitehead's SUV late Tuesday afternoon and arrested her shortly afterward.
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The mother and son went to sleep as usual on Monday night.
Per the Warminster, Pennsylvania, Patch, Whitehead told police that his wife and son slept in the couple's bedroom on Monday while he was in another room, which was not uncommon for the family. When Whitehead awoke on Tuesday, he tried to enter the main bedroom but could not open the door. He forced his way in, and that is when he made the gruesome discovery.
Matthew Whitehead showed signs of strangulation.
Detectives at the scene noted the boy's body had "ligature marks on the front and rear of his neck, as well as swelling of his face and obvious petechia to his eyes, all signs of strangulation," the district attorney's statement read.
An autopsy conducted April 12 by forensic pathologist Dr. Valerie Sorokin confirmed the cause of death was strangulation, and she listed the death as a homicide.
DiRienzo-Whitehead fled the scene.
Police determined the mother strangled her son after he went to bed at 9:30 p.m. Monday. She reportedly left home in a Toyota Highlander and drove approximately 120 miles to Cape May, New Jersey, the New York Post reported.
When investigators located her car, it was partially submerged in the ocean and not drivable. Police discovered a belt they said was used in the strangulation inside the vehicle.
DiRienzo-Whitehead walked about six miles to a neighborhood where the family reportedly owned a home. She was arrested and taken to a Cape May jail. As of Wednesday, she was waiting for extradition to Montgomery County.
DiRienzo-Whitehead claimed financial struggles.
The Patch reported that according to an arrest affidavit, in an interview with police DiRienzo-Whitehead told investigators her son had spent Monday crying on and off over the family's reported financial woes. She did not want her son to grow up with money troubles, so she strangled him while he slept, the affadavit read.
Her Facebook account showed pictures of her family on seemingly lux vacations, and she maintained an active social media presence for her real estate business. Her last post was at 11 a.m. Tuesday, the same day her son was found dead. The post gave tips on selling a home with pets.
In a foreboding Facebook post Monday, she wrote about success and the lessons one learns along the way.
The post reads in part, "So the next time you experience failure, don't view it as the end of the road. Instead, see it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Embrace it, study it, and use it as motivation to keep pushing forward."
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Prosecutors charged the mother with murder.
The Montgomery County district attorney charged DiRienzo-Whitehead with first-degree murder and third-degree murder and possessing an instrument of a crime.
"I want to thank Cape May Police, Wildwood Crest Police and Cape May Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland's Office for their assistance with apprehending this mother who killed her son and with other aspects of this investigation," District Attorney Kevin Steele said, according to the Post. "Their quick action and help in this investigation will play an integral part of holding the defendant accountable for the terrible killing of this boy."
