Ruth Dirienzo-Whitehead, 50, of Horsham.
The mother of an 11-year-old boy who was found dead by his father at their Horsham home Tuesday morning has been charged with murder.
Ruth Dirienzo-Whitehead, 50, has been charged with first- and third-degree murder in connection with the death of her son, Matthew Whitehead. She is currently in custody in Cape May, NJ, and will be extradited to Montgomery County for arraignment.
According to a release from the district attorney’s office, the father of the victim discovered his son’s body inside of the master bedroom of their home around 7 a.m. on April 11. The door to the bedroom had been locked, and his wife — identified as Dirienzo-Whitehead — was no longer on location and her vehicle was missing.
Police said the body of the boy showed ligature marks on the front and rear of his neck, indicating he had been strangled to death. An autopsy performed Wednesday morning listed the boy’s cause of death as ligature strangulation and his manner of death as homicide, according to officials.
The investigation revealed the boy had gone to bed with his mother around 9:30 p.m. on April 10. Once he fell asleep, Dirienzo-Whitehead allegedly killed him then drove her SUV to Cape May, NJ, where she proceeded to drive the vehicle into the ocean just off Beach Avenue, according to investigators.
Dirienzo-Whitehead then began walking towards Wildwood Crest, where she was taken into custody and interviewed by police, according to the release.
In an interview with Montgomery County Detectives, Dirienzo-Whitehead stated her son had been crying off and on all day over financial difficulties that their family was facing. She then allegedly confessed to strangling him with her husband’s belt in order to spare him from growing up with financial struggles, according to charging documents.
“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,” said Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele. ““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.”
A date and time has not been set for arraignment at this time. Due to the nature of the charges, Dirienzo-Whitehead will not be eligible for bail.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.
See also:
Police Investigating After Father Finds 11-Year-Old Son Dead in Horsham Tuesday Morning
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Homicide by Vehicle Charges Filed After Victim of February Crash on Route 309 Dies from Injuries
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