The attorney for a Horsham Township woman accused of killing her son last week said his client “snapped under the weight of mental illness,” according to a report by FOX29.
Ruth Dirienzo-Whitehead, 50, was arraigned Friday evening on charges of first- and third-degree murder in connection with the death of her son, Matthew Whitehead. She’s currently being held without bail.
"I am now fully convinced that this is a tragedy solely as a result of her mental health and illness," Defense Attorney Eugene Tinari said, in the FOX29 report. "There is no other explanation, a sane person would never do this."
The father of the victim discovered Matthew’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, according to investigators.
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, which the father noted was not an uncommon occurrence, police said. Once the boy 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.
Tinair told FOX29 that there was no history of child abuse or neglect, and he believed his client had snapped.
"If she were not mentally ill, you and I would not be having this discussion right now," Tinair said in the FOX29 interview.
The FOX29 report does not mention a specific mental illness, or whether Dirienzo-Whitehead has any history of mental illness.
Court records show Dirienzo-Whitehead has a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 27 at 11 a.m. in front of Magisterial District Judge Harry Nesbitt III.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.
See also:
Horsham Mother Charged with Murder in Death of 11-Year-Old Son
Police Investigating After Father Finds 11-Year-Old Son Dead in Horsham Tuesday Morning
Local Man Arrested on Child Sex Abuse Charges Following Failed Suicide Attempt, Police Say
Upper Gwynedd Man Charged in Sumneytown Pike Crash That Sent Multiple People to Hospital
Homicide by Vehicle Charges Filed After Victim of February Crash on Route 309 Dies from Injuries
