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A 50-year-old Pennsylvania realtor named Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead has been accused of murdering her son by strangling him to death. According to detectives, she allegedly did so due to the family’s financial condition. The incident came to light on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, when authorities received a distress call from the boy's father, reporting his unresponsive 11-year-old son.
Authorities revealed that they had discovered “ligature marks” on the boy’s neck. The belt used to commit the crime was discovered inside Whitehead’s car, which was found submerged in the ocean near Beach Avenue in New Jersey. Whitewood herself was arrested in the nearby neighborhood of Wildwood Crest.
After being nabbed by authorities, Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead admitted that she strangled her son while he was asleep.
In the 911 call, the victim's father said he believed that Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead had killed their son
On Tuesday, authorities received a call from the late boy’s father, who not only reported that his son was unresponsive, but also added that he suspected that his wife, Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead, was involved in the killing.
While talking to the investigating officers, the husband told them that he was sleeping in a separate room on Monday. When he woke up the next day, he noticed that the bedroom in which Ruth and their son slept, was locked. Upon barging into the bedroom, he found his son lying dead.
Ruth Dirienzo-Whitehead’s husband added that he couldn’t find her black Toyota Highlander, which was supposed to be in the garage. He also revealed that sleeping in different rooms wasn’t an unusual arrangement for the couple.
When authorities arrived at the scene, they found ligature marks on the front and rear sides of the child's neck. As per reports, the boy also had a swelled-up face, and “obvious petechia to his eyes,” thereby leading to the conclusion that he had been strangled. Speaking about the same, a detective said:
“[The child had] blood and fluids draining from his mouth and nose.”
What are the charges that Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead is facing?
Police did not find Whitehead when they arrived at the residence on Tuesday. However, she was soon located and taken into custody in New Jersey on the same day.
While talking to detectives, Whitehead said that she went to bed at around 9:30 pm on Monday, along with her son. She further mentioned that prior to that, her son was “upset and crying off and on all day over the family’s financial difficulties.” As per an affidavit, Whitehead then confessed that she strangled him to death while he was fast asleep.
Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead then allegedly drove off to Cove Beach and pushed her car into the ocean. She then walked around six miles before cops found her and arrested her in a nearby neighborhood.
After being taken into custody, she was charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, and possessing an instrument of crime.
Speaking about the same, Montgomery County DA Kevin Steele said:
“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.”
According to her LinkedIn page, Ruth has been working as a realtor for over 14 years. The Pennsylvania mother is currently being held in Cape May County. She will possibly be arraigned in Pennsylvania’s Montgomery County.
