GUILTY PA - Matthew Whitehead, 11, found deceased in mom’s bedroom, her SUV found in NJ ocean, Horsham Twp, 11 Apr 2023 *arrest*

[Occam's Zebra]

I simply don't believe the excuse mom gave for murdering her son. I think she is lying. It's something else imo.
moo

I believe her. It makes no sense, but of course it doesn't because she is not mentally okay. Mentally healthy people don't kill their children.

this guy murdered his whole family over a $2,500 bounced check to the IRS; apparently they were already having financial difficulties but they had a place to live and he had just started a new job, so you'd think a bounced check would be a speed bump that could be worked through, not a precipitant to murder. FWIW, I knew him as a teenager and never in a million years would have expected him to do what he did.

 

[Tower]

Wasn’t Monday a school day? How could she know he “cried all day” if he was at school the biggest part of the day. Not to mention, was she no longer working most of the day? Ya know, Miss high and mighty realtor! This woman is a damn liar.
ETA: Yes, this really upsets me.

Monday was “Easter Monday” and my kids did have the day off school. Jmo

 

[neesaki]

So she strangles her son, locks the bedroom door, and still carrying the belt she used, she leaves the house in tattered PJs, drives her vehicle onto the beach and into the ocean, and then is found wondering in a NJ neighborhood nearby? Her realtor photo and the photo of her in what I assume are the tattered PJs she was found in are drastically different. She doesn't even look present in the police photo, her eyes are just vacant. With the police mentioning that she appeared confused, her hair was a mess and she was obviously not dressed appropriately I wonder if their are other issues going on.
MOO

I assume they did a drug test. Or hope. Maybe she was on psychotropic drugs, then took an Ambien. Just thinking out loud and Jmo.
Naah, I think it had to be more than that, and probably without the Ambien.

I wonder if it was usual for her son to sleep with her. IF so, that right there is a red flag, IMO.

 

[tlcya]

I think mental health issues are for sure at play here. I think she clearly had an unhealth attachment and boundary issues with her son. In her own mind life was spiraling, she didn't want to be poor, it was the worst possible thing that could happen in her own warped mind. Very sad case.

 

[Gemmie]

I assume they did a drug test. Or hope. Maybe she was on psychotropic drugs, then took an Ambien. Just thinking out loud and Jmo.
Naah, I think it had to be more than that, and probably without the Ambien.

I wonder if it was usual for her son to sleep with her. IF so, that right there is a red flag, IMO.

According to the criminal complaint it was not unusual. Well, not normal in most people's eyes, but apparently normal for them. Even if nothing inappropriate went on, a boy his age really shouldn't be sleeping in his mothers bed IMO. And if something was "not unusual" that tells me it was more than once or twice. It sounds like it was fairly common. So IMO, something has been off with this woman for quite a while.



Pg 4: https://storage.googleapis.com/burb...uth-DiRienzo-Whitehead-criminal-complaint.pdf

 

[BrownRice]

I believe her. It makes no sense, but of course it doesn't because she is not mentally okay. Mentally healthy people don't kill their children.

this guy murdered his whole family over a $2,500 bounced check to the IRS; apparently they were already having financial difficulties but they had a place to live and he had just started a new job, so you'd think a bounced check would be a speed bump that could be worked through, not a precipitant to murder. FWIW, I knew him as a teenager and never in a million years would have expected him to do what he did.

Wow. That’s a horrible story you linked. Geezuz.

 

[sds71]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1646954305340035082

 

[Megnut]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1646954305340035082

What's on her neck? Was she strangled????

 

[Gemmie]

What's on her neck? Was she strangled????

That's what I was wondering because it's definitely something and it's new! It made me wonder if she perhaps tried strangling/hanging herself with the belt she brought with her. She will definitely be on suicide watch.

ETA - it couldn't be with the belt she brought because it appeared after that (see my posts below)

 

[Gemmie]

I'm not seeing it here and this was just a few days ago.

Mother charged in son’s death after SUV found at NJ beach

A mother has been charged with murder in the death of her 11-year-old son in southeastern Pennsylvania and is awaiting extradition from New Jersey, where she was arrested after her SUV was found in the surf on a beach at the Jersey shore.

www.wsaz.com

 

[Gemmie]

And this looks like one of those suicide vest things.


Pic taken from this vid: Mom accused of killing son appears on courtroom video to waive extradition

 

[Stunned]

I’m wondering if she was ever trached and the scar has become very agitated? I have a much smaller trach scar, in some photos it’s obvious in others not at all. But, it looks nothing like that!

 

[tlcya]

maybe her neck is irritated from the suicide vest rubbing against it, if she had her head down for a while?

 

[Gemmie]

maybe her neck is irritated from the suicide vest rubbing against it, if she had her head down for a while?

I can see that but not to the extent that it's swelled up to. Hmmm...

 

[LoveyG]

MOO: I think this was failed murder/suicide. She killed her son first, so he wouldn't be left without a mother. Tried to kill herself by driving into the ocean, not realizing just how difficult it is to do. Now son is gone and she will live without him, in prison.

 

[Gemmie]

MOO: I think this was failed murder/suicide. She killed her son first, so he wouldn't be left without a mother. Tried to kill herself by driving into the ocean, not realizing just how difficult it is to do. Now son is gone and she will live without him, in prison.

It's pretty recent because it's not visible in her booking photo from a few days ago as seen in my post here:

PA - Mom in custody after son,11, found deceased in her bedroom, her SUV found in NJ ocean, Horsham Twp, 11 Apr 2023

The booking photo with the red swollen neck I believe was from today unless someone knows otherwise. The heading under the pic says it was taken after being brought to Montgomery County jail. Anyone know when that was? I'm thinking it was this morning.

Pennsylvania mom charged with son's murder agrees to extradition from New Jersey

Police found Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead, 50 walking in the street near her family's Wildwood Crest home, disheveled and disoriented. "I know what I did," she said, according to a court document.

pressofatlanticcity.com

 

[BrownRice]

Remember strangulation is not a quick death. She had to hold that belt tightly around her son’s neck for 4-5 mins probably. Regardless if he was cringed, I can’t imagine he wouldn’t wake up.

 

[ifindedout]

What's on her neck? Was she strangled????

I'm a bit skeptical, but OTOH that does seem most likely IMHO: (may be graphic)
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=strangulation+marks+on+neck&t=h_&iax=images&ia=images

 

[vls12345]

The couple of mugshots/in custody photos that have been released -- she looks dead inside.

**Not** making excuses for her but I do wonder if she was in a mental health crisis, perhaps hormones completely out of whack due to perimenopause or menopause?

MOO/speculation only. (And I could be 100% incorrect.)

 

[Observant-ADHD-ENFP-BSc]

The couple of mugshots/in custody photos that have been released -- she looks dead inside.

**Not** making excuses for her but I do wonder if she was in a mental health crisis, perhaps hormones completely out of whack due to perimenopause or menopause?

MOO/speculation only. (And I could be 100% incorrect.)

I agree. She looks dead inside. As you said, not an excuse by any means.
It is just an observation.
I also agree with @LoveyG , that this was a murder/suicide and even though she didn't succeed, she is emotionally dead.
JMO