Pennsylvania Mother Convicted of Strangling 11-Year-Old Son to Face Life Sentence

Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead, a mother from Horsham, Pennsylvania, has been convicted of murdering her 11-year-old son by strangling him with a belt. She faces a mandatory life sentence after a bench trial where her lawyers argued she was having a psychotic break due to financial and family issues. Prosecutors claimed the killing was premeditated, citing online searches and blaming her husband for their financial problems. After the murder, she drove to New Jersey and partially submerged her SUV in the ocean before being taken into custody.