Skip to content
TrackPodcasts
true crimeApr 3, 202446:49pending

Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead: the Mother, the Monster - Part 2

About this episode

No one wants to believe a mother could actually kill her own son; holding a belt tight around his neck and squeezing until he took his last breath. No, an act this disturbing would defy comprehension, go against every innate parental instinct to protect, care for, and love your child. According to prosecutors, the evidence was conclusive: a suburban Philadelphia mom knowingly and purposefully strangled her 11-year old in an act of retribution. She wanted to get back at her husband for letting her down. Could this really be true? Was Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead the monster Montgomery District Attorneys made her out to be? Or, did she snap? Did the pressures in her life become too much to bear? In Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead: the Mother, the Monster, KYW Newsradio Suburban Bureau Chief Jim Melwert empties his notebook from nearly a year of covering this chilling, gut wrenching case that left a trail from the Philadelphia suburbs to the Jersey Shore. Be sure to listen to both parts. 

Further reading:

Horsham mom tells police she strangled son

Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead sentenced to life in prison

Get every episode summarized

Each time Who Killed Strawberry? publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.

Email me new episodes

Free for 3 shows. No card needed.

Hosts & guests

No transcript yet

This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.

Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead: the Mother, the Monster - Part 2

Who Killed Strawberry?

0:00
46:49

More episodes

More from Who Killed Strawberry?

View all episodes →