Horsham mom sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty in strangulation death of son

HORSHAM, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A Montgomery County mother will spend the rest of her life in prison after she was found guilty and sentenced for strangling her 11-year-old son to death.

Ruth Dirienzo-Whitehead, 51, of Horsham, was found guilty of first-degree murder Thursday for killing her son, Matthew Whitehead, in their home last April.

Police were called to the family's home in the 500 block of Privet Road after the boy's father found him dead.

Investigators say Dirienzo-Whitehead drove the family's SUV onto the beach at the Jersey Shore after the murder.

She drove the vehicle into the ocean off Beach Avenue and once the vehicle could no longer be driven she walked to Wildwood Crest. That's where DiRienzo-Whitehead was taken into custody.

She confessed and told police she did not want her son to grow up with the family's financial problems so she strangled him with her husband's belt as he slept.

She tried asserting an insanity defense in the non-jury trial.

Victim impact statements were read in court from the staff and teachers at Matthew's school, and from his father who tearfully shared how his son was a 'gift from God.'

He described Matthew as a good student, athletic and kind to everyone. It's a sentiment echoed by friends who wrote letters that were read in court.

"It really, truly is an honor to be able to speak for Matthew, now that he can no longer speak for himself, and to hold Ruth Whitehead accountable for what she did to tear apart her own family and this community," said Assistant District Attorney, Gwendolyn Kull.

DiRienzo-Whitehead also had her say at the sentencing, saying "only a monster would do something like this."

She repeatedly apologized and begged her family for forgiveness.

One of her final statements was that her son deserved better.

"The defendant spoke a lot about how apologetic she was today and how much grief she felt today. The words she spoke in the courtroom, don't reflect her behavior," said lead prosecutor Lauren Marvel.

Her defense attorney, Eugene Tinari, argued DiRienzo-Whitehead was having a psychotic break when she killed her son and says he will appeal for a shorter sentence.

"I still feel, and will always feel, that this was solely a result of a psychosis, solely as a result of someone not attached to reality," Tinari said.