matthew whitehead obituary and matthew whitehead horsham

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (April 12, 2023) — Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead has been charged with the murder of her son Matthew Whitehead, who was 11 years old. The charging of DiRienzo-Whitehead was announced by Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Horsham Police Chief Scott Fida.

On April 11, 2023, at approximately 7 a.m., the boy's father found the door to the master bedroom locked and noticed that DiRienzo-Whitehead along with the family's Toyota Highlander had vanished from the residence. This led to the discovery of the homicide. Horsham Police were dispatched to the residence of the family located in the 500 block of Privet Road after the father placed a call to 911. The body of Matthew, who was obviously no longer alive, was discovered by the police in the master bedroom, on the bed that he shared with his mother. The investigators found signs of strangulation on the boy, including ligature marks on the front and back of his neck, swelling of his face, and obvious petechia to his eyes. All of these symptoms point to the boy having been strangled.

After the boy had gone to sleep at approximately 9:30 p.m., the defendant killed her son, drove the family's SUV to Cape May, New Jersey, and then drove the vehicle into the ocean just off Beach Avenue, which is where it was found by Cape May Police. The investigation into the boy's death was conducted jointly by detectives from Montgomery County and Horsham Police. The defendant walked to Wildwood Crest after the vehicle was rendered inoperable, where she was taken into custody by the Wildwood Crest Police and questioned by detectives from the Montgomery County Detective Bureau and the Horsham Police. During the search of the SUV that was conducted by law enforcement, a black men's dress belt was discovered on the floor of the driver's side of the vehicle.

On the 12th of April in 2023, a forensic pathologist working for the Montgomery County Coroner's Office named Dr. Valerie Sorokin performed an autopsy on the body of the deceased boy. Dr. Sorokin opined that the cause of death was ligature strangulation and the manner of death was homicide.

“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,” said DA Steele. "Their prompt action and assistance in this investigation will play an important part in holding the defendant accountable for the heinous killing of this boy," the prosecutor said.

DiRienzo-Whitehead has been charged with First-Degree Murder, Third-Degree Murder and Possessing an Instrument of Crime and is awaiting arrest. She is currently being detained in Cape May County, and she will be returned to Montgomery County to face the charges after she is extradited there.

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Horsham Township 11-year-old Matthew Whitehead died. His family survived him. His mother was arrested Tuesday after her car was found "partially submerged" off the New Jersey coast. His father found Matthew Whitehead dead about 7 am.

Montgomery County's district attorney, Kevin Steele, said the child was located in the main bedroom. Steele believes the child shared a room with his mother, Ruth Whitehead-Dirienzo. According to Steele, the kid's father told police that he woke up to a closed master bedroom and his wife's black Toyota Highlander missing from the garage.

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The district attorney said Cape May, New Jersey, police found the family's SUV in the ocean as Horsham police investigated the property. Authorities said Ruth Whitehead-Dirienzo was found in Wildwood Crest and arrested. No charges were filed by 3 pm Tuesday.

Matthews's cause of death is unknown at this time. Horsham Township residents are still seeking answers about the child's death. Many have acted.

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If the report by Kevin Steele, the district attorney for Montgomery County, is accurate, it appears that Matthew was found deceased in his home's main bedroom. The report suggests that he may have been sleeping in the same room as his mother, Ruth Whitehead-Dirienzo. It is unclear at this time what caused Matthew's death.

According to the same report, the father of the child reported to the police that the door to the master bedroom was locked and his wife's black Toyota Highlander was gone from the garage when he awakened. It is unclear at this time what led to these circumstances or whether they are related to Matthew's death.

As of now, it is unclear what exactly happened to Matthew and what led to his tragic death. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are likely exploring all possible leads and gathering evidence to determine the cause of his death.

The death of a child is always a heart-wrenching and difficult event, and it can be especially devastating for the family and loved ones of the child. It is important for us as a society to come together to support those who are affected by this tragedy and to work to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

I hope that authorities are able to find answers and bring closure to Matthew's family and loved ones.

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