Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss.

Criminal cases can only be filed by the government. Victims can't file charges, and neither can their family members. All they can do is ask the authorities to do so.

If you believe your daughter-in-law committed a crime and want her prosecuted, you should contact the police department and/or the District Attorney's office for the jurisdiction where it happened and tell them what you know.

It is unclear from your question whether your son was the victim of a crime. Even if he was, it is not clear that the crime can be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. These are things the authorities will ask you about when you speak with them.

Good luck.

Only police and prosecutors file criminal charges. Contact them.

If the police and DA refuse to prosecute, you can bring civil suit against him, but you face the test of whether it is practical to do so. If the case has MERIT [reasonable likelihood of winning], VALUE [substantial recoverable financial damages], and COLLECTABILITY [defendant with assets or insurance coverage], all of which are necessary for a successful claim and case, then feel free to contact me; I'll be happy to help you. If you have no proof of your suspicions, you will need to hire forensic medical experts to provide an 'expert' opinion supporting your claim if you are serious about filing civil suit. Only with such testimony could you win a case.