Minister's Wife Stands Trial For Murder

Jury Selection To Begin For Tennessee Woman Accused Of Fatally Shooting Husband

(AP)  A popular young minister at the Fourth Street Church of Christ in this small western Tennessee town was found dead on March 22, 2006, in the bedroom of the church parsonage.

Now his quiet and unassuming wife, 33-year-old Mary Winkler, is set to stand trial on first-degree murder charges. Jury selection was scheduled to begin Monday.

Authorities said Matthew Winkler, 31, was struck by a single blast from a 12-gauge shotgun as he lay in bed. His wife was arrested a day later in Orange Beach, Ala., some 340 miles away from Selmer, with the couple's three young daughters.

Police say she admitted shooting her husband, and that it had something to do with his constant criticism.

"It was just building up to this point," Mary Winkler said, according to a statement taken by Alabama police. "I was just tired of it. I guess I just got to a point and snapped."

But friends have said they can't understand how someone as sweet and quiet as Mary Winkler could be charged with murder.

"This was a perfect family," Judy Turner, a member of the Winkler's McMinnville church, said just after Winkler was arrested.

If convicted, Winkler would be sentenced to life in prison with parole possible after 51 years.

While Winkler has been found competent to stand trial, her attorneys, Steve Farese and Leslie Ballin, have indicated they may argue that she lacked the required state of mind to commit premeditated first-degree murder.

But mostly, Farese, Ballin and prosecutors have been mum about the case.

"I'm sure it would allay a lot of people's fears if they know the whole story, but as you know, they cannot know the whole story until we go to court," Farese said in August when Winkler was released on $750,000 bail.

The Winklers were married in 1996. They met at Freed-Hardeman University, a Church of Christ-affiliated school in Henderson where Matthew's father was an adjunct professor. Mary took education classes, and Matthew took Bible classes. Neither graduated.

Before moving to Selmer, Matthew Winkler taught Bible classes part-time at Boyd Christian School, a Church of Christ-affiliated school in McMinnville.

The trial could last several weeks. Because of the attention the case has drawn, officials in the town of about 4,500 people, about 80 miles east of Memphis, said they were preparing for a horde of reporters and spectators.

"We're just anticipating," McNairy County Circuit Court Clerk Ronnie Brooks said. "We've had some murders in this county, but nothing this sensationalized. It kind of caught us off guard."

[peach652]

I feel for the 3 young girls who have basically lost both parents now.

[mountainzen]

I seem to recall that she spent the family's savings on the "Nigerian" internet scam, then killed her husband once he caught on that their money was gone. Oh, she told him she was sorry as he lay dying.

Maybe being single isn't so bad after all.

[colonieny]

There are many ways to cause physical abuse, some by just words and looks alone. We do not know what this poor woman went through by the "rules" this man layed down in "his" house. That he pushed her too far is obvious. When a tragedy like this happens, it is never one person's fault, but society, and we all have to take full account. Punishment of her will only punish her children and will not help them.
We may be too quick to judge. What role did soicety play, male dominance play, "rules" play - please let us be understanding and let her go on with her life. As a teacher of woman's studies I have knowledge about such issues.

[us_infidel]

As a teacher of woman's studies I have knowledge about such issues.
Posted by colonieNY at 12:29 PM : Apr 09, 2007

Women's Studies???? Besides being a teacher, you're a bedwetting liberal. She admitted to shooting her husband with a 12ga shotgun while he slept.

NOTHING justifies the murder of another human being except self defense. Put her away and be done with it.

If she pleads not guilty and goes to trial, seek the death penalty on her dysfunctional a*ss.

[us_infidel]

You "seem to recall"? This is gossip at it's worst.
Posted by oleander8 at 12:24 PM : Apr 09, 2007

He was right....it's not gossip.

[sweetgal_deb]

I know 1st hand what it's like living day in day out with a man who constantly belittles you, is very critical & had his own set of terrible rules.

But I didn't kill him, though I admit I did think about it! I just left him, took my 2 kids with me & divorced him.

In my case he would have a bad day at work, then come home & blow off steam on the 3 of us. His favorite rule was no talking at the supper table! With men like these its a power trip, pure & simple. I'm glad I never killed him when I was thinking about it. I'd still be in jail & my kids would have grown up with relatives instead of their loving mother.

He even stole my kids, left the state & hid them for a month. That mean old man is still alive & kicking in Virginia. He never changed....but I sure did. There is a God! *LOL*

[mountainzen]

To oleander8: "Seem to recall..." Sorry, I should have said "I read in CBS news that these are the facts..."

No gossip, just what I read here...sorry to offend thee.

Do you have any USEFULL comments ABOUT THIS ARTICLE?

[us_infidel]

There is a God! *LOL*
Posted by SweetGal_Deb at 01:07 PM : Apr 09, 2007

I'm pretty sure that he does not enjoy going thru life that way. I'd be willing to bet that if he saw a doctor and was offered some antidepressant type drug, he would probably take it. I don't know anyone who enjoys treating people badly.

But congrats to you for trying to stick it out, and for finally having the courage to leave after exhausting all the fixes. Oh, and for not comitting murder.

[spoly13]

If your husband verbally abuses you day in and day out you have the choice to leave. She had the financial means to pack up and move on with her life. You do not pick up a weapon and kill your husband while he sleeps. She has no valid defense argument as far as I can see. Murder is murder..no matter how religious she was!

[susanhelit]

There's not the slightest bit of evidence of abuse - and Mary had control of the family finances (and ruined them with a check-kiting scam - which is simple theft - she knew what she was doing), had the car, had the kids, and Matthew was about to go out and be gone for some time that day - she could have EXTREMELY easily left him. She murdered him, I think just because she was so upset about the bank contacting her to let her know her little scam had been detected.

If the genders were reversed, and some husband claimed his wife nagging at him about losing all their money to a scam meant he had to kill her - you really think anyone would buy it? This isn't about abuse, this is simply murder, and just because the genders aren't on the usual side, and just because Mary likes to play the quiet little minister's wife - doesn't change a thing.

A sleeping victim was shot in the back with a shotgun! His children were loaded into the car by the murderer, sitting in the back seat with the only supply Mary thought was necessary for their road trip.......... the shotgun! No change of clothes, no favorite toys, just the shotgun. Wonder what she was planning....

[colonieny]

As a woman's studies professor, as I can bring some knowledge and wisdom to this topic, that other people would not understand otherwise. First, women are often time placed under great stress, abuse and even threat of violence even when they themselves do not realize it, leading to terrible events, that they are not responsible for. Two, All of us, society are responsible for such acts by allowing them to occur, react, be taught,filter into society, by not placing appropriate teaching mechanisms in place to provide women means to express themselves. Three, by punishment, women serve as a double punishment because there are children involved. Clearly, it is better not to punish any women when children are involved. Men can be punished appropriately and rightly to remove from society a threat to women and other men.
This tragedy can not be reversed by her punishment. It can serve as a lesson to others, as a teaching to better understand how we need to deal with overly "ruled" homes.
Society is to blame - not this poor woman.