Defense: Minister's Wife Was Abused

(AP)  A preacher's wife accused of killing her husband with a shotgun blast had been depositing bad checks and feared he would find out, a prosecutor said as her murder trial opened Thursday.

The defense told jurors she killed her husband accidentally while trying to protect their child from him.

Mary Winkler, 33, only intended to hold her husband at gunpoint to force him to talk about his personal problems after a situation involving their 1-year-old daughter, Breanna, defense attorney Steve Farese said. The defense did not describe the situation.

"The morning he did what he did to Breanna, she was going to get his attention — with the very things he had always threatened her with," Farese said. He said Matthew Winkler had threatened his wife with a gun many times.

A prosecutor described Matthew Winkler as a preacher, a good father and a man who trusted his wife. Even after she was arrested, Mary Winkler told police her husband was "a mighty fine person," Assistant District Attorney Walt Freeland said.

The prosecutor said bank managers were closing in on a check-kiting scheme that Mary Winkler wanted to conceal from her husband. He said Mary Winkler had become caught up in a swindle known as the "Nigerian scam," which promises riches to victims who send money to cover the processing expenses.

"This was beginning to catch up with Mary," Freeland said. "The house of cards she had set up was falling down."

But the defense attorney said Mary Winkler handled the family finances only because she did everything her husband told her. She was abused verbally, emotionally and physically, Farese said.

"Matthew and Mary Winkler had what appeared to everyone — those on the outside — to have had a marriage made in heaven. But behind closed doors it was a living hell," he told the jury. "She lived a life where she walked on eggshells."

Farese said Mary Winkler did not know how to load or fire a shotgun, and that she was afraid he would grab it from her. But the prosecutor said an expert will testify that the shotgun could not be fired accidentally.

The 31-year-old minister was found fatally wounded at the parsonage of his Fourth Street Church of Christ in March 2006. His 33-year-old wife was arrested a day later some 340 miles away on the Alabama coast with their three young daughters.

Matthew Winkler's father, Dan Winkler, testified later Thursday that he talked to his daughter-in-law after her arrest. "I told her I wished I could take the handcuffs off and I could give her a big bear hug," he said.

He said Christians have a duty to forgive, but that Mary Winkler has never asked for forgiveness. He and his wife have custody of the children and have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Mary Winkler.

Churches of Christ do not consider themselves a denomination since every congregation is independently governed. They generally believe the Bible should be interpreted literally and that baptism by immersion in water is essential for salvation.

The trial could last up to two weeks. The jury — including a Baptist minister and woman who said she had been a victim of domestic abuse — will spend that time sequestered in a small-town motel without television, radio or cell phones.

[blondmadison]

Just as one would say don't fall for sleazy defensive bs--please also do not fall for a prosecution's sensationalistic lamblasting as if the dead guy was a SAINT and his death was for nothing at all. No reason at all?

He died for a reason. He was not an innocent person.

Just like the astronaut-high achiever- who one day could not achieve what she wanted. She always was able to get what she wanted be it academic or professional.

And then the day arrived where no matter what, she couldn't swing that final goal. She was so full of herself--she decided to pull out all the stops - to be the great achiever she always knew she was...someone tell me what the brand new mallet was for.

Now SHE is a person who is guilty as sin. And, do not allow the -ss to slide thru on a temporary insanity plea. She is a high achiever and very spoiled by it---she had a major temper tantrum and she deserves life in prison. Do not allow a white girl with high grades and a high professional position to walk out of this unscathed with an insanity plea. She has already proved she has brains which work under great pressure and stress. She was not crazy at all, worse, she was a spoiled rotten rat who ground her heels in and decided to get what she wanted no matter what she had to do. Rotten person inside herself---taking her achievements waaay too seriously--she had plans to get away with what she wanted to do.

[dommino02]

my daughter was abused by her boyfreind for yrs. mentaly and physcialy and i never saw a mark on him he seemed to be a great guy until the end when she showed me the marks an dexplained what went on in the relaship i would have killed him had she not stopped me for the sake of her son who he also abused as a child somtimes u can't see until it comes to a boil so those who think she is lying about the abuse take a long look in the mirrow becuse you don't know what u are talking about

[susanhelit]

She was a thief. By the opening statements - she was targeted by check-kiting scammers - and cashed their checks without sending them money - then continued check kiting to keep spending money. Before the murder, she withdrew $100 (her maximum ATM withdrawl) from 5 different banks.

[susanhelit]

Only the defense says there was abuse. When she was caught, she said there was no abuse. People who saw her everyday saw no abuse. Her and her husband laughing at lunch the day before he was killed says there was no abuse. Her control of the finances says there way no abuse. Only after she got a lawyer did abuse suddenly become a contention.

She said there was no abuse. He was lying on a bed, sleeping or close to it, with his back towards her. He was about to go out of town for a little while, which would make it incredibly easy for her to leave with the kids in her van.

Don't blindly buy the defense attorney's sleazy attempt to slander a dead man, just because he can't respond.

[blondmadison]

Listen to what her life was like with this rotten slob. Not just for her but for the children too.

If all he received in a very belated response was a bullet to permanently silence him and to forever prevent him from doing anything more--that's some tough sh-t.

If he was a real man of the cloth, no abuse would have occurred at all. Abuse is murder of the spirit, murder of the soul and a massacre of an innocent personality. And all he got was a bullet. He deserved waaayyyy more. I have zero sympathy for him. He wasted his life trying to show off. She saved what was left of her life and the lives of her children. Imagine trying to divorce a freak like that...what would he have put them all thru in a divorce???

I am glad he is not around anymore.

[ralan40]

You don't 'accidently' shoot someone. If you have a loaded gun, and you point it at someone. That is intentional. Accidentially shooting someone is like laying on train tracks and 'accidentilly' getting run over by a train.

[opfor311]

All we know for sure right now is that Matthew Winkler was shot and killed. It is job of the jury to hear all the evidence, and determine guilt.

It saddens me though that people would be so filled with hate to gloat about the death of a man merely becasue we disagree with his religious views.

[phoenix1218]

no matter what the reason is for her having shot her husband she still killed a man. She deserves to be punished for her crimes. Should her punishment be as severe as it normally would without the alleged abuse on her by her husband/vistim...probably not. But no one can deny that she shot and killed her husband.

[Haelan]

Just go to REHAB and all will be forgiven.

[blondmadison]

Smack her hand hard and put her on NO LESS than three weeks of solid probation!