Posted on 03/24/2006 8:28:46 AM PST by Blogger
Slain Minister's Wife to Be Charged With Murder Friday, March 24, 2006 MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The wife of a Tennessee pastor found shot dead in his house Wednesday will face first-degree murder charges, authorities announced Friday.
Mary Winklerwas found Thursday night with the couple's three daughters in Orange Beach, Ala., about 400 miles south of their home in Selmer.
Investigators with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said she was interviewed during the night and the charges were being prepared.
"We've interviewed her and she was cooperative," said Jennifer Johnson of the TBI, adding that once a warrant with the charges was drawn up, extradition proceedings would begin to have her returned to Tennessee.
Matthew Winkler was found shot to death in the bedroom of his parsonage Wednesday by church members who began searching for him after he failed to show up at an evening event at Selmer's Church of Christ.
Police said there were no signs of forced entry, but Winkler's wife and children — Breanna, 1; Mary Alice, 6; and Patricia, 8 — were gone.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I would not presume that this is a cult church organization, but I would start searching for someone that was supposed to be hosting an event at a church and you never heard from them, and no one answered at their home. At least that is what I would do, if someone I knew didn't show or call. Didn't the family in Mass plan a dinner party that the guy fled to England?
And what specifically has one of our newest members of Free Republic done to warrent a troll attack?
Based on his blanket statements and making assumptions that are baseless, I figured that was the motive. If not, I apologize.
He was a pillar of the community as well. A precious father of 3, well liked. Why is it his fault?
Scroll around awhile and you will see lots of annoyed FReepers.
My guess is Dan has been a FReeper before - got banned - and now has new screen name.
Is there a psychiarist around that will put to rest the "bi-polar" made me do it lie? I know of mental health professionals who will testify in court that being bi-polar does not exclude one from being responisible for one's actions.
He has a different take, refute it, debate it, but he's done nothing trollish. Both of you are fairly new. Take a lesson learned, FR debates stuff, it's not a violation of FR guidelines to have a different opinion, it might violate your personal guidelines, and that's where you should focus your energy.
The Church of Christ does not require one to marry within the church, but as other religions do the parents probably suggest it. When one marries outside their beliefs it usually makes difficulties within the marriage.
Yes sir! (Yes ma'am!)
I forgot to put the sarc afterwards sorry guys
We may have solved the mystery of "condo or motel". It looks like it may have been both.
Someone who knows the family said that Mary checked into a motel in Orange Beach, but had planned to go to FL to a condo she had rented. She didn't get there because she was *detained* by the Orange Beach police who recognized the description of the vehicle and passengers from a bulletin (not an Amber Alert yet at that point).
I'm thinking that Selmer police had an idea that Mary was heading that way (remember last night they said they knew at 6PM she'd be in the Orange Beach area, before she was found there at 7:30PM?) because of the condo being rented and that documentation showing up somewhere in the evidence, or being a planned rental that was already known about in advance -- spring break for the kids or something.
I'm going to post something else that kind of makes sense out of that.
uhhhh he was the Pastor ... there are churches that hold Wednesday evening service... It would be part of his job to be there.
If our Pastor didn't how for Wed evening service and hadn't contacted anyone - or we couldn't get a hold of him I'm sure some of the guys in our church would go see if something was wrong at home...
Nice post.
Thank you for the ping. Thank you for adding me. :)
Wow, I had to go back a few pages' worth of posts to find a case-related one to tag this post of mine onto - and yours happened to be right on the topic I wanted to comment on.
Dan Winkler, Matt's father, read a prepared statement this afternoon after the hearing where he and his wife got temporary custody of the children. Here's a story and the statement:
~~~~~
AP excerpt:
"...
A judge sent the three girls Breanna, 1; Mary Alice, 6; and Patricia, 8 back to Tennessee to live with their paternal grandparents, said David Whetstone, the district attorney in Baldwin County.
Matthew Winkler's father, Dan Winkler, attended the hearing and spoke to reporters later. ..."
~~~~~
Winkler family statement about son's death
March 24, 2006, 01:56 PM CST
A Statement From The Winkler Family
"We express to God our deep appreciation for allowing us the privilege of serving as Matthew's parents. We were blessed with raising three wonderful sons.
We are thankful for the existence of the Amber Alert System.
We cannot overlook the care, compassion, skills and professionalism of the FBI, The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, the Police Departments of Orange Beach and Okaloosa County Alabama, as well as the Alabama Department of Children Services. In addition, would thank the Police Department of Selmer, TN. We thank all of these agencies and departments for their investigative efforts and the safe return of Mary and the girls.
To all of our family and friends - thank you for your love and support.
To all of you who prayed for the safe return of the girls - your prayers and our prayers were answered.
Now we turn our immediate attention to the remembrance of Matthew and the care of our little granddaughters.
We ask that all of you realize the challenge of the task a head of us and honor our need for privacy."
My condolences to you. This is a shock. I didn't know the minister there and his family, but I did know his grandfather. Very good man. So is his father. My heart is broken for the family.
I am the wife of a church of Christ minister. I have 3 beautiful daughters. The people you are describing is nothing like the church I attend. We opened our doors to the red cross during the Katrina disaster, we have a deaf ministry and school where we educate the deaf, we gave money overseas to those in the tsunami, our youth group is spending the summer building homes for those who have lost one in Katrina, I could go on. Unfortunately you have seen some situations where those in the church of Christ did not show compassion. Christ taught us compassion. He also taught us that we should study our bible, take up our cross and follow him. I am sorry you have had bad experiences.
"My money is on either he was physically abusive to wife or sexually molesting daughter(s). Thoughts?"
I'll bet he that he used to leave the toilet seat up, or
He always left his underware on the floor, or
He put the toilet paper on the roller thing wrong, or
all three.
"... Police Departments of Orange Beach and Okaloosa County Alabama ..."
Just now on our local TV news, they showed a high-rise-type hotel in Orange Beach where they *said* Mary Winkler was "caught." I couldn't read the name on it, but I know by sight that it's one of those that also has long-term arrangements, but I wouldn't call it a condo. ('Course, MSM being what it is, the tagline below the footage of the hotel said, "Ocean Beach", AL, instead of Orange Beach, lol.)
And everything we've heard so far indicates she was at the Waffle House and then pulled over, not at a hotel or motel.
OK, on another forum, a friend of the family said that Mary had stayed in a "motel" in Orange Beach that night - Wed. night, I guess - and had planned to go on to a condo she had rented in Florida, according to what they had heard.
When I saw the family statement, I scratched my head because there isn't an Okaloosa County in Alabama, but there is one just over the state line in Florida. That's where Ft. Walton Beach is, among other places.
Since the family said they had dealings with that county in reference to this case and to the children, I would just bet that the rented condo is in Ft Walton Beach or nearby. Also, LE had said earlier that there were several crime scenes they gleaned from conversations with Mary last night and wee hours of this morning.
They didn't have time to have already gone over there, or just be hanging out in Orange Beach or Gulf Shores, heading back west for some reason, so I'm betting we will hear *something* about that condo they never got to, which "she never stayed in" when more details come out.
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