A HOUSE OF WORSHIP When Pastor Matthew Winkler was found dead at his Fourth Street Church of Christ parsonage in Selmer, Tennessee, both police investigators and parishioners were shaken and mystified: How could evil strike this cradle of faith? Meanwhile, Mary Winkler and her three daughters were still missing… A FAMILY SHROUDED IN SIN A frantic search for Mary Winkler and the girls ensued. Once they were found, on a beach in Alabama, Mary was charged with murdering her husband in cold blood. But why did Mary pull the trigger? What sexual and psychological abuses had she allegedly suffered?
A CASE THAT SHOCKED THE NATION In the months that followed, the crime—and the Winkler’s marriage—would be exposed by the national media; Mary herself even appeared on Oprah. Set in a world of domineering men, obedient wives, and unshakable faith, this is the true story about what happened to Matthew Winkler and THE PASTOR’S WIFE
Readers Write
Sharon: "I wanted in some way to convey to you what a noble effort your writing is. No one knows the insider secrets but you managed to see them without labeling the other members of the church who are somewhat more enlightened... Please keep writing. So many of us have absolutely not faith in the journalists of our time. We will increasingly look to people like you who present the facts in a calm and rational manner, in book form, rather than in newspapers of the network talking heads. You did a marvelous job of ferretting out the underbelly of a system that encourages such total control of women and children by their husbands."
Women in Crime Ink blog post The Pastor's Wife
Mary Winkler shot her husband in the back with a shotgun while he was sleeping. She then took her three little girls to the beach. But when the jury said "guilty," she only sixty-seven days of incarceration remained. How could this happen? Read more...
Mary Winkler's New Look
The meek, mild, mousy Mary Winkler was missing in action in June 2009. When she appeared in court to object to the disbursement of funds from the trust fund Matthew Winkler's parents established for the three girls, she bore little resemblance to the child-like woman who garnered sympathy from the jury and courtroom watchers across the country.
Women in Crime Ink blog post A Killer with Kids
Many Americans were upset when O. J. Simpsonretained custody of his children after his trial for the killing of his wife, Nicole Brownand waiter Ron Goldman. Many believed, as I did, that O.J. got away with murder. The child custody issue increased our outrage. Read more...
