Marry Winkler gets 3 years in jail to be split between incarceration and alternative confinement such as a mental health facility. She gets credit for time already served, which is five months.
She will likely not see any time behind bars.
n April, Mary Winkler was tried for first-degree murder. The jury found her guilty of the lesser crime of voluntary manslaughter. During the trial, Winkler testified about mental and physical abuse she received at the hands of her husband.
She told investigators she accidentally shot her husband after a night of arguing over money and other family matters.
The Memphis Flyer has testimony given by various participants in this hearing.
Finally, Mary Winkler herself, reading from a legal pad, delivered a statement in which she said she had loved her husband. She addressed the Winkler family directly and said she understood their anger and was “so sorry this had happened.â€Â
Winkler said she hoped people in her circumstances would know to “seek help” before something tragic occurred. She talked of bad times and good times†with her husband, said she missed him, and suggested that everything had happened “in accordance with God’s plan…for a reason.†She concluded: Please let me go home today and be with my children. Thank you.â€Â
The judge crafted his sentence so that she will probably see no jail time. The defense can definitely claim a win on this one. The murder charges became a voluntary manslaughter and it turned into a battered woman syndrome case.
There aren’t any statements as to whether or not she will be able to see her children.
A juror from the trial is now being interviewed who is stating that she was leaning towards a not guilty verdict and was hoping Winkler would get ‘time served’ and be set free today. She is stating that the jury found Mary Winkler’s testimony very believable in terms of the abuse suffered by herself and her children at the hands of her husband.
The juror states that the jury as a whole felt that Mary Winkler and her children were abused by Matthew Winkler, mentally, physically and sexually. She states they decided on the voluntary manslaughter verdict rather than acquittal because regardless of the abuse, they felt she could have handled it without killing him.
With that in mind, the judge did split the baby, so to speak, by giving her the sentence he did.
Paris Hilton will be looking to hire Winklers lawyer now… -D
BSC: I was thinking the same thing Fred! lol
I agree with the judge on this one. While Mary Winkler should not have shot her husband, the abuse was so overwhelming I can see how she felt she had no other choice. It is very hard for strong women to understand, but from the day this woman was married, her husband started cutting her off from family, friends, all contact that didn’t have something to do with him. He controlled her, the kids, everything. She was afraid NOT to do what he wanted. It was perverted, like brainwashing.
His parents are filing for full custody of the children with NO visitation rights for Mary. I don’t think this will ever happen.
what a pathetic justice system….what is the message it sends to abused women ..what if she percieves anther person as threatening ..i am not for any form of abuse but she had options and took the illegal one ..what an example for her kids (:`(
This is outright murder, and our justice system failed miserably once again. Mary Winkler shot him in his sleep with his back turned, People!! Get real. So now, when a man’s daughter “feels” that she is suppressed by her father she can simply blow his brains out when he is sleeping? This case isn’t over - I guarantee that there will be a wrongful death lawsuit, and that it will prevail.