A Tennessee woman convicted in April in the home shooting death of her husband, minister Matthew Winkler, was just released from custody after serving a mere 67 days.
Mary Winkler, 33, was let go from a mental-health facility after undergoing treatment for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Her slained 31-year-old husband, who presided over the Fourth Street Church of Christ parsonage, was found dead in March 2006. Mary Winkler was discovered a day later in Alabama driving the family's minivan with the couple's three children.
At trial, Winkler testified that her "pastor" had abused her physically and sexually, making her dress-up like a ho', complete with wigs, slutty clothes and f*** me pumps.
Conceding she pointed the shotgun at him, little Mary maintained that shooting him in the back was completely accidental.
Yeah right!
Dismissing her account as ridiculous, prosecutors sought a first-degree murder conviction, which the jury wasn't feeling. Instead, Winkler received a three-year sentence in June based on a voluntary manslaughter conviction.
Judge J. Weber McCraw then reduced that to 210 days, permitting her to serve the remainder of her time on probation. She was also given credit for the five months behind bars she spent awaiting trial, which further reduced her sentence to only about two months. McCraw additionally determined that she could serve them in a mental-health facility.
At the time of Winkler's trial last spring, daughter Patricia was 9; Mary Alice was 7; and Breanna was 2. The mousy, dour-appearing preacher's wife has not seen her children then, with Matthew's parents caring for the children.Understandably pissed off, they are currently seeking to retain custody and have filed a $2 million civil suit against Mary on behalf of their son.
Currently residing with friends, Winkler will resume her job at a dry cleaners in McMinnville, Tennessee