Just when you think its over...

More drama surrounding Mary Winkler.

Today we learned that the sentencing hearing for Mary has been rescheduled due to an attorney conflict. The date was originally set for May 18th.
Also, attorney's for Mary Winkler are filing a motion to keep her from serving any more time behind bars.
Winkler's lawyers are asking for a "judicial diversion." That means the judge would wipe her record clean and sentence her to probation only.
Earlier this month, a jury convicted Winkler of voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of her husband, Matthew. She faces between 3 and 6 years in prison
The parents of Matthew Winkler have filed a petition to terminate Mary Winkler's parental rights and to adopt the children of Matthew and Mary.

I'll post more as this story develops. Also, my opinion is still in draft form. I"ll be launching it soon!

Winkler Verdict.. opinion still in the works

I haven't posted my opinion on the Winkler case yet but I'm working on it. I should have it on the website by the end of the week.

I have been asked to interview for the Oxygen series "Snapped." This will be my first sit-down talk since the Winkler case began. I will be discussing the case and the media interest surrounding it. Of course, I will not be giving my opinion on the verdict. The segment will air sometime in October or November. I'll keep you posted.

Thank you...

I wanted to thank all of you who have been faithful to keep up with my daily ramblings on the Mary Winkler trial. I had no idea my site would become this popular. You have left many kind messages and I truly appreciate your thoughts and opinions.

At the end of the day, Matthew's family came out and read a written statement to a sea of cameras. Dan Winkler, perhaps the most kind and humble speaker, talked briefly thanking everyone involved in the case for their hard work. He thanked the jury and thanked God for being their "rock and our shield" during the trial. He also comment that they will treasure the memory that Matthew had for his family, his church and his Lord.

Mary's attorney's talked mainly about the case but also wanted to express their sympathy to the Winkler's.

I need a break from this trial coverage. I will be leaving Corinth, Mississippi tomorrow morning for a weekend of well deserved rest. I'm going to visit my parents and unwind. I will give you my opinion on this case soon. Stay tuned to read my unofficial ramblings.

Guilty...Voluntary Manslaughter

Just after 5 tonight, the jury found Mary Winkler guilty of voluntary manslaughter. She could spend 3-6 years in jail or 1-3 years with probation. Her attorney's call this "justice served."

The Winklers were obviously upset but humble. They made a brief statement to the media asking us to respect the privacy of the family and the couple's 3 daughters. They wanted to thank everyone for their prayers and concerns. They ask that you continue to pray for everyone concerned.

Mary's facial expression never changed. She was like stone while the judge read her punishment. The Winkler's made no obvious outbursts. It was quiet as a mouse in the courtroom, even after the verdict was read.

Mary will be sentenced May 18 at 9 am.

More later...

Nothing yet...

The jury is still deliberating. They came out shortly after lunch to ask the judge a question. No idea how long it will be until we get a verdict. Hopefully, soon.

Remember, you can watch the verdict live by logging on to waff.com. We are streaming the entire trial and jury process as it goes.

More later...

We wait...

The jury is now deliberating the fate of Mary Winkler. The judge charged the jury around 8:15 this morning. He struck 3 from the panel, a black male, a black female and a white female. That leaves a total of 12, 10 women, 2 men, all white.

Mary left shortly after the case was handed over. She is staying at a friend's house here in Selmer. The Winkler family left as well. We do not know where the are staying until a verdict is reached.

I'll continue blogging the proceedings. Check back later for a verdict.

Also, when this is "all said and done" I will give you my take on the case, Mary's testimony, and whether or not I agree with the verdict this jury hands down.

Is she or isn't she?

Closing arguments are about to wrap up. The case will then go to a jury for deliberation. They will decide if Mary Winkler intentionally shot and killed her husband or if it was an accident. If she's convicted of first-degree murder, she faces life in prison with parole. She could also be found guilty of a lesser punishment.

A whirlwind of testimony today. The Winkler's former friend, Brandy McAlister Jones took the stand and testified that Matthew had taken Mary to the firing range and taught her to shoot a gun, blowing a hole in Mary's testimony that she had never picked one up.

I'll have more to blog on this later...

EG

More Mary...

It's been a long morning of testimony in the Mary Winkler murder trial. On the stand, she accused her husband of punching and kicking her, forcing her to have sex and refusing to grant her a divorce.

Mary told jurors her husband, Matthew was a smart and talented man, but could also be mean in both his actions and words.

Prosecutors paint a very different picture of the Church of Christ minster, with witnesses describing Matthew as a good father and husband.

Mary testified this morning that Matthew kicked her in the face during an arguement. She also says he hit her in the face, pushed her down and hit her with a belt.

Mary also told jurors Matthew kept her away from her family and criticized her appearance. She also eluded to sexual abuse while on the stand.

Currently, prosecutors are cross examining Mary.

Here we go again...

The court is back in session after a 30 minute break. Families on both sides of the courtroom appear tired and worried. I have seen no interaction between the Freemans and the Winklers. This is certainly a courtroom divided.

Mary is back on the stand. The jury is being seated. Her attorney, Steve Farese is getting ready to question his client. Mary sits with her head bowed and her hands covering her eyes. Mr. Farese just told her it's ok to hold her head up while testifiying. He's handed Mary another piece of evidence to examine. It's a document containing photographs. She is thumbing through the photos. Mary says she's seen the pictures before at their home. The pictures were on the couple's computer and that Matthew was constantly on the internet. When Mary would walk in the room, he would click the screen blank, as to hide whatever it was he was viewing. Now Mr. Farese is showing Mary a photo. Their are shoes in the photo similar to the "hooker shoes" brought into evidence this morning.

The judge has called the attorney's to the stand. Mary is thumbing through the photographs again. She just testified to the images found on Matthew's home computer. The "hooker shoe" and wig from earlier are now entered into evidence. The photos were given to the jury to view.

Keep in mind, this is Mary's testimony. Matthew is dead so he can't speak for himself.

Graphic testimony from Mary Winkler...

Mary Winkler is currently on the stand testifiying in her own murder trial. She's dressed differently than what we have been seeing the last 2 weeks. She's wearing a printed dress and a white sweater. Slightly more conservative than the business suits she wore in the beginning. She has on no makeup and her hair is a little messy.

So far, Mary's testified to physical, emotional and sexual abuse. She told jurors she demanded a divorce from Matthew but that he put his foot down and said no. Her attorney brought out a Wal-Mart bag containing evidence. The bag contained a pair of 3" heels, the type you might see strippers wearing and a brown wig. Winkler's testimony is that Matthew liked for her to dress in a provocative manner for sexual purposes. She also testified that Matthew forced her to watch pornographic images on their home computer. Winkler also told the court that her marriage has been in trouble from the very beginning and only got worse through the years.

Her father and adopted siblings are in the courtroom. They were crying as they listened to Mary's story. Matthew's parents, grandmothers and brother are on the other side of the courtroom. They have sat quietly through this morning's testimony.

The court is in a 10 minute recess. I will post more soon.

Today's testimony...

The Defense called their first witness to the stand this morning, an agent with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Several character witnesses are also expected to be called today. Also, Mary Winkler could take the stand late this afternoon but most likely tomorrow.

Don't forget our neighbors in Virginia. They are going through a terrible time right now.

I'll post more as the day goes on.

Not a dry eye in the place...

Today, Matthew and Mary Winkler's oldest daughter, Patricia took the stand in her mother's murder trial. The courtroom was packed, standing room only. Patricia walked in, sat down at the witness stand and told the judge she knew the difference in telling the truth and telling a lie. What a remarkable little girl. She broke down in the very beginning but pulled herself together. She did a really good job answering attorney's questions. When she began crying, everyone in the room, cried with her. I can't imagine what she and her sisters have gone through. I hope I never know.

Patricia testified that she heard a loud boom the morning her dad died. She went to her parent's bedroom and found Matthew, face down on the floor. He was still alive. Mary left town with the children. When she was arrested the next day, she turned custody over to Matthew's parents. The girls are still with them today. Mary's attorney's claim the Winkler's won't let the girls visit Mary. Diane Winkler testified today the girls don't want to see her. Isn't it sad what one mistake has done to shatter so many lives?

The prosecution finished calling its witnesses today. The defense will start their testimony tomorrow.

Quick notes concerning trial coverage...

Mary Winkler's trial starts bright and early Monday morning. We will be set up at the courthouse again. The prosecution is expected to wrap its testimony tomorrow.

I'll be able to use my lap top to blog tomorrow. Our sat truck operator, Mark, is bringing a wireless internet card. That should help speed things along a bit. Be sure to check back for the latest.

Not your typical Saturday...

Little did I know earlier in the week that I would still be here in Selmer on Saturday covering Mary Winkler's trial. The judge wants to move through the testimony so the case can go to the jury for deliberation.

Testimony moved at a good pace this morning. 4 people took the stand before lunch. 3 bank tellers testified that Mary was in financial trouble and that the bank had caught her trying to deposit bad checks. Prosecutors say the Winkler's bank account at Regions in Selmer was overdrawn by $5,000, and that bank employees called Mary several times in the days before Matthew's death. Prosecutors have said Mary was caught up in a swindle knows as the "Nigerian scam." Defense argues the Winkler's were in on the scam together.

I reported Friday the Winkler's oldest daughter Patricia was expected to be called to the stand today. We have been told that won't happen until sometime next week.

Security at the courthouse has been tightened. Someone called in a threat against Winkler. That's something to expect in cases like this.

The courtroom is packed with people today. The Winkler family, with the exception of Matthew's mother and children are present. Several friends of Mary's are sitting on the other side of the courtroom. Her father is not here. He could possibly be called to testify. If that's the case, he won't be allowed in the courtroom until after his testimony.

Expected to take the stand later today, 2 more finacial guru's and an expert in firearms.

More later...

The Mary Winkler Trial...Thursday and Friday

Sorry for not continuing my post from Thursday. I have only one computer in our satellite truck. The connection runs slow so I have trouble posting to my blog. Please be patient. I'll write as I can.

Today, was a long, long day of the same testimony over and over and over again. Alabama Bureau of Investigation agent Steve Stabler was on the stand for 6 1/2 hours. He is the person who interviewed Mary the night she was arrested. He taped the interview, which was played in court today. Mary admitted on tape that she shot Matthew. She says the couple was having domestic conflicts that finally reached a "boiling point." In her taped statement, Mary goes on to say that Matthew had threatened her. She had threatened him over the course of their marriage. She snapped. She also defends Matthew by saying she loved him dearly but he "nailed her in the ground." Never once in the nearly hour long interview did she ever ask police if Matthew was ok. Finally at the end, Stabler asked if she wanted to know about him. She began sobbing but didn't say anything. He told her Matthew was dead. She asked if he was at the funeral home.

Matthew's family was in court today. His father, grandmother, uncle, aunt, brother and sister-in-law. None of Mary's family was in court. Only the person she lives with, Kathy Tompson. Mary cried, really cried, for the first time since this ordeal began. She looks tired and stressed out. Her face is hard, her eyes filled with worry. If you look at her now compared to just a few short years ago, it seems like a completely different person. It's hard to not feel sorry for her. She felt their was no way out and for some reason did not want to leave him. Only Mary knows exactly what happened that morning.

Matthew and Mary's oldest daughter, Patricia, is expected to testify sometime tomorrow. She is the only witness to the crime. While she didn't see anything, she is old enough to know what happened to her daddy. That is the saddest part to this entire wasteful tragedy. The children are without a father and without a mother. In court Thursday, one of the attorney's mentioned that Patricia "hates her mother." The children have had very little contact with her since Matthew's death. They are in good hands with Dan and Diane Winkler. They are the only one's who might be able to help them through this. Mary knows that and told police she wanted them to take the children.

The defense argues Mary accidentally shot Matthew. Prosecutors say that's impossible. The defense is hinging there case on abuse, emotional and physical. Prosecutors don't buy it. They say she killed Matthew because she was caught in a check-kiting scam and didn't want Matthew to find out.

So many of you have made kind comments about my blogging of the trial. Thank you so much! This is a difficult situation. This is the first time I've ever covered a trial that I knew the person who is accused in the case. I try to be fair to both sides.

We will be leaving Saturday afternoon to head back home and wash clothes and rest. Lord willing, we will return on Sunday and start it all over for another week.

Have a safe weekend and I will post more tomorrow!

Day 1 of Mary Winkler's Trial...

We are waiting for Mary Winkler's trial to start at the McNairy County Courthouse. She is sitting in court with her attorneys. Mary is wearing a dark pant suit with a white shirt underneath. She has a cross around her neck and continues to wear her wedding ring. She has on no make up. Mary shows no emotion as she waits for her trial to begin.

The courtroom is packed with friends and family of Matthew and Mary Winkler. However, Matthew's parents are not in court. His brother Daniel, wife Holly, uncle Mike Winkler and Matthew's grandmother are here too. Mary's father Clark Freeman is sitting behind Mary in the courtroom. So is Kathy Thompson, a family friend who Mary is currently living with.

The judge is now seated at the bench. I will blog more once opening arguments begin.

Opening statements...

Jury selection is over. 12 women and 4 men were chosen to hear the case.
Those serving on the jury range in age from 20-65. They are from different religious backgrounds. None of the jurors are affiliated with the Church of Christ. 14 are white, 2 are black.

If you want to watch live video of the trial, Court TV will be carrying the trial. You can also watch streaming video on their website.

I'll post more tomorrow.

Day 2 and 3 combined...The Winkler Trial

Sorry for this late post. The internet connection we have in our satellite truck is slow, partly due to the cloudy and rainy weather this morning. I've been sick with a sore throat since Monday and didn't feel much like pulling my lap top out at the hotel.

Day 2 of jury selection gave us a little better idea into what Mary's defense will be in her first-degree murder trial. Here are some of the questions her attorney's asked a pool of some 160 potential jurors. "Is battered spouse syndrome a myth or a reality? Have you ever known anyone who suffered memory loss from a traumatic event?" They also asked about brainwashing tactics and why someone would stay in an abusive relationship. Mary's defense team is even suggestiong the shooting may have been accidental.

We were told late Tuesday afternoon that jury selection is moving at a good clip. Possibly by the end of today, a panel of 12 juoros with 4 alternates will be seated. Opening arguments could start as late as this afternoon but most likely Thursday morning.

So far, Mary hasn't said a word. Her facial expression is the same everyday. She comes prepared to court wearing a nice pants outfit. She carries a brief case over flowing with paper work in her right hand. Her wedding ring remains on her left finger. Incidentally, she is staying in Corinth, MS in the hotel next door to where we are staying. Yesterday, her attorney's took her to a restaraunt here in Selmer for lunch. They ate in the back with a curtain up around the table.

Today, its rainy and messy. Most all of the media has tents set up to keep equipment dry. We look like squatters :) Court TV ran the last of their cables into the courtroom. They will serve as the pool camera for all of the media outlets. That is the way we have been doing it from the very start. The courtroom itself is very small so only one tv camera is allowed. The judge is good to let the media have access to his courtroom. So long as we follow his rules, we shouldn't have any problems.

I've been asked by several television stations, including Court TV to do an interview since I went to college with Matt and Mary. I politely decline each offer. I don't feel its right for me to say anything about this case of Matt and Mary. I'm a journalist covering a murder trial. I try to keep my feelings and opinions to myself.

I will post more as the information becomes available. Check back often for updates.

Have a safe day everyone!

Hurry Up and WAIT!!!

Sunday night, I got to Corinth around 7:00. Our sat truck operator, Mark was already here. Juergen had to work late but came up when he finsihed.

After a good night's sleep, we left our hotel early and drove to Selmer (about 30 minutes away). This is picture I took from a monitor in our truck. It's a little blurry but you get the picture -- no pun intended. This is Mary Winkler and her attorneys, Steve Farese on the right and Leslie Ballin on the left.

Mary doesn't even look like the same person I went to college with. She has the most stone cold look on her face. The Mary I remember was a sweet girl, with a shy personality. She was always smiling and appeared to be a happy person. You can't see it in this picture, but she continues to wear her wedding band.

Matthew Winkler's murder has generated a lot of local and national publicity. This is a just a fraction of the media covering his widow's trial. The rest, like Court TV will set up tomorrow and stay until it is over. I always like mingling with other reporters and photographers from out of town. Most of them are cool and usually everyone works well together.

I snapped this photo of Juergen just before we went on the air at 5. You can't see me but I'm standing in front of the camera.

I hope we get to stay until the trial is over but it depends on the powers that be. if they choose to bring us home, not much we can do about it.

I'll be posting updates. Be patient. I've got a slow internet connection. Selmer, TN has very little coverage so cell phones and lap tops don't always work.

Be safe!

High on Lookout Mountain...

Yesterday, I left the River City for the mountains of Chattanooga. It was such a beautiful drive through Scottsboro, Bridgeport, Stevenson, etc. If nothing else, it was nice just being away from work for a day. It takes about 2 1/2 hours to get there but the drive is worth it. 4 lane all the way!

This is going to be a busy next few days for me. Saturday, my mother and daddy are coming to Athens. I'll be in Hartselle staying with my brother's 2 youngest children while they are in Nashville. Sunday, mom, dad and I will go out for lunch after church. Then, I'm leaving Sunday night headed to Corinth, MS. Monday morning, Mary Winkler's trial starts in Selmer. It's going to be a media circus, that is for sure! I'm hoping everything will wrap up in a few short days. It may take longer than that. I just hope we are home by the end of the week.

Can you believe all this chilly weather? Thankfully, my pepper and tomato plants are inside with the heat on. They are thriving quiet nicely! I hope to be making salsa by summer time.

Hope all of you are doing well! Have a great weekend!